The Philippines’ premier business reality TV show is back for its ninth season on CNN Philippines. The Final Pitch, with the them “Open Edition” is poised to provide opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs, innovators, and startups across all industries. The latest edition will have a diverse set of investor judges looking to fund and back innovative initiatives.
“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,” according to the show’s creator and host, John Aguilar. He 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.
The current season’s judges represent various fields, offering diverse viewpoints and valuable insights to aspiring entrepreneurs. The investor-judge panel 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 feature judges from the diplomatic corps with the participation of His Excellency Ilan Fluss, the Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines, and Her Excellency Laure Beaufils, the British Ambassador to the Philippines. According to Aguilar, the judges will not only be potential investors but also strategic partners to the contestants in the future.
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 revealed that this season’s mentoring sessions, which were previously only accessible to the show’s contestants, will be made available for the first time to individuals outside of the program. During the filming of the Open House Mentoring Day episode on 23 May 2023 at Thames International Business School, The Final Pitch will welcome contestants, students, startups, and other organizations to gather for a one-day learning opportunity.
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.
Those who wish to participate in The Final Pitch must complete and submit an online entry form. The deadline for submission of applications is 13 May 2023. Those who are interested in attending the Open House Mentoring Day on 23 May 2023 can register via https://TheFinalPitchOpenMentorship.eventbrite.co.uk or by visiting The Final Pitch’s Facebook and LinkedIn pages.