‘The Final Pitch’ Season 9: Open Edition to start airing on CNN Philippines this July 9

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The Final Pitch, the Philippines’ groundbreaking business reality TV show, is set to premiere its ninth season exclusively on CNN Philippines starting July 9, and will air every Sunday at 8:30 pm with replays every Friday at 10:00 pm and Saturday at 5:30 pm.

Hosted by the show creator John Aguilar, the 10-episode series themed “Open Edition” will feature aspiring entrepreneurs, innovators, and tech start-ups across all industries to share their creative and unconventional business concepts and vie to secure funding and mentorship from the distinguished investor-judges.

In its new season, the show took a bolder step in emphasizing the importance of inclusivity and diversity in the business world and beyond tech start-ups, allowing non-technology entrepreneurs to take their businesses to the next level. The show has captured the imagination of audiences since its first season and served as a launchpad for promising entrepreneurs, providing them a platform for fostering innovation and propelling business ideas into successful ventures.

"We decided to embrace the 'Open Edition' approach, recognizing the vast pool of talented entrepreneurs across diverse industries beyond the technology sector. By doing so, we provided them with a valuable platform to interact, negotiate, and engage in discussion with the judges.” said Aguilar

The show will feature a roster of judges meticulously evaluating entrepreneur contestants’ business proposals and determining the most promising ventures equipped with insightful feedback, expert guidance, and engaging discussions. This season’s exceptional panel of investor-judges includes Rico Bautista, President and CEO of Etiqa Life & General Assurance Philippines; Brian Poe Llamanzares, President of Pantheon Holdings; Henry Aguda, President and CEO of UnionDigital Bank and Convenor of GoDigital Pilipinas; Robert Scott, Vice President-Hotel Operations of Okada Manila; Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines His Excellency Ilan Fluss; and the British Ambassador to the Philippines Her Excellency Laure Beaufils.

In addition, this season will also showcase an episode of ‘Open House Mentorship Sessions’ on August 6. The mentorship sessions involve insights and expertise of outstanding mentors on diverse topics such as business strategy, social media and influencer marketing, and pitching.

The episode’s esteemed mentors include Joel Santos, the founder of Thames International Business School; Vince Golangco of When in Manila; Dean Bernales of Uniquecorn Strategies; Paolo Rentero of TechShake; Atty. Marlon Valderama of LexMeet; and Chris Peralta of Silicon Valley HQ.

Mark your calendars for July 9, 2023, and tune in to CNN Philippines to witness the thrilling premiere of The Final Pitch Season 9: Open Edition, showcasing the bright spirit of entrepreneurship, innovation, and the extraordinary potential of Filipino entrepreneurs.

 

 

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ABOUT THE FINAL PITCH

The Final Pitch is a reality TV show where viewers see the coming together of the best and brightest startup entrepreneurs, investors, and business leaders searching to back and support their enterprises. The idea was spawned to create a platform to not just serve as a guide and inspiration to those who will trek the long and winding road of entrepreneurship, but for investors to find and invest in the ones they are willing to back. The Final Pitch is produced by independent television production company Streetpark Productions Inc.

For more information, visit www.thefinalpitch.ph.

‘The Final Pitch’ invites entrepreneurs across all industries with the launch of its 9th edition

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The ‘Open Edition’ aims to promote inclusivity and democratize access to opportunities for entrepreneurs beyond tech startups

The Final Pitch,  the Philippines' premier business reality TV show, is back for its ninth season on CNN Philippines, with the theme "Open Edition." The new season provides opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs, innovators, and startups from all industries to present their innovative business solutions catering to a diverse panel of investor-judges looking to fund and back their initiatives. 

The show's creator and host, John Aguilar, stated that the Open Edition is poised to be a breakout season for the series as it emphasizes the significance of inclusivity and diversity in the business world, particularly for non-technology startups seeking investment and partnership opportunities and aiming to take their businesses to the next level.

"We have decided to make this an 'Open Edition' to be able to give a chance to entrepreneurs of different sizes, industries, and verticals to be able to participate in both the fundraising, mentoring and market reach that The Final Pitch has been able to give the entrepreneurs who have pitched their enterprises on the show. This is also a way for us to democratize access to everything that show stands for, to go beyond tech startups, which have traditionally been the majority," said Aguilar.

This season's roster of judges also hail from different industries, bringing diverse perspectives and valuable insights to aspiring entrepreneurs. The panel of investor-judges includes Rico Bautista, President and CEO of Etiqa Life & General Assurance Philippines; Brian Poe-Llamanzares, President of Pantheon Holdings; Henry Aguda, President and CEO of UnionDigital Bank and Member-convenor of GoDigital Pilipinas; and Robert Scott, Vice President-Hotel Operations of Okada Manila. For the first time, the show will involve judges from the diplomatic corps with the participation of the Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines His Excellency Ilan Fluss, and the British Ambassador to the Philippines Her Excellency Laure Beaufils. According to Aguilar, the judges will serve as not just potential investors, but as strategic partners to the future contestants.

 

In a virtual press launch on May 9th, Rico Bautista expressed his desire to collaborate with entrepreneurs who have strategic, feasible, and technological ideas with clear business opportunities.

Bautista stated, "I am personally looking for startups who can help expand our business in Etiqa, especially when it relates to insurance, customer service, and distribution. I am also looking for an entrepreneurial and passionate leader and a strong business team with the ability to combine art with technology. Their passion in starting up and innovating, to come up with something so simple and yet very relevant, both to the market they're playing in and to the company that they will be helping. Lastly, future potential and clear commercial teams resulting in early Return of Investment (ROI).”

According to Brian Poe-Llamanzares, he is seeking business solutions that directly address significant problems in the country and are both usable and accessible to the public.

"As an investor and entrepreneur, I am always on the lookout for innovative solutions that address real problems and benefit the general public. Simultaneously, I am also keen on identifying opportunities that align with our family business at Pantheon Holdings. However, my ultimate belief is investing in the entrepreneurs themselves. In the Philippines, entrepreneurship is the driving force behind many successful companies, particularly at the startup level, and the person behind the venture is what ultimately makes it successful. I am thrilled to engage with entrepreneurs who possess a clear vision of what their company requires to grow and thrive, whether it be a technological solution, marketing assistance, or networking opportunities," expressed Llamanzares.

Expressing his enthusiasm for finding the next big thing in the Philippine startup scene, Henry Aguda said, "Our main focus in UnionDigital Bank is to provide banking service to the under-banked, unbanked and SMEs, that is why we have an open mind coming into this show to find the ‘diamond in the rough’, an SME that will become a unicorn one of these days. My excitement is here also looking for solutions that we can take to the government and be the ones to scale up. Maybe an entrepreneur or a startup can solve a problem that the government is trying to solve and the government becomes the accelerator to make them a unicorn." Aguda is looking for game-changing ideas that can transform the industry and provide solutions to the government's problems.

Aguilar also announced that this season's mentoring sessions, previously exclusive to the contestants of the show, will be open for the first time to participants outside of the program. The Final Pitch will invite the show’s contestants, students, startups, and other organizations to come together for a one-day learning experience during the filming of the Open House Mentoring Day episode on May 23 at Thames International Business School.

The mentorship program will involve a diversified group of business mentors who will guide the participants. These mentors include Dean Bernales, Founder & CEO of Uniquecorn Strategies; Chris Peralta, Founder of Silicon Valley HQ; Vince Golangco, CEO & Founder of When in Manila; Atty. Marlon Valderama, founder and CEO of LexMeet; Joel Santos, President of Thames International Business School; and Paolo Rentero, Co-Founder of TechShake. Aguilar will likewise give a pitching masterclass based on his best-selling book The Art and Science of the Pitch. 

"We are excited to offer opportunities to a varied range of entrepreneurs and startups to take advantage of the fundraising, mentoring, and market reach that The Final Pitch Open Edition can provide. This is our way of promoting inclusivity and diversity on the show, and we're eagerly anticipating the incredible concepts and companies that will emerge from this season," Aguilar added.

To join The Final Pitch, interested applicants will be required to fill out and submit an online entry form through the link: TheFinalPitch.ph/application via its official website TheFinalPitch.ph. The deadline for submission of applications is until May 13, 2023. Participants who wish to join the May 23 Open House Mentoring Day can register through https://TheFinalPitchOpenMentorship.eventbrite.co.uk or visit the The Final Pitch Facebook and LinkedIn pages.

 

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ABOUT THE FINAL PITCH

The Final Pitch is a reality TV show where viewers see the coming together of the best and brightest startup entrepreneurs, and investors and business leaders searching to back and support their enterprises. The idea was spawned to create a platform to not just serve as a guide and inspiration to those who will trek the long and winding road of entrepreneurship, but for investors to find and invest in the ones they are willing to back. The Final Pitch is produced by independent television production company Streetpark Productions Inc.

For more information, visit www.thefinalpitch.ph.

UBX returns to The Final Pitch, drives open finance, financial inclusion agenda

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UBX, the leading open finance platform in the Philippines, is back on CNN Philippines’ The Final Pitch (TPF) with a stronger drive to promote its mission of empowering startups and smaller players with open finance solutions in pursuit of its goal of including everyone.

UBX President & CEO John Januszczak will serve as one of the investor-judges supported by UBX Chief Product Officer Anne Yosuico, and UBX Singapore Country Head Cyrus Cruz who will both serve as members of the investor team on the show’s eighth season, which will be focusing on tech innovations in the business industry.

This year, they are on the lookout for the next big thing in the Philippine startup scene.

Given its established position as the leading open finance platform in the Philippines, UBX is now in a much better position to help smaller and often overlooked players to rise to greater heights, providing insights to startups to survive and thrive in the local scene.

“We genuinely believe that tech is the greatest equalizer. I am so happy to be back at TFP, especially with this edition being the tech edition, which is the driver of financial inclusion, especially in the modern age,” Januszczak shared.

UBX is the practical go-to platform of MSMEs and startups for financial technology solutions. UBX boasts of innovative ventures such as i2i, its banking-as-a-service platform, SeekCap, its open-lending marketplace, BUX, an end-to-end payment solutions platform that allows merchants of all sizes to accept all forms of payment, and Sentro, a free online shop builder that allows you sell online, manage inventory, accept payments and book deliveries.

Aside from this, UBX also has an Innovations Garage Program, a three-month program where businesses would have to work on a concept and search for a business model, the final output being a business plan proposal.

Thanks to UBX, startups will have the resources to develop and refine their ideas, build their prototypes, and test their ideas in the market. Approval by UBX means more funding and eligible participants will move on to the MVP stage.

Before the pandemic hit, 99.5 percent of registered businesses with the Department of Trade and Industry were classified as MSMEs, which generated 62.4 percent of the country’s total employment. With the imposition of the community quarantines, a large portion of this number were forced to shut down their business.

But they quickly bounced back and found avenues to recover. With the support of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the Department of Trade and Industry, and other government agencies, smaller businesses started to embrace digital technology and bring their enterprises online.

Supportive of the BSP’s Digital Payments Transformation Roadmap and the National Strategy for Financial Inclusion, UBX also pitched in to assist startups and MSMEs through its different solutions, guiding businesses through true digital transformation.

UBX’s designs are built to affect and persuade, develop agile products that provide stellar customer experience and digitally transform businesses to adapt to the demands of the real world.

Small businesses are guided to focus on the right strategy and solution and become cut-above-the-rest leaders with topnotch, data-driven advice from the most sought-after experts in the field.

Thus, with its comeback to TFP, UBX is in search of likeminded enterprises which will help achieve its goal of promoting financial inclusion in the Philippines. UBX is looking forward to providing more access and more opportunities to empower partners, especially those that make a strong impact on society.

“Tech in general is an enabler of financial inclusion. We’re on the lookout for financial technology, coupled with ruthless product-market fit, that we can help expand or monetize through open finance,” Januszczak said.

917Ventures joins The Final Pitch in search of “new heroes”

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Business reality TV show, The Final Pitch, kicks off its sixth season on CNN Philippines with 917Ventures Managing Director Vince Yamat on board to scout for ‘new heroes’ who will help rebuild the country and improve the lives of Filipinos amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

For the show’s “Heroes Edition,” Yamat joins an esteemed panel of investor-judges who will evaluate the business proposals presented by the contestants to address the economic and social impact of the global health crisis.

 

The successful venture builder may join 917Ventures’ Velocity program, a three-month Bootcamp that aims to bring out the external talent and their ideas, as well as create ventures with the growth levers and network advantage of operating within 917Ventures and Globe.

 

917Ventures is Globe’s corporate venture builder that ideates, launches, and accelerates new businesses that have the potential to grow and scale fast. Among the successful and innovative companies under its wing are GCash, KonsultaMD, AdSpark, HealthNow, PureGo, and RUSH.

 

“We offer an opportunity for talents to join an entrepreneurial program where they will be able to turn their dream idea into reality.  Not only will they be able to tap the expertise of 917Ventures but they will also be able to unlock Globe’s Unfair Advantage which consists of a user base of over 80 million, with one million distribution points, and 150,000 enterprise partners nationwide to begin with,” said Yamat.

917Venture’s Velocity, which will be fully online due to mobility restrictions, is set to start as early as May this year. The corporate venture builder will provide funding, product and technology development, operational support, and network access. The deadline for entry submission is on March 28, 2021.

 

“We are in search of what we call a venture builder, someone with grit and the right attitude who is passionate about solving a problem.  Our focus is on FinTech, E-Commerce, HealthTech, and AdTech but we also welcome great ideas in other fields,” said Yamat, who is looking forward to The Final Pitch Season 6 to be aired Sundays starting March 21.

 

The Final Pitch creator and host John Aguilar, FWD Insurance President and CEO Li Hao Zhuang, UBX President and CEO John Januszczak, and Thames International Business School President Joel Santos join Yamat in the panel of investor-judges.

 

To know more about 917Ventures and Velocity, visit https://velocity.917ventures.com/

With LexMeet, legal help is now just a click away.... Legal Services Made Easy for Filipinos Via LexMeet Mobile App

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LexMeet is an online and affordable legal solutions platform that offers an ease of access to legal services, to connect with people seeking legal services through the comfort afforded by technology as to provide the public a cost-effective and high quality facility that will address their legal needs.

Legal problems that are not readily resolved usually end up being bigger problems. But many Filipinos who need legal help often feel helpless as getting a trustworthy lawyer is a luxury they cannot afford. Not to mention the proliferation of fake attorneys in social media that victimizes clients in dire need of legal service.

At present, approximately 80% of legal problems in the Philippines do not receive legal assistance based on the World Justice Project Report. Filipinos, specially OFWs and PWDs, find it extremely troublesome to deal with legal issues in the Philippines because they think it’s inconvenient, expensive, and intimidating to deal with legal issues at a lawyer’s office. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that are also in need of legal assistance also lack access to affordable legal help. 

This dilemma can now be solved in just a click with LexMeet- the first legal solutions mobile app in the Philippines that aims to bridge the gap between clients and lawyers. With just a click of the LexMeet APP on a smartphone or a computer, LexMeet can give you quick access to legal services that are both competent and affordable. 

LexMeet gives Filipinos online legal service accessibility anytime, anywhere so clients can receive legal advice, legal documents and legal remedies online, at their own convenience. 

LexMeet creates legal tech products that allow clients and lawyers the ability to complete an entire legal case, from assessment to execution of judgment.

(L-R) Michael Tiu Lim, Vice President for Operations, Mega Global Corporation; Michelle Tiu Lim Chan, Vice President for Finance, Mega Global Corporation;  Monica Hipolito-Aguilar, Co-Executive Producer, The Final Pitch; John Aguilar, Executive Producer and Host, The Final Pitch; William Tiu Lim, President & CEO, Mega Global Corporation; Atty. Marlon Valderama, Founder and President, LexMeet, Inc. ; Rigie Fernandez, Vice President for Marketing and Design, LexMeet, Inc. ; Gino Carlo Cortez, Vice President for Technology, LexMeet, Inc. 

LEXMEET’S NEW PRODUCTS

LexMeet’s three new products are grouped into Assist, Consult, and Everyday Law.

ASSIST – a FREE legal crowdsourcing platform for initial assessment of a client’s legal problem. This is where a client could determine if he/she really needs a lawyer or if he/she really has a case to file in court or not.

CONSULT- a PREPAID online legal consultation platform using video conference with lawyer-client matching algorithm. Clients can comfortably request the date and time of the online legal consultation with the lawyer. They meet the selected lawyer face-to-face in LexMeet’s own video chat consultation platform where they could directly ask questions and make clarifications as well as upload additional documents for review. The lawyer chosen is informed in advance of the client’s legal problem with the attached documents. Follow-up legal consultation can be conveniently made by the client and/or they can easily arrange for another lawyer’s second opinion or advice. 

EVERYDAY LAW- FREE legal information and knowledge through blogs/vlogs.

Lawyers also benefit from LexMeet because it gives them a chance to reach a larger market and improve their individual standing.

LexMeet’s latest data as of February 13, 2020 shows a total number of 29,784 clients served by a pool of 452 lawyers solving a total number of 26,525 legal problems.

THE BEGINNINGS OF LEXMEET

LexMeet Inc. was one of the big winners during the fourth season of “The Final Pitch” a business reality show. Atty. Marlon Valderama, founder and President of LexMeet Inc. “pitched” his idea for a mobile legal app called LexMeet to an esteemed panel of investors who were hoping to own a piece of “the next big idea”.

Legal Services Made Easy for Filipinos Via LexMeet Mobile App who was a judge/investor for the show saw the potential of LexMeet and offered to invest in LexMeet Inc. He said: “Lexmeet's goal to help Filipinos who do not have legal access appealed to us. Mega Global Corporation has always been about nation building and enriching the lives of every Filipino”.

With Mega Global Corp’s investment, Atty. Valderama says: 

“We will be able to make LexMeet known to more people. We will also add more features to our existing products based on the feedback and learnings from our users. Using the fund, we will also start to develop two of our other products, (Lex)Docs, a chatbot legal document assembly and (Lex)Notary, a prototype electronic notarial system with blockchain component. We’ve also decided to put up a Singaporean holdings company called Lex Prime Holdings Pte. Ltd. in preparation for our possible expansion in Southeast Asia in the near future”.

LexMeet is the technological realization of a lawyer’s dream to provide Filipinos all over the globe with an affordable, convenient and simple solution to their legal problems. With LexMeet, legal help is now just a click away. 

For more information, please visit www.lexmeet.com and/or download the app on AppStore or Google Play Store. 

Get legal advice online! Register at www.lexmeet.com

 DOWNLOAD the Mobile App on App Store for iOS mobile at: http://bit.ly/LexMeetiOS or Google Play Store for Android at: http://bit.ly/LexMeet

The Final Pitch Season 5: Real Estate and Livable Cities

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The Final Pitch has launched its fifth season with the theme "Real Estate and Livable Cities"

The Final Pitch Season 5 will feature landowners and entrepreneurs who will pitch their properties and businesses to a panel of investor-judges who are looking to own a piece of their properties or companies.

The country's first and only business reality television show, The Final Pitch fifth season will start filming this November and will begin airing early 2020. 

"For the first time ever, we will be producing a season with a theme - The Final Pitch Season 5: Real Estate and Livable Citles Edition will be the first season focused on real estate projects, urban solutions, and property technologies that contribute to the livability and sustainability of our cities," said John Aguilar, serial entrepreneur creator and host of the show. Aguilar is also the CEO of Dragon's Nest, a startup venture builder that will be building the ASEAN region's next exponential startups.

Previous seasons of the show focused on various technology startups and SMES pitching their businesses to investor judges for funding. This time, real estate-related deals and solutions for the property sector will be at the forefront.

Pitching for Real Estate

"With the jitters created by the possible volatility of the demand from the POGO sector impacting the entire industry, there is now an even more urgent need to prepare for an eventual down-cycle of the property sector, and future-proof the business interests of developers and construction industry stakeholders," Aguilar noted.

"This can be done by either consolidating landholdings for the future, or even totally shifting business models to prepare for the seismic shifts that technological disruption will bring to the real estate sector," he added.

A property owner or owner's representative or broker can pitch a property to the show's investors.

"Whether for sale or joint venture, we are looking for properties across the Philippines ranging from raw land, buildings, islands, even prime properties in the Metro," Aguilar stressed.

"Our foremost criteria for accepting these properties for consideration will be that the title is clean. We will not engage in a broker or broker's representative who does not have exclusive rights to market or sell the properties they are proposing. Properties or projects with an existing prospectus or highest and best land use study are preferred, but not required. If the property is for sale, the selling price must be at least 20% below market value."

The properties must be free from any liens and encumbrances and must be fully owned by the party pitching the property. These properties will be pitched to the investors with the intertion of selling the properties to them, or engaging in a possible joint venture project together. The terms of the deal may be flexible, but if the project is not interesting, the project might not even make it past the consideration stage.

"Ultimately, we are looking for great deals for the investors for properties that can be land banked, renovated, or developed for the future," Aguilar shared.

Developing Livable Cities

Aside from real estate deals, the season will also feature startups who will pitch businesses that make for livable cities-green and sustainable building materials and technologies, clean energy, all the way to smart home and proptech (property technology) startups.

Entrepreneurs who pitch their enterprise, service or invention must have at least a minimum viable product or prototype. Businesses that provide solutions that improve people's quality of living, particularly those that address safety, hygiene, healthcare, the environment, recreation, pubilic transport and access to goods and services will also be considered.

Investor judges and mentors

The show's panel of investor Judges is a mix of property developers, businessmen, and corporate leaders keen on exploring new enterprises that can complement their businesses, integrate effectively into their value chain, allow them to diversify their portfollo, or enable them to create meaningful impact through strategic initiatives and intervention.

The fifth season's judges are real estate movers:

-- Victor Consunji, CEO of Victor Consunji Development Corporation, an innovative developer of homes and modern neighborhoods

-- Cary Lagdameo, First Vice President of Davao-based Damosa Land Inc., the real estate arm of the Anflo group of companies;

-- Cesar Wee Jr, President of Wee Community Developers Inc, one of the fastest growing premium residential developers in the country;

-- Jet Yu, founder and CEO of Prime Philippines, one of the youngest and most aggressive real estate consultancy firms in the country.

-- George Royeca, Chief Transport Advocate of Angkas - 

In the mix to look for livable cities solutions and technologies

In turn, the show's mentors, who will guide the finalists in the different aspects of their business proposals with Amor Maclang, Public Engagement head of the Urban Land Institute and co-founder of GeiserMaclang Marketing Communications Inc., and Hardy Lipana, President and CEO of Conveyance Realty Services Inc.

Interested property owners and entrepreneurs who want to pitch their property, solution or startup may log on to thefinalpitch.ph/application. Deadline for submission is by November 11, 2019.

The Final Pitch airs Sundays at 8 pm, with replays every Monday at 9:30 pm and Saturdays 1 pm on CNN Philippines. The show is produced by Streetpark Productions, Inc. To view past seasons and to find out how you can get involved in future seasons, log on to TheFinalPitch.ph