Metro Manila is known as the centre of the Philippines’ startup scene, but innovation is becoming increasingly decentralised. Incredible momentum can be seen on islands like the Visayas and Mindanao, where “pocket ecosystems” are emerging.
Gobi Partners believes the potential for disruptive technology exists everywhere. It is committed to building the country’s pocket ecosystems in cities like Davao, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, and Iloilo that are now bustling with startups.
This means ensuring founders in newer ecosystems have the same access to funding, support, and resources as their counterparts in larger cities. It is critical to support Filipino investors as they back Filipino founders and local funds, especially since many venture capital firms ultimately invest abroad.
Regions like the Visayas and Mindanao have incredible potential, but need support to continue thriving. One of the biggest challenges is communication and access to resources across the archipelago. For example, many startups in Cebu must still travel to Manila to meet investors, reinforcing the capital’s dominance as the country’s startup hub.
Each pocket ecosystem also has unique needs. For example, Cebu is the most mature out of the Philippines’ emerging ecosystems and startups there are already looking to expand nationwide. Davao startups are often seeking their first funding, while the priority in Iloilo is preparing founders to launch their startups.
Each ecosystem is in different stages, but ultimately Gobi is tackling the same challenge across all of them: laying foundations. This means ensuring that entrepreneurs from marginalised communities, rural areas, and smaller cities have the same opportunities as their counterparts in Metro Manila. Once the right foundation, like people, policies, and infrastructure, is put in place for startups, then funding follows.
Gobi collaborates with the government on events and incubators, often partnering with universities to seed talent and resources around the country. Over the past few weeks, the Philippine team participated in key government-organised startup events in Iloilo, Davao, and Cebu to fuel conversations about how it can further support emerging ecosystems.
Gobi’s aim is to facilitate stronger private-public regional collaborations among all players, including the government, which plays a crucial role by providing emerging ecosystems with support in the form of incubation and grants.
Last month, Gobi Senior Investment Manager Phoebe Fontanilla served as a speaker at the Western Visayas Innovative Startup Conference, which took place September 16-20, 2025 in Iloilo City. Phoebe spoke on a panel about “Fueling Startup Growth and Development,” alongside co-panelists Ma. Dinda Tamayo of DTI Philippines, Rene Cuartero of AHG Labs, Dr. Yevgeny Dulla of Leave a Nest, and Martin Ortiz of Youth First Initiative.
The most important element of a startup is its founder, Phoebe emphasised during the panel. “The first thing we invest in is not the business, but always the founder,” she said about Gobi’s approach. “It always boils down to the right founder to grow the team, to be able to utilise the capacity and manpower to scale the company from there.”
Gobi believes that the key to attracting funding into an ecosystem is also developing founders first. The startups that are on the scene will change, but the best founders will continue solving the most important problems and delivering innovation. That’s why it’s important to decentralise opportunities, including funding and support, from Metro Manila toward the Visayas and Mindanao.
This event was spearheaded by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) VI, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) VI, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) VI, Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev) VI, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) Iloilo Chapter, Ascend Tech Expo PH, and UMWAD Western Visayas.
Gobi took part in Davao Startup Week on September 25-26 in Davao City where Mindanao’s growing ecosystems were highlighted. Phoebe participated in the Mindanao Startup Ecosystem Summit panel on “Funding and Market Access Strategies for Scaling Mindanao Startups” with co-panelists Russel M. Pili (DOST-PCIEERD) and (Laurence Gido DEPDev XI).
Phoebe also participated in the Angel Investing 101 and Davao Investor Mixer, where she spoke on choosing the right startup and participated in an Investor Ask Me Anything with Greg Perez (Xchange), April Ong Vaño (Quest Ventures), and Alwyn Rosel (Ideaspace and QBO Innovation Hub).
During the panel, Phoebe emphasised the importance of public-private partnerships and access to early-stage funding. This means fostering angel investor networks and increasing access to government startup funding, both of which enable companies to bootstrap in their earliest stages.
Davao Startup Week was supported by the DOST and IDEAS Davao, a DOST-supported initiative.
Earlier this month, Geeks on a Beach took place in Cebu City from October 1 to 3. During that time, Gobi Value Creation and Investments Associate Justine Ngo facilitated a business matching segment for StartupIsland.ph (managed by DTI Region 7) companies from Central Visayas (Bohol and Cebu) with local and international investors. The event was organised with startups handled by the Department of Trade & Industry of Central Visayas.
One noteworthy difference between startups in Luzon versus those in Central Visayas is that the latter are often trying to solve problems that are very local to their communities. For example, they might be trying to make commuting between islands easier. These startups would not originate from Manila, but exist in the lower islands.
Unfortunately, these islands are not given as much opportunity as startups in Luzon. This is why government support in the form of mentorship and funding is so important there. Public-private collaborations are central to the growth of ecosystems across Visayas and Mindanao, ensuring that they can continue to solve problems that are untapped by founders in larger cities.