NAGA CITY — From November 20 to 22, 2025, leaders from Ignite House of Innovation and Kaya Founders visited Naga City for a three-day engagement designed to deepen and strengthen the region’s startup ecosystem and broaden its exposure to venture capital. Across five sessions guided by the theme “The Big Leap, Scaling Startups Through Venture Capital,” founders, universities, and local stakeholders gained strategic insights into startup building, venture funding, and the evolving dynamics of early-stage innovation.
Session 1: Building Connections Through Strategic Networking
Evening of November 20, 2025 — The initiative opened with a dynamic networking dinner bringing together venture capitalists, local business leaders, HaKa Naga, MNCCI, and key business leaders from academic institutions. More than just a venue for conversation, the gathering aimed to inspire local business leaders to see the potential of venture capital and the value of supporting emerging startups. It created a collaborative environment where founders and investors exchanged insights, explored startup-driven investment opportunities, and discovered how innovation-led ventures can open new pathways for local economic growth.
Session 2: Learning Venture Capital from the Inside
On the morning of November 21, the second session provided early-stage founders and aspiring innovators with firsthand exposure to the realities of venture capital. Through discussions on investment frameworks, founder experiences, and an open Q&A with investors, participants gained clarity on what it takes to design, build, and scale investible ventures.
This learning session marks another step forward in Naga City’s commitment to shaping a dynamic and investible startup ecosystem, one capable of producing founders who can grow and compete in broader markets.
Session 3: Strengthening HEI and TBI Capability
Over lunch, venture capital leaders met with university heads and their Technology Business Incubators (TBIs) directors to discuss strategies for strengthening startup incubation. The conversation covered processes, growth methodologies, and long-term sustainability models, supporting HEIs in creating environments that nurture high-potential founders and scalable technologies.
Session 4: Open Pitching and Real-Time Investor Feedback
The afternoon session featured an open pitching round, an uncommon opportunity for founders to present directly to investors without prior shortlisting. This elevated format enabled founders to receive unfiltered, real-time feedback and strategic guidance.
Beyond evaluating pitch readiness, investors engaged founders in a collaborative, diagnostic conversation—challenging assumptions, refining value propositions, and walking them through investor decision-making. While time limited the number of formal pitches, many founders were still able to engage with investors during networking, connecting with VC partners aligned with their sector and vision.
This session offered more than potential funding, it strengthened the entrepreneurial mindset and equipped startups with the insight needed to move closer to investment readiness.
Session 5: Ecosystem Tour and Student Pitches at ADNU MAGIS TBI
November 22, 2025 — The three-day venture concluded with an ecosystem tour at the Ateneo de Naga University’s MAGIS TBI. Venture capitalists explored ongoing incubations, shared recommendations for strengthening innovation programs, and listened to additional student pitches from teams unable to present during the previous session. The visit highlighted the city’s growing talent pipeline and the emerging opportunities within Naga’s university-driven innovation hubs.
A Growing Signal for Investment in Naga
Although the engagement lasted only three days, its long-term impact extends far beyond. The presence of leading venture capital firms in Naga City signals growing credence in the region’s potential as a burgeoning innovation hub. This momentum was further reinforced when Ignite House of Innovation offered the 100x Fellowship to participating startups, which is set to begin in March 2026. The 100x approach aims to deliver a 100-fold return for founders and investors by creating a tenfold impact for customers and markets. The city’s devotion to growth, talent development, and startup support continues to open doors for founders as it positions Naga as a future destination for future investments.
Meet the Venture Capitalists:
Written and Guests Pubmat by: Fe F. Belale (ITPO)
Discover more from CITY OF NAGA
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
