About QBO Innovation Hub
QBO Innovation Hub is the Philippines' first public-private partnership platform for Filipino startups, established in 2016 through a joint effort by IdeaSpace, J.P. Morgan, and two Philippine government agencies, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
Rather than investing directly as a fund, QBO functions as a connective hub: it links entrepreneurs to capital sources, mentors, and structured growth programs, and has supported more than 700 Philippine startups since its founding. It also runs recurring ecosystem-wide initiatives such as the annual Philippine Startup Week, which showcases a Top 100 startups cohort (its 2023 edition was publicly recognized).
Investment Thesis
QBO's mandate centers on three objectives: giving startups access to capital, resources, information, and expertise; developing the Philippines' entrepreneurial talent pool; and accelerating startup growth through customized, structured programs. It does not deploy its own direct-investment capital the way a fund does — its value to founders is largely in convening the right investors, corporates, and government partners around a startup at the right stage, plus program-based mentorship and accelerator support for early-stage, Philippines-based technology ventures across sectors.