Blab Business
Philippines and Brunei Forge Startup Partnership to Expand ASEAN Innovation Corridor
On 29 May 2026, TechShake—a Philippine‑based accelerator founded in 2016—took a bold step toward regional integration by signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Brunei Innovation Lab (BIL). The agreement, witnessed by the Department of Science and Technology‑Technology Application and Promotions Institute (DOST‑TAPI), the Philippine government’s tech‑promotion arm, aims to create a cross‑border innovation corridor that opens fresh markets for Filipino and Bruneian founders alike.
TechShake has long championed a “Bridge to ASEAN” strategy, linking startups, corporates and investors across Japan and Southeast Asia for nearly a decade. The accelerator’s annual events, advisory services and media initiatives generate thousands of connections, positioning it as a key conduit for Southeast Asian innovation. BIL, meanwhile, is a national platform dedicated to building an ecosystem that supports Brunei Darussalam’s sustainable‑economy agenda. By aligning their resources, the two organisations will collaborate on joint publicity, share local market and investment insights, and launch project‑based initiatives such as curated innovation tours, market‑entry programs and bilateral knowledge‑sharing platforms.
“We have always seen the Philippines as more than a market—it is a gateway into ASEAN,” said TechShake founder and CEO Kotaro Adachi at the signing. “Formalizing our partnership with BIL gives Bruneian founders structured access to that gateway and opens a new corridor for Philippine startups into Brunei and the BIMP‑EAGA region.”
DOST‑TAPI’s supervising science research specialist Pierre Sonia Dela Corte, who represented the agency at the ceremony, echoed that sentiment. “This partnership is a foundational step for future regional capacity‑building and acceleration initiatives,” she said. “It will provide entry points into regional networks and scalability pathways.”
The MoU also reflects DOST‑TAPI’s broader mandate to promote and market technologies developed by the Philippine government. The institute has supported Filipino startups through programs such as the Intellectual Property Rights Assistance Program, Expanded IPRAP, Technology Innovation for Commercialization Program, Grants and Assistance to Leverage Innovations for National Growth Program, Expanded Venture Financing Program and the Innovation and Technology Lending Program. In addition, DOST‑TAPI facilitates international market access through participation in global innovation events, business‑matching activities and startup showcases.
According to Tracxn data collected in May 2026, the Philippines hosts more than 14,759 startups. The MoU is expected to give these firms structured access to new ASEAN markets, particularly the Brunei‑Indonesia‑Malaysia‑Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP‑EAGA), a sub‑regional initiative that promotes private‑sector‑led growth and value‑added production.
Although DOST‑TAPI director Marion Ivy Decena could not attend the ceremony, she expressed gratitude for the partnership. “We are deeply grateful to witness the formalization of this cross‑border partnership between TechShake and the Brunei Innovation Lab,” she said. “Through the strategic partnership with TechShake, this collaboration provides local startups with structured access to new ASEAN markets and directly advances DOST‑TAPI’s mandate to scale and commercialize Filipino innovations regionally.”
The MoU, signed on 29 May 2026, formalizes a corridor that will enable Philippine startups to enter Brunei and the wider BIMP‑EAGA region, while giving Bruneian founders a gateway into the Philippine market. The partnership is part of a broader effort by the Philippines to strengthen its position in the ASEAN startup ecosystem and to leverage its growing innovation talent pool.
At present, the MoU has established the framework for joint initiatives, but specific projects and timelines have not yet been announced. The partnership is expected to evolve through joint events, market‑entry programs and knowledge‑sharing platforms, with DOST‑TAPI continuing to provide support through its existing commercialization and financing programs.
The collaboration marks a significant step toward deeper economic integration within ASEAN’s startup community and underscores the Philippines’ role as a regional innovation hub.
TechShake has long championed a “Bridge to ASEAN” strategy, linking startups, corporates and investors across Japan and Southeast Asia for nearly a decade. The accelerator’s annual events, advisory services and media initiatives generate thousands of connections, positioning it as a key conduit for Southeast Asian innovation. BIL, meanwhile, is a national platform dedicated to building an ecosystem that supports Brunei Darussalam’s sustainable‑economy agenda. By aligning their resources, the two organisations will collaborate on joint publicity, share local market and investment insights, and launch project‑based initiatives such as curated innovation tours, market‑entry programs and bilateral knowledge‑sharing platforms.
“We have always seen the Philippines as more than a market—it is a gateway into ASEAN,” said TechShake founder and CEO Kotaro Adachi at the signing. “Formalizing our partnership with BIL gives Bruneian founders structured access to that gateway and opens a new corridor for Philippine startups into Brunei and the BIMP‑EAGA region.”
DOST‑TAPI’s supervising science research specialist Pierre Sonia Dela Corte, who represented the agency at the ceremony, echoed that sentiment. “This partnership is a foundational step for future regional capacity‑building and acceleration initiatives,” she said. “It will provide entry points into regional networks and scalability pathways.”
The MoU also reflects DOST‑TAPI’s broader mandate to promote and market technologies developed by the Philippine government. The institute has supported Filipino startups through programs such as the Intellectual Property Rights Assistance Program, Expanded IPRAP, Technology Innovation for Commercialization Program, Grants and Assistance to Leverage Innovations for National Growth Program, Expanded Venture Financing Program and the Innovation and Technology Lending Program. In addition, DOST‑TAPI facilitates international market access through participation in global innovation events, business‑matching activities and startup showcases.
According to Tracxn data collected in May 2026, the Philippines hosts more than 14,759 startups. The MoU is expected to give these firms structured access to new ASEAN markets, particularly the Brunei‑Indonesia‑Malaysia‑Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP‑EAGA), a sub‑regional initiative that promotes private‑sector‑led growth and value‑added production.
Although DOST‑TAPI director Marion Ivy Decena could not attend the ceremony, she expressed gratitude for the partnership. “We are deeply grateful to witness the formalization of this cross‑border partnership between TechShake and the Brunei Innovation Lab,” she said. “Through the strategic partnership with TechShake, this collaboration provides local startups with structured access to new ASEAN markets and directly advances DOST‑TAPI’s mandate to scale and commercialize Filipino innovations regionally.”
The MoU, signed on 29 May 2026, formalizes a corridor that will enable Philippine startups to enter Brunei and the wider BIMP‑EAGA region, while giving Bruneian founders a gateway into the Philippine market. The partnership is part of a broader effort by the Philippines to strengthen its position in the ASEAN startup ecosystem and to leverage its growing innovation talent pool.
At present, the MoU has established the framework for joint initiatives, but specific projects and timelines have not yet been announced. The partnership is expected to evolve through joint events, market‑entry programs and knowledge‑sharing platforms, with DOST‑TAPI continuing to provide support through its existing commercialization and financing programs.
The collaboration marks a significant step toward deeper economic integration within ASEAN’s startup community and underscores the Philippines’ role as a regional innovation hub.
