April 2008 Archives

MILO FELIPE of milObjects Software talks about his project, an online tool that would enable local governments to easily develop websites and online services. This was one of the elevator pitches on Day 2 of the Morph Code bootcamp. Video taken by INQUIRER.net online videographer Janie Christine Octia at the At eneo de Manila University.

STRATLOC, a company founded by a group of engineers, is represented here by Ann a Pasetes, who explains the Real-Time Locator project. This was one of the elev ator pitches on Day 2 of the Morph Code bootcamp. Video taken by INQUIRER.net online videographer Janie Christine Octia at the At eneo de Manila University.

EDISPOSE, according to Robert Sagun of E-governance for Municipal Development I nc., will help local government units facilitate the disposal of their assets. This was one of the elevator pitches on Day 2 of the Morph Code bootcamp. Video taken by INQUIRER.net online videographer Janie Christine Octia at the At eneo de Manila University.

MICHAEL MALETTE of FluidMinds explains CertSim and how it will provide mock tes ts for certification examinations. This was one of the elevator pitches on Day 2 of the Morph Code bootcamp. Video taken by INQUIRER.net online videographer Janie Christine Octia at the At eneo de Manila University.

THE EXCEED Student Information System, which organizes student files including grades and attendance, is explained by Sawar Faruque of Integritas Data Managem ent Solutions. This was one of the elevator pitches on Day 2 of the Morph Code bootcamp held in Ateneo de Manila University. Video taken by INQUIRER.net online videographer Janie Christine Octia.

GREG MORENO explains the XLang Project that will help people learn a foreign la nguage. This was one of the elevator pitches on Day 2 of the Morph Code bootcam p held in Ateneo de Manila University. Video taken by INQUIRER.net online videographer Janie Christine Octia.

WINSTON DAMARILLO, Morph Labs executive chairman, talks about being the first s oftware company in the country to go public. He also shares his thoughts on the elevator pitches presented on Day 2 of the Morph Code bootcamp at the Ateneo d e Manila University. Interview conducted by INQUIRER.net technology reporter Erwin Oliva. Video take n by INQUIRER.net online videographer Janie Christine Octia.

IMAGINE a large group of users who write stories together one phrase at a time. That is actually the simple and yet brilliant idea from a startup simply calle d Octales. Unanimously, the panel of experts said Octales is a "refreshing" idea after an afternoon of elevator pitches. All in all, 15 startups presented their business ideas.

By Erwin Oliva INQUIRER.net "THE LEVEL of carbon dioxide is high in this room," Federico Gonzalez quipped, as he reminded the remaining startups to think about catching the panel's atten tion quickly. "Our attention span is getting shorter," Gonzalez added, which made people laug h. The panel of experts said that one of the important things to consider in doing "elevator pitches" is to convince investors in the first 30 seconds. Eric Manlunas, partner at Global Gateway Venture Capital, suggested to a startu p that they should work on their their PowerPoint presentations, starting with the fonts they use. "You lost me at the first few slides," he told one startup. Serious Gamers, a startup headed by Norman Goss, presented a business simulatio n game aimed at corporate clients who wish to train their sales managers in neg otiations. Goss is incidentally the father of Ranulf Goss, a local game developer. Martin Lichauco, managing director of AO Capital, however, explained that the p anel is meant to help startups "tweak their ideas." Outstanding Informatics, founded by doctors of the University of the Philippine -Manila, pitched the award-winning Community Health Information Tracking System, which is now being deployed in local health center s in the country.

By Erwin Oliva INQUIRER.net ON THE ONE HAND, the entrepreneurs here included "bored engineers" who wanted t o have some fun and money, and overachieving students who hope to create a Face book-like service that would help match students with their college or course u sing the idea of crowd-sourcing. On the other hand, you also have more mature firms like Ascendant Technologies, which has been in stealth mode for the past two years and is now ready to "go to the next level" with the patient information system it developed. So far, the ideas presented during the second half of the elevator pitches invo lved business ideas related to e-learning, e-health, and e-government.

By Erwin Oliva INQUIRER.net IT was like a press conference where each startup had to undergo grilling from a panel of experts. Startups were given five minutes to talk, and more grilling followed. One of the business ideas that caught the attention of the panel was a simple s tudent information system developed by Integritas Data Management Solutions, wh ich has already developed a product deployed in some local schools. Following a short break, the panel reiterated that startups have to distinguish between the market in general and the "addressable market," which means the target market of a service or a product. Morph Labs executive chairman Winston Damarillo said startups can opt to run de eper on a vertical market and dominate it. Business ideas presented here included an e-learning solution that hopes to be an alternative to existing e-learning platforms. One group presented eDispose, which envisions a portal for selling the unused assets of local government unit s. "We're looking at recurring revenue base and [ideas that] can scale. I don't mi nd me-too ideas," one of the experts on the panel stressed.

By Erwin Oliva INQUIRER.net SEVENTEEN startup firms have attended Day 2 of Morph Code, a bootcamp hosted by Morph Labs, Ayala Foundation, and the Philippine Emerging Startups Open Inc. Each company will be given five minutes to present their idea to a panel. "It's going to be fast and furios," said George Telenko, who is moderating toda y's event. The panel is composed of Winston Damarilo, executive chairman of Morph Labs; Ma rtin Lichauco, managing director of AO Capital; Bill Luz, executive vice presid ent of Ayala Foundation; Federico Gonzalez, president and CEO of PESO; and Eric Manlunas. Damarillo also announced that Morph Labs is the first software company in the c ountry to go public. Xlang, a startup that hopes to help people learn a foreign language, started th e ball rolling with its presentation.

MORPH LABS CEO David Abramowski talks about how software as a service can help small businesses compete with big software companies. Video taken by INQUIRER.net online videographer Janie Christine Octia on Day 1 of the Morph Code bootcamp at the Ateneo de Manila University. Day 2 of the Morph Code bootcamp, which will be held Saturday, April 5 at the s ame venue, will give technology entrepreneurs the opportunity to make their own elevator pitches. Click he re for the Day 2 schedule.

MORPH LABS CEO David Abramowski talks about the evolution of software developme nt, and emphasized that technology entrepreneurs should quickly transform their business ideas into beta products or services. Abramowski gave a presentation on Day 1 of the Morph Code bootcamp held at the Ateneo de Manila University. Video taken by INQUIRER.net online videographer Janie Christine Octia.

INQUIRER.NET multimedia reporter Erika Tapalla and INQUIRER.net technology repo rter Erwin Oliva interview Morph Labs Inc. CEO David Abramowski during Day 1 of the Morph Code bootcamp the company held for Filipino technology entrepreneurs at the Ateneo de Manila University. Video taken by INQUIRER.net online videographer Janie Christine Octia.

DR. Alvin Marcelo, director of the National Telehealth Center at the University of the Philippines-Manila, talks about opportunities in e-health in an intervi ew conducted after his presentation at the Morph Code bootcamp for Filipino tec hnology entrepreneurs at the Ateneo de Manila University. Video taken by INQUIRER.net multimedia reporter Erika Tapalla.