MAPping the Future

Innovation continues to shape the future of industries, economies, and societies. Across the world, technology entrepreneurs are developing solutions that are transforming how businesses operate, how communities connect, and how challenges are addressed. As digital transformation accelerates, platforms that support and recognize innovation have become increasingly important in helping emerging companies grow, scale, and create meaningful impact.

 

Over the past years, the KPMG Private Enterprise Global Tech Innovator (GTI) Competition has recognized hundreds of technology entrepreneurs from around the world, providing a platform that highlights innovative tech solutions capable of transforming industries and improving lives. More than a competition, the GTI program serves as a global platform where entrepreneurs, investors, business leaders, and advisers can connect, exchange ideas, and explore opportunities for collaboration and growth. It also helps surface emerging technologies that may otherwise remain within local markets, giving founders greater visibility and access to global networks that are critical to scaling innovation.

 

At the same time, innovation ecosystems are becoming increasingly inter-connected, where ideas, capital, and capabilities move more fluidly across borders. For emerging markets like the Philippines, this creates new opportunities for local start-ups to engage with global networks, adopt best practices faster, and position themselves more competitively in international markets.

 

Over the years, the GTI Competition in the Philippines has featured a growing range of local innovations addressing challenges across industries. In 2023, Peddlr, a local start-up providing digital solutions for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), was recognized for helping small businesses transition from manual sales tracking, inventory monitoring, and credit management into more efficient digital processes. The company’s solution highlighted how technology can help empower smaller enterprises, which remain an important driver of the Philippine economy.

 

In 2024, Rezbin, a cleantech start-up, won the competition with its smart recycling solutions focused on modernizing plastic waste recovery and sustainability initiatives. Its innovation demonstrated how technology can contribute to addressing environmental challenges while promoting more sustainable business practices and community engagement.  The 2025 GTI Competition once again highlighted the growing strength of Filipino innovation and entrepreneurship through a diverse range   of technology-driven solutions. Among the participating start-ups, Betterteem, a human resources (HR) technology company specializing in predictive AI solutions, emerged as the local winner and represented the country at the GTI Global Finals during the Web Summit in Lisbon in November 2025. The company was recognized for its human-centric approach to predictive AI, helping organizations anticipate employee attrition while improving workplace experiences and workforce management.

 

This year, the GTI Competition is once again looking for the next generation of technology innovators whose ideas and solutions have the potential to transform industries and create meaningful impact.

 

The GTI Competition in the Philippines will culminate at the 2nd MAP x KPMG Technology Summit on June 30, 2026 at Shangri-La The Fort, where the winning teams will be recognized before an audience of business executives, policy-makers, technology leaders, and industry professionals. With the theme “AI at Scale: Driving Value with Governance and Security,” the Summit will explore how artificial intelligence (AI) continues to transform industries, governance, and the broader business landscape through discussions on AI adoption in the Philippines, AI governance and public policy, enterprise and sector applications including the BPO industry, and data governance and cybersecurity.

 

As AI becomes more deeply embedded across both public and private sector systems, it is reshaping how organizations design policies, manage risk, and deploy technology at scale. This shift underscores the growing need to align innovation with governance frameworks that ensure responsible use, protect data integrity, strengthen cybersecurity resilience, and support sustainable enterprise transformation across industries. At the same time, as organizations increasingly integrate AI into decision-making processes, trust, transparency, and accountability are becoming essential pillars alongside technological advancement.

 

The Philippines also continues to benefit from a young, digitally connected, and highly adaptable workforce that is contributing to the country’s growing innovation landscape. As more organizations invest in digital capabilities and emerging technologies, there is significant opportunity for Filipino innovators to help shape solutions that are both locally relevant and globally competitive.

 

With the 2026 GTI Competition in the Philippines, we look forward to seeing the next wave of Filipino companies bring forward innovations that can help shape industries, accelerate digital transformation, and contribute to the country’s growing technology landscape.

 

As innovation continues to drive the future of business and society, we remain committed to supporting technology entrepreneurs whose ideas and solutions have the potential to create meaningful impact and contribute to a more innovative and resilient future for the Philippines and beyond.

 

(The author is former Vice President of the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP). He is the Vice Chair, COO and Head of Advisory of R. G. Manabat & Co. (KPMG in the Philippines). Feedback at <map@map.org.ph> and <ebonoan@kpmg.com>).