Davao City, Philippines — Mindanao’s growing startup ecosystem takes the investment spotlight at Davao Startup Week 2025 with the Angel Investing 101 Workshop x Davao Investors Mixer, happening on September 26, 2025 at the Pinnacle Hotel & Suites, Davao City.
With the theme Backing Builders in the South, the program is designed to lower barriers for new angel investors, showcase the investability of Mindanao-based startups, and foster long-term relationships between founders and funders.
The twin events are structured to be both educational and transactional. The Angel Investing 101 Workshop will offer practical insights for aspiring investors, including guidance on deal sizes, returns, portfolio strategies, and founder-investor relationships. This is followed by the Davao Investors Mixer, a high-impact session featuring curated startup pitches, structured networking, and deal-focused discussions.
Startups in sectors such as Agriculture, Education, Health, and Logistics will take the spotlight, with investors gaining direct access to a lineup of founders vetted by ecosystem leaders. Participation tools such as a Dealbook of investable startups, Angel Interest Forms for syndicate opt-ins, and Founder ID Tags will streamline conversations and make investor-founder engagements more actionable.
The event is organized by Upgrade Innolab and the Davao City Investment and Promotion Center (DCIPC), in partnership with leading angel investing firms including Villgro Philippines, Impact Pioneers Network, Sulo Barakah Ventures, Quest Ventures, Gobi Core, E3 Capital (Malaysia), and the Davao Investors Network.
“Mindanao is one of the most promising frontiers for startup growth in the Philippines,” said Richard Day, President of Upgrade Innolab and E3 Philippines. “With these sessions, our goal is not only to educate new angel investors but also to directly connect them with founders who are building scalable solutions from the South. At last year’s Investors Mixer, E3 Capital invested in a local startup just a few months after the event. This year, we want to see more of those connections turn into real investments,” he added.
Beyond immediate connections, organizers emphasized that the initiative is part of a larger push to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. By creating a pipeline for capital, mentorship, and partnerships, the Angel Investing 101 Workshop x Davao Investors Mixer underscores Davao’s readiness for more active investor participation in the national innovation economy.
Davao Startup Week 2025 runs from September 24-27, bringing together founders, investors, and ecosystem enablers in a week-long series of events celebrating innovation and entrepreneurship across Mindanao.
