Geeks On A Beach: A catalyst for Cebu’s tech startup ecosystem

Cebu, Philippines - September 14, 2024 - “The return of Geeks On A Beach (GOAB), the country’s premier tech startup international conference to Cebu this year after a decade, is a testament to GOAB’s success as a catalyst for Cebu’s tech startup ecosystem,” said GOAB lead organizer Tina Amper.

In 2024, Cebu City advanced one rank to tenth place in Southeast Asia. Based on the global innovation research platform StartupBlink’s Global Startup Ecosystem Index, it maintained its position as the second leading startup ecosystem in the country. 

Amper explained that Cebu’s strategic location in Central Visayas, which shaped its history as a trade entrepot, has allowed it to serve as a meeting point for startup enablers from different regions.

Central Visayas, whose core is Cebu, emerged as the “fastest-growing” economy among the 17 regions in the country, according to 2023 data from the Philippine Statistics Authority.

The region also maintained its position as the fourth-largest contributor to the Philippine economy’s growth and the top contributor outside Luzon, with a 6.6 percent share.

From “Ceboom” to ICT hub

“The growth of Cebu’s startup scene is rooted in a tradition of entrepreneurship that dates back to the ‘Ceboom’ era of the 1980s and 1990s and the subsequent take-off of its ICT sector beginning in the 2000s,” said Jojo Flores, GOAB founding advisor, and Plug and Play Tech Center Philippines co-founder.

Cebu’s ICT industry began to take off at the onset of the 2000s decade as the national government strategy emphasized ICT-enabled services and business process outsourcing (BPO) as key economic drivers.

The rising BPO and ICT sectors leveraged a large pool of English-educated talent facilitated by numerous colleges and universities, private sector training, and government education programs.

Responding to these economic trends, the provincial government created the Cebu Provincial ICT Council in 2006 to attract ICT investments.

Establishing IT hubs like the Cebu IT Park, the first of its kind outside Manila, also marked this turn. By 2010, the Cebu IT Park became a hub for tech companies and startups, fostering collaboration and innovation.

“Bringing Geeks On A Beach (GOAB) in Cebu in 2015 for the first time helped nurture the province’s dynamic startup ecosystem, building on Cebu’s history as an ICT industry investment hub since the 2000s,” said Flores.

For GOAB lead organizers Amper and Flores, the return of Geeks On A Beach to Cebu after a decade solidifies the province’s status as a rising tech hub and investment destination in Asia.

“We enjoin all interested geeks and budding entrepreneurs to join GOAB, where startups are celebrated, founders get funded, co-founders are found, geeks are hired, companies find talent, friends are discovered, partners are established, deals are secured, creativity is unlocked, connections are forged, community is strengthened, support is offered, and the inspiration is endless,” said Amper. 

enspace Cebu as Community Partner

enspace Cebu, the Japan-based coworking and shared office space provider in the region, has officially partnered with the highly anticipated tech and startup event, Geeks on a Beach (GOAB) 2024 as a community partner. This strategic collaboration reinforces enspace Cebu’s commitment to supporting innovation, entrepreneurship, and the growing tech ecosystem in the Philippines.