Out of the 155 candidates who participated, Nanotronics (a company that reduces plastic products while protecting the environment) was named the grand winner of this year’s Shell LiveWIRE program as it takes home a cash grant of PHP500,000.
Shell LiveWIRE provides the next generation of innovators with opportunities for mentorship, financial assistance, technical expertise, and a chance to be part of Shell’s supply chain.
The PitchFest culmination for the 2020 search for startups was held last December 4 via Zoom and hosted by RJ Ledesma. Aside from Nanotronics making it to the top three to participate in a start-up bootcamp are: uHoo, which measures air quality in order to safeguard and enhance people’s health; and Next Pay, a digital banking platform aimed specifically for small and medium-sized business owners.
The panel of judges for this year also included Sankie Simbulan, Country Social Performance and Investment Manager of Shell Philippines; Sebastian Quiniones, Executive Director of Pilipinas Shell Foundation; Love Gregorie Perez, Director of XCHANGE; Nelly Dillera, Executive Director of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI); and Emmy Lou Versoza-Delfin, Director of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).
Grand prize winner Nanotronics is a company founded by Dr. Jerome Palaganas; it produces a bio-based nanomaterial called cellulose nanocrystals, which are made from indigenous plants. These biomaterials are designed to reduce plastic waste in an environmentally-friendly way. Palaganas explained, “We are committed to making a significant difference in the environment and community, leveraging on our natural resources here in the Philippines. We see a good synergy with our products and the Shell ecosystem.”
Meanwhile, uHoo, founded by Dustin Onghanseng and Lilet Camara, developed a device that helps measure air quality, alerting users to possible health risks and threats and enabling them to address these challenges. According to Onghanseng, “We want to bring clean air for all. The way we view the company is all about impact and enhancing people’s well-being. This is a global movement that we’re trying to build long-term, and Shell LiveWIRE has helped bring us closer to our goal.”
Last but not least, fintech company Nextpay offers a simple and affordable digital banking platform for small business owners to collect, send, and manage their money. “Small businesses are the backbone of our economy. By approaching that market and helping them succeed, this helps the Philippines as a whole—especially as we move towards digitization,” shared Nextpay founder Don Pansacola. “Shell LiveWIRE’s mission is to empower entrepreneurs, and that’s also our mission and vision.”
Continuing Shell Philippines’ mission of empowering communities and encouraging sustainability, Shell LiveWIRE tapped three community enterprises to join the LiveWIRE program, who each get to take home a cash grant of PHP75,000. They include MagzWheel Furniture, which specializes in transforming used rubber tires into furniture and apparel; Green Factory by Oro Handmade Innovations Inc., which produces handmade paper products and is currently in the process of building a sustainable factory; and Revolve Eco. Logical, which recycles used PET bottles and to create new products.
Since 1982, Shell LiveWIRE has been the energy industry leader’s global enterprise development program. To date, it has cultivated more than 1,300 businesses in 20 countries—from Argentina and Egypt, to Indonesia and now the Philippines for the first time.
