JFDI.Asia opens a new entrepreneur community management centre in Cebu, Philippines

16 February 2015, Cebu, Philippines – Joyful Frog Digital Incubator (JFDI) today announces the opening of its first international office, in Cebu Philippines. The new office will manage the growing community around JFDI’s entrepreneur support programs, fielding enquiries from investors entrepreneurs and mentors around the world who are interested in the Southeast Asia market in addition to delivering the remote startup induction program JFDI Discoverworldwide.

JFDI.Asia’s team in Cebu, Philippines.

JFDI’s new Cebu facility marks the first step in its region-wide expansion planned for 2015 that will build on JFDI’s existing international Ambassador program. Rather than replicating what JFDI already does in Singapore, or competing with services already on offer from local business support organizations, JFDI plans to add value by connecting talent, capital and opportunities for entrepreneurs across the region.

Hugh Mason, Co-founder and CEO at JFDI.Asia, said: “Our belief is that there never will be one central ‘Silicon Valley of Asia’ that prototypes technologies ready to replicate like a cookie cutter across a continent. Our region is just too diverse for that. But entrepreneurs share a common bond the world over and we see again and again that community is our secret sauce. So the opportunity for JFDI is to link people who should be working with each other in a network of trust and partnership that gives all its members access to a bigger league in which to play.”

JFDI was founded in Singapore in January 2010. It was the first business accelerator in Southeast Asia and has since supported startups from around the world through hundreds of open house events, the flagship JFDI Accelerate program and ‘try-before-you-buy’ startup education courses such as JFDI Discover and MSC Malaysia Accelerator Lite. Now celebrating its fifth anniversary since founding, JFDI chooses Cebu to set up its first overseas facility because the city offers a talented workforce and an exciting local ecosystem.

Hugh Mason said: “Community organizations like Techtalks PH and the local authorities have done a lot of heavy lifting in Cebu and we couldn’t do what we are doing now without them. Over the last five years JFDI has worked with a string of great startups from the Philippines that combine both technical competence and unusually strong interpersonal skills. So it seems a natural place to base our community management and outreach operations. With staff visiting regularly, we hope to support what others are doing in the city to build the startup ecosystem of Cebu.”

JFDI’s arrival in Cebu has been welcomed by the local community of entrepreneurs. “Having a JFDI.Asia presence in Cebu and the Philippines is good for the local startup community. With JFDI’s community management team here, it reinforces the fact that there is talent available for startups, not just for the outsourcing industry. It also puts us on the global startup map as a prime growth area for businesses to setup and thrive in,” said Anthony Noel, Business Development Director of Philippines-based startup Lenddo.