Davao Startup Week 2026 aims to link Mindanao founders with investors beyond the region
The four-day festival on November 17 to 20 targets more than 2,000 participants, at least 50 startups and over 50 investor-founder meetings, according to its organizers.
Davao City will host Davao Startup Week 2026 from November 17 to 20, a festival meant to help Mindanao startups reach investors and mentors outside the region, according to Mindanao Times.
Organized by IDEAS Davao and Upgrade Innolab Incorporated, with the Davao City government and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) as co-hosts, the event carries the theme "Founders of the Future: Backing Builders from Davao to the World." Organizers said they hope to draw more than 2,000 participants to over 20 events, and are inviting founders and investors from Manila, the wider Visayas-Mindanao area and abroad.
The organizers' targets include at least 50 startups and innovation-driven micro, small and medium enterprises, more than 50 structured business-to-business and investor-founder meetings, and 10 or more masterclasses. Government agencies are also expected to meet to align regional innovation policy.
Richard R. Day, president of Upgrade Innolab and the festival's convener, described the event as "a strategic opportunity to position Davao and Mindanao as one of the leading innovation corridors in the Philippines." He said bringing together founders, investors, government, academia and communities could help speed up enterprise growth and create quality jobs, and he invited partners from government, industry and civil society to co-invest in and co-own the initiative.
Organizers are pitching Davao as a place where corporate infrastructure meets university research. Local startups work in fields such as agritech, the blue economy, e-commerce, logistics, healthtech and the creative industries, while campus programs produce deep-tech spinoffs. These include UP Mindanao's TBI, Ateneo de Davao's ADDventures, the University of Mindanao's UMasenso Hub, the UIC Marian Incubator and USeP AGilab.
The city's developer communities include Google Developer Group Davao, Davaoeñas in Tech and the cybersecurity group SPACE, while coworking spaces are concentrated in Bajada, Poblacion and Damosa IT Park. For visiting founders and investors, organizers are highlighting access to regional funds, corporate innovation teams and a cost-competitive talent pool, as well as nearby attractions such as diving off Samal Island and ecotourism around Mt. Apo.
The festival is supported by DTI XI, the Department of Information and Communications Technology, the Mindanao Development Authority and university business incubators. Registration, schedules and hotel details are posted on the @davaostartupweek social media accounts.
Why it matters for Davao
Local founders and small businesses may gain access to investors, mentors and funding that organizers say are often hard to reach from Mindanao. Registration details are available through the festival's social media pages.
This article was written by the DavaoNews desk with AI assistance, using reporting by Mindanao Times. Facts come from the original report, which we credit and link below. Our editorial policy
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