CNN Philippines’s The Final Pitch, the country’s first business reality show, is set to expand its search for the “next big unicorn” to the Asean region in 2022.
John Aguilar, show creator and host, made the announcement at a press conference for the seventh season of The Final Pitch on Tuesday.
“By next year, hopefully by end of next year, we are going to be filming The Final Pitch Asean,” he said. “That’s about a year down the road, but we are very confident that we’ll get there because we have a very talented team.”
He said that entrepreneurs from Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam will be involved in the expanded format.
“This is a very exciting time for a lot of entrepreneurs; there is a lot of growth; there is a lot of liquidity in the market as well. We figured this is the perfect time to be able to find and discover that next big unicorn,” he said.
Aguilar explained that expanding the reach of the show will also help start-ups as they scale up their business. For example, he said Filipino companies may be able to secure strategic partners in the region.
For the seventh season, the panel of investor-judges includes Converge ICT Solutions Inc.
Founder and CEO Dennis Anthony Uy, Wilcon Depot Chief Operating Officer Rosemarie Bosch-Ong, Cauayan City Mayor Bernard Faustino Dy, Multisys Technologies Corp. Founder and CEO David Almirol Jr. and 8Ventures Chairman and CEO Jay Villarante.
The investor-judges said at the briefing they are looking for new, innovative and sustainable business ideas, underscoring the role of technology amid the pandemic.
Uy said he wants companies that have “high growth potential” and consider their impact to society and national building.
“I am on the lookout for those who can use technology to uplift the lives of others,” the Converge official said, even saying he is willing to fund the business using his own money.
Almirol is looking for the so-called “technopreneurs” who can address the market gap for technology in the local setting.
“Because of the pandemic, we need to come up or we need to discover more start-ups that could help us on filling in these gaps,” he added.
While Bosch-Ong is looking forward to mentoring the entrepreneurs, she also hopes to extend market access for products that can be sold through Wilcon’s store network.
“We’re growing…and we still keep on expanding, so that’s a robust network,” she said. The retailer is eyeing to have 72 stores by the end of this year; it currently has 68.
Dy seeks a partnership with private sector for sustainable business solutions. “I’m not looking for anything grand or anything big, but really sustainable solutions that will really look after not just for our generation but also for future generations to come,” he explained.
Villarante, meanwhile, said he can impart his knowledge about cryptocurrency, which the start-ups can tap to build their funds.
“They [start-ups] can easily create a very valuable product that they can offer right away and make money instead of going to investors,” he said. The Final Pitch is accepting applications until September 17.