The webpage of Philippines-based IdeaSpace. Photo: IdeaSpace website screenshot.

JNS.org – The Israeli Embassy in the Philippines has teamed up with the Filipino foundation IdeaSpace to organize a contest that will select one local start-up company to attend the DLD Tel Aviv Digital Conference in Israel later this year.

In its second year, the DLD Tel Aviv Digital Conference has already achieved international recognition as one of the largest hi-tech gatherings in the world. The conference brings together venture capital funds, investors, inventors, and other leaders of the tech industry to showcase start-ups. This year’s conference is scheduled for Sept. 6-12.

Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Effie Ben Matityau told the Manila Times that Israel has long had a “special relationship” with the Asian country, which took in Jewish refugees in the 1930s and voted for the Jewish state’s establishment in the United Nations in 1948, and that the sponsorship of a Filipino start-up is one way to say “thank you” to the Filipino people.

Matityau added that he “hopes that the company which will be given the opportunity to attend the conference will bring home lessons from Israel and truly become a valuable asset in the Philippines in the future.”

IdeaSpace is a Philippines-based non-profit foundation that seeks to help technology entrepreneurs developing their ideas and innovations into successful businesses.

“This is a great opportunity for Philippine startups to once again shine in the global stage,” said Earl Valencia, president and co-founder of IdeaSpace. “Tel Aviv is a city that’s brimming with innovation, and the Philippine startups representative to this conference stands to gain a lot of insights, possibly investments, as the world of startups converges during this week-long event.”

In order to apply for the competition, participants must be from the Philippines and need to have a revenue less than $30,000, a raise investment of less than $100,000, and at least one working prototype, according to the application. Applicants must also produce a two-minute-long video pitch about their start-up and what they hope to gain from the conference.