The local government of Quezon City on Sunday announced that eight finalists have qualified to be part of the Startup QC Program.

QC Mayor Joy Belmonte said that the startups will undergo various capacity-building components and compete for equity-free grants of up to P1 million, adding that exciting innovations will again be a part of the city’s third cohort.

This year’s cohort includes Alerto Ph, a mobile application centralizing emergency and disaster data for accessible, collated status information during crises; BuildIt, a digital canvassing platform for contractors, offering quick pricing assessments and CallBack, a digital casting platform connecting artists and producers.

‘I can proudly say that we have come a long way since launching the program two years ago. And so, as we progress to create a supportive and nurturing ecosystem, the challenge is to search for more impactful, innovative, creative products and services that are scalable on a global level.’

It also included Kwentoon, a digital platform promoting literacy and contemporary visual arts among Filipino youth; Lithos Manufacturing, a portable, foldable tank box with a filtration system providing immediate, sustainable access to safe drinking water in remote or disaster-affected areas; Nyha Robotics, a one-stop solution for accessible and flexible robotics education and Pasajob, a referral-based job-matching platform.

The finalists also include RevUp Finance, which aims to improve SME financial operations by reducing invoicing, follow-ups, payment validation, and reconciliation time by 80 percent through streamlined workflows.

Startup QC Cohort 3 features a diverse mix of finalists specializing in governance technology, information technology, creative industries, sustainability, education, and financial technology.

Over a 10-week period, StartUp QC will enhance their skills, assist in product development, and provide network support.

“I can proudly say that we have come a long way since launching the program two years ago. And so, as we progress to create a supportive and nurturing ecosystem, the challenge is to search for more impactful, innovative, creative products and services that are scalable on a global level,” Belmonte said.

She added that city is committed to expanding and enhancing the local startup ecosystem through support from industry practitioners, the academe and the local government.