When I joined Upgrade Innolab as a first-time portfolio manager, I had no idea what I was stepping into.
I didn’t come from a startup background nor have any experience in the business industry. I didn’t have a playbook for managing founders or reviewing pitch decks. What I did have was curiosity, a hunger to learn, and a strong belief and respect in people who are brave enough to build human-centered solutions from scratch.
A few months in, here’s what I can say with confidence: Davao being a smart city isn’t a future goal. It’s already happening — it’s todays reality and it’s currently being built by founders who are solving real-world problems right where they live.
What Is a Smart City, Really?
Globally, a smart city is defined as a place that uses technology, data, and citizen-centered innovation to improve quality of life, increase operational efficiency, and promote sustainable development.
International frameworks like ISO 37122 and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) highlight six key pillars of a smart city:
- Smart Governance – transparent, data-driven public services
- Smart Economy – thriving innovation ecosystems and inclusive entrepreneurship
- Smart Mobility – efficient, sustainable, and connected transport
- Smart Environment – climate resilience, clean energy, and sustainable waste systems
- Smart People – education, digital literacy, and social inclusion
- Smart Living – health, safety, housing, and cultural engagement
Some cities already leading this transformation include:
- Singapore – a global benchmark for real-time city planning, e-citizen services, and smart mobility
- Barcelona – known for its open data platforms, smart lighting, and integrated sensor networks
- Amsterdam – recognized for civic tech co-creation, energy-efficient housing, and smart logistics
- Seoul – advanced in AI-powered governance, real-time transit, and participatory digital democracy
- Tallinn (Estonia) – one of the world’s first fully digitized governments, with paperless bureaucracy and seamless e-services
What these cities achieved to be recognized globally are impressive, but what I have observed is that you don’t need to be a capital city or a tech hub to start building smart. You just need local builders, local knowledge, and a supportive ecosystem that lets people create and test meaningful solutions.
That’s what we’re doing in Davao — and the results speak for themselves.
Founders Taught Me What a Smart City Really Means
As a newbie in the startup space, I used to think “smart city” meant flashy, high-budget tech, and highly expensive. But after working with our founders, I learned it means local solutions that solve real problems in real time.
And that’s exactly what our startups are doing.
RideIT
A smart city moves efficiently. RideIT created a real-time e-trike dispatching system that improves mobility, reduces wait times, and supports sustainable transport — all by optimizing what we already have.
GeoPindot
Disaster resilience is critical. GeoPindot’s offline emergency reporting app allows users to alert LGUs even without an internet connection — making tech accessible, even in rural or disconnected areas.
GeoPik
Smart cities need smarter navigation. GeoPik developed shareable location alias codes to simplify address sharing for deliveries, services, and safety. It’s a small fix with a huge impact.
Ryori
Food systems are part of the city’s brain. Ryori offers a smart restaurant management system that helps owners reduce waste, boost profitability, and run smoother operations — tech made for everyday entrepreneurs.
Sureplus
A truly smart city prevents waste. Sureplus redistributes surplus food from businesses to those in need — solving hunger and sustainability at once, powered by a digital match-and-deliver model.
MooManage
Rural integration is key. MooManage enhances dairy farm management through an innovative web dashboard, giving farmers modern tools to monitor inventory, production, and market access.
MomsAtWork
Inclusion is not optional. MomsAtWork is a remote job-matching platform for mothers, offering flexible employment while acknowledging real-life caregiving needs. This is what inclusive smart living looks like.
AIMHI
Construction is going digital. AIMHI built a user-friendly AI platform for construction businesses — helping them reduce risks, optimize spending, and make smarter decisions from the ground up.
Virtualahan
Equity is infrastructure. Virtualahan empowers persons with disabilities and marginalized workers by creating remote employment pathways — making sure the smart city works for everyone.
Experience Science
Smart cities invest in future builders. Experience Science creates hands-on STEM learning tools like the 3D Vector Apparatus, turning theory into touchable knowledge — one classroom at a time.
What I’ve Learned as a First-Time Portfolio Manager
I came in nervous and scared. I didn’t know the startup lingo or how to “manage a portfolio”. But what I quickly learned is: my role isn’t to have all the answers. It’s to create a space for the right builders to do their best work.
That means:
- Listening deeply
- Connecting dots between problems and partners
- Asking questions that founders haven’t yet asked themselves
- Helping move ideas toward deployment, without losing focus on impact
These are lessons I carry with me daily, and I owe much of that to the trust, patience, and brilliance of our startup teams.
Why Davao Matters in the Smart City Conversation
Why Davao Matters in the Smart City Conversation
We may not have the skyscrapers of Singapore or the digital budgets of Seoul, but we have something just as powerful: founders who know our terrain, care about our people, and are building anyway.
And thanks to Upgrade Innolab’s consistent investment in talent, technology, and inclusion, Davao has quietly become a launchpad for solutions that are not just smart — but also socially rooted, accessible, and scalable.
Smart cities aren’t built from the top down. They grow from the inside out — startup by startup, system by system, decision by decision.
In Davao, that smart city is not just imagined. It’s being built — now — and Upgrade Innolab is right at the heart of it.
So if you’re curious, skeptical, or even just new to this space like I was — I’ll say this: you don’t need to be an expert to get involved. You just need to be willing to listen, learn, and build with others.
The future is already underway. And it’s being built — right here, by founders we believe in.
About Upgrade Innolab
Upgrade Innolab is a nonprofit incubator and accelerator based in Davao City that helps entrepreneurs build, launch, and scale business ventures. It supports early-stage startups across science, digital innovation, and social enterprise, and plays a leading role in regional innovation through ecosystem partnerships and founder-focused programs.
Media Contact:
Upgrade Innolab Communications Office
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +63 917 123 4567
Website: www.upgradeinnolab.org
