Here Are the Winners of the ARISE Startup Pitch Challenge 2020

An online marketplace for medical tools and supplies has emerged victorious at this year’s ARISE Startup Pitch Challenge. 

MedHyve, which aims to provide a convenient and cost-effective hub for buyers and sellers of healthcare products, bested 14 other finalists in the annual pitch challenge.

Co-founder and chief technology officer Gabriel Lopez represented the startup at the pitch, which was held Tuesday night (November 24) during Philippine Startup Week 2020.

Coming in at second place was NextPay, a financial services platform that simplifies sending and receiving money for businesses, while third place went to Zagana, a social enterprise marketplace for fruits and vegetables sourced directly from local farmers. 

Launched in October 2019, MedHyve allows anyone in the market for medical supplies and products to easily compare what’s out there in a simple, easy-to-use platform. The site’s canvassing tool allows users to compare products through details such as dimensions, price, and other important product information. There are also price calculators that allow users to compare product prices at different order sizes. 

MedHyve will be included in the Startup Village (SUV) and Ongpin Angel Investor Corporation (OAIC) Acceleration Program, while the top three winners will get a vacation in Balesin Island for four days and three nights. Other prizes are access to the offerings of Lark, an enterprise collaboration platform developed by ByteDance (which is also the parent company of TikTok); a scholarship grant for The Gift entrepreneurship program of SUV; linkage to SUV investors; and other prizes from the competition’s sponsors and partners. 

Organized by SUV and OAIC, in partnership with Lark Technologies, the ARISE Startup Challenge is a national pitching competition that sims to “find, nurture and support innovative and groundbreaking companies that develop the right ideas at the right time.”

The competition attracted startups from all over the country but only 15 were selected to pitch live to the judges during the event livestreamed during Philippine Startup Week. 

In addition to the three winners, the 12 finalists were: MyKartero, Packetworx, Agrabah Ventures, Domestiks, Unawa, XalMeds, Exora Technologies, the Financial Today, Nanotronics Inc., Mosaic Solutions, Polka.ph, and rebirth.