Pitch perfect

Filipino students from top universities battle it out in Big 3 Startup Showdown

- JESSICA PAG-IWAYAN

Have you ever wondered what would happen if students from three of the country's top universities—the University of the Philippines (UP), Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU), and De La Salle University (DLSU)—were brought together in one room to compete in a hackathon?

Wonder no more. Maya just made it happen at the recently concluded Big 3 Startup Showdown. The student hackathon challenged engineering and business management students to pitch innovative startup ideas within a limited time. What made this showdown unique? It was exclusively designed for students from UP, ADMU, and DLSU. The result: a high-energy showcase of groundbreaking youth innovations aimed at improving the daily lives of Filipinos.

The final round of the competition took place at Maya's headquarters in the Launchpad Building, where students delivered rapid-fire pitches and impactful solutions—proving that some of the country's most promising startups may be taking shape within the walls of its top universities.

From an impressive pool of participants, three winning teams—all from DLSU—emerged victorious.