Asian Institute of Management –
Dado Banatao Incubator
Asian Institute of Management –
Dado Banatao Incubator
Scale-up your startup
Launched in 2017, the Asian Institute of Management – Dado Banatao Incubator (AIM-DBI) was created to address the Philippines’ lack of support programs for startup entrepreneurs. Since then, this program has helped launch more than 65 startups from across the country and generated millions of jobs for Filipinos. Additionally, the program has garnered multiple awards and recognitions since its inception.
Our goal is to drive inclusive and long-term growth in the Philippines through technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship (TIE), providing solutions to current and emerging world problems, creating jobs, and distributing created wealth in a more equitable manner.
Innovation-driven entrepreneurs whose businesses have the potential to impact all of Asia’s sectors are encouraged to apply to the program. AIM-DBI takes on a hybrid mode of delivery, but most onsite, to cater to the schedule of diverse working professionals and startup founders
What We Offer
THINC AIM:
Acceleration, Incubation, Mentorship
Open for ideation to pre-early-stage startups
THINC SEED:
Seeding Entrepreneurial Education and Development
For technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship
THINC X:
Incubator for Incubator Program
For HEI and community-based incubator programs
Join AIM-DBI THINCOHORT 2025-2026 Program
We provide our startup founders with the opportunity to learn from industry leaders who are shaping Asia. With the guidance of Asian Institute of Management – Dado Banatao Incubator (AIM-DBI) incubation partners and mentors, startup founders are given updated, grounded, experience-based knowledge, tools, and guidance they need for scalability, profitability, and sustainability.
In this 12-month progressive development program, startup founders will deep dive into their startup founder’s identity, branding, finance and business, legal and corporate compliance, technology, business model innovation, data and artificial intelligence, people and culture, intellectual property, business investment readiness, fund-raising, and sustainability and impact.
For the AIM-DBI THINCOHORT 2025-2026 Application Form, please use this file: AIM-DBI THINCOHORT 2025-2026 Application Form.pdf
How to be part of the Asian Institute of Management – Dado Banatao Incubator
The Asian Institute of Management – Dado Banatao Incubator (AIM-DBI) THINCOHORT Program is a twelve-month progressive development track for qualified pre- to early-stage startups.
Minimum Requirement:
Teams and founders with a strong and technical business background that pass AIM-DBI’s assessments.
Mode of Delivery:
Hybrid (Mostly Onsite)
Application Procedure:
- Download the application form.
- Save the file in PDF format with the file name “Startup Name – AIM-DBI THINCOHORT 2025-2026 Program Application”.
- Send to aimdbi@aim.edu, psantos@aim.edu, and rbenedicto@aim.edu with the email subject “AIM-DBI Startup Application”.
- Wait for a confirmation email from AIM-DBI Team regarding your submission and next steps.
Incubator Location:
AIM-Dado Banatao Incubator, 2/F AIM Conference Center, corner Benavidez and Trasierra, Legaspi Village, Makati City, Philippines
Application for AIM-DBI THINCOHORT July 2025 to June 2026 Program
1 April to 30 May 2025
(Application Period)
2:00 PM, 30 May 2025 (Friday)
(Application Deadline)
May to June 2025
(Selection Process)
June 2025
(Announcement of Final Results and Onboarding)
Program Milestones
Start-Ups from across the Philippines
Multiple Awards and Recognitions (Local and International)
| Selected as two of the Top 7 Startups to join the Energy ClimAccelerator Philippines Program, February 2025 | Energy-tech Klimatech Innovative Solutions and agritech Agrabah Ventures |
| Finished DOHE Go Together Acceleration Programme – Cohort 5 in London, February 2025 | Edutech Makarius Smart Learning |
| Selected by DNATA as an airport hospitality brand, January 2025 | Food-tech Saint C |
| Champion, Asia Technology Entrepreneurship Conference – AI and Digital Innovation Track, Hongkong, December 2024 | Fintech InvestEd |
| Winner of the Women of the Future Awards South East Asia 2024, November 2024 | Carmina Bayombong of InvestEd |
| Named Technopreneur of the Year by Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, November 2024 | Timmy de Jesus of Payruler |
| Selected as one of the nine high-potential startups for Endeavor’s Scale Up Program | Agritech Mayani |
| Two Startup Founders included in the esteemed 2024 Stellar PH 100, December 2024 | MK Bertulfo of FHMoms and Misako Kojima of Sault |
| Placed 3rd at the DOST Startup Jam Pitching Competition, November 2024 | Agritech KASAKA Agriventures |
| One of the Startup QC Program – Cohort 3 Winners and received PHP1M fund grant, November 2024 | HR-tech PasaJob |
| Three of the Ten National Finalists for PLDT Startup Innovation Challenge 2024, November 2024 | Climate-tech Klimatech Innovative Solutions, legal-tech LexMeet, and fintech Olivia |
| Winner at the Expand North Start Philippine Pitch Roadshow 2024 and to represent Philippines in Dubai, UAE, October 2024 | HR-tech PasaJob |
| One of the Three Winners in the Innovation in Marketing Award at KMC Startup Awards 2024, November 2024 | Foodtech Saint C Food |
| One of the Three Winners in the Sustainability Awards at KMC Startup Awards 2024, November 2024 | Agritech Agrabah Ventures |
| One of the Three Special Startup Winners at Ignite 2024 Wildfire Pitch Competition to participate at A-STREAM Global Conference, Korea, October 2024 | HR-tech PasaJob |
| Two of the Ten Regional Finalists at Ignite 2024 Wildfire Pitch Competition, October 2024 | HR-tech PasaJob and health-tech SeeYouDoc |
| One of the semi-finalists for ATEC: Asia Technology Entrepreneurship Conference under the AI Solutions and Digital Innovation Track, October 2024 (ongoing) | Fintech InvestEd |
| One of the Eight National Finalists at Startup QC Program. Demo Day on October 2024 (ongoing). | HR-tech PasaJob |
| One of the recipients of The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) 2023 | Worth The Health CEO and founder Stephen Co for his contribution in the field of food technology innovation and entrepreneurship. |
| Won Second Place at the 2023 China-ASEAN Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition. Awarded in Jakarta, Indonesia. | Agritech Mayani |
| The first climate fintech startup to receive a DOST-PCAARRD Startup Fund Grant | Agritech Farmvocacy |
| Received the KPMG Private Enterprise Global Tech Innovation Competition 2024 – Bronze Award | Agritech Farmvocacy |
| Awarded the Grand Prize of CATAPULT: Financial Inclusion Southeast Asia 2024 by The Luxembourg House of Financial Technology (The LHoFT) | Fintech startup InvestEd |
| Awarded the special Coup de Coeur Prize of CATAPULT: Financial Inclusion Southeast Asia 2024 by The Luxembourg House of Financial Technology (The LHoFT) | Agritech Farmvocacy |
| Selected for the 2024 Cohort Southeast Asia Acumen Fellowship | Mayani Executive Chairman and founder Jeff Barreiro and Eskwelabs CEO and founder Angela Chen-Delantar |
| Selected as two of the Ten Regional Startup Winners for CATAPULT: Financial Inclusion Southeast Asia in Bangkok, Thailand and were sent to Luxembourg | Farmvocacy CEO and founder Vincent Mendoza and InvestEd CEO and founder Carmina Bayombong |
| Received DOST-PCIEERD Start Grant Fund 2024 | Edutech Makarius Smart Learning |
| Received DICT Start Grant Fund 2024 | Agritech Mayani |
| Selected as one of the 75 Innovative Startups from over 500 Applications for LowCarbon.Earth Cohort 2024 | Agritech Mayani |
| Runner-up at 2024 Wharton Business Plan Competition | Property management tech startup PropSuite |
| Second Placer at Roiquants International Pre-Seed Pitching Competition 2023 | Legal tech startup Digest |
| Named the 2023 Breakthrough Maverick by Glenfiddich’s Where Next Club Program | Agri-fisheries tech startup Mayani |
| One of the 2023 Philippines’ Top 30 Leaders of LinkedIn | FHMoms’ CEO and Founder MK Bertulfo |
| Won a PHP1,000,000 Grant from Startup QC Grant Program 2023 | AI health tech startup Indigo Research |
| Won the 2023 ASEAN Business Awards for Net Zero Leader Category in Indonesia | Farm-to-table agricultural technology startup Agrabah |
| Won the Emerging Market Solutions Award at the Asian Technology Entrepreneurship Conference (ATEC) 2023 Startup Competition | Agri-fisheries tech platform Mayani |
| Tatler Asia’s Gen.T List for 2023 | FHMom’s MK Bertulfo, Mayani’s JT Solis, and Worth The Health (WTH) Foods’ Stephen Co |
| Winner of the Katha Awards 2023 at the International Food Exhibition Philippines 2023 | Foodtech WTH Foods |
| Top 5 Finalists of the Scale it Up Innovation Challenge 2023 by Buhler, Cargill, and Givaudan in Singapore | Foodtech Worth The Health (WTH) Foods |
| Two PHP2,500,000 grants from the USAID TB Platform’s INNOVA[T]ION LA[B] 2022-2023 | Healthtech, SeeYouDoc, and Agritech Agbeam Farms |
| Alibaba Cloud’s AsiaStart 10×10 Impact Awardee 2022 | Agritech startup Agrabah |
| Esquire Philippines’ Trailblazer List of Startup Movers and Shakers in 2023 | Agritech and Agrabah |
| Grand Prize Winner + USD100,000 venture capital investment from SaaScon Philippines’ Impact 2023 Challenge | Fintech: Olivia |
| Impact Awardee, Cartier Women’s Initiative 2022 | Edutech startup InvestEd Founder and CEO Carmina Bayombong |
| One of the Vegpreneur Organization’s Founder to Watch Out in 2022 | Foodtech: Worth The Health (WTH) Foods Founder and CEO Stephen Michael Co |
| World Health Organization’s Western Pacific Innovation Challenge Winner – Innovation for the Future of Public Health 2022 | Govtech: AI4GOV |
| One of the Best Web Application Companies in Southeast Asia by BestStartup.Asia for 2022 | Healthtech: SeeYouDoc |
| Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia List for 2021 | AIM-DBI Startup Founders (InvestEd, Eskwelabs, Kumu) |
| 2021 Best Incubator Startup Program | Recognized by DOST-PCIEERD |
| Received Multi-Million Grants from DOST (PHP) in 2021-2022 | Agrabah, SeeYouDoc, Burket, eCFULFILL, Olivia |
| Received Multi-Million Investments (USD) in 2021-2022 | InvestEd, CocoPallet, Worth The Health (WTH) Foods, Kumu |
Asian Institute of Management – Dado Banatao Incubator Startups
Prim Paypon
AIM-DBI Executive Director
Prim is currently the Executive Director of the Asian Institute of Management-Dado Banatao Incubator (AIM-DBI), the first business school-founded, located, and funded technology business incubator for startups in the Philippines. Since opening in March 2018, AIM-DBI has incubated 65 startups as of August 2024 through innovative and comprehensive programs he crafted from scratch.
These 65 startups, led by 201 founders—40% of whom are women—have created 624 direct jobs and served over 10 million Filipinos across the world. Through innovative and proactive approaches, these technology startups have garnered a total of 129 awards and recognitions (83 international, 46 local) for innovation, technology, and outstanding achievements, and received multi-million dollar investments and multi-million peso grants.
Before joining AIM-DBI, he finished his degree in biology, summa cum laude, and worked for multinational and international organizations as executive director for various departments including corporate social responsibility, training, employee relations, organizational development, stakeholder partnerships, program and impact management, and international relations. Outside AIM-DBI, he runs his own hybrid non-government organization, art startup, and other impact initiatives across the Philippines.
Rose Ann Benedicto-Fabito
AIM-DBI Program Manager
Rose is a dynamic and results-driven Program Manager at AIM-DBI, a specialized incubator-accelerator dedicated to nurturing and scaling ideation to early-stage startups. She graduated with a degree in international relations in 2014, cum laude. Today, with over a decade of work experience, she excels in program development, relationship building, events planning, and monitoring of incubator and accelerator programs that help drive innovation and business growth in startup ventures in the Philippines and South East Asia.
Pamela Ysabel Santos
AIM-DBI Program Associate
Ysa brings 5 years of solid experience in customer service to the table. In her role as AIM-DBI Program Associate, she plays a key part in monitoring all development programs, startup growth and progress, and social media marketing. Since joining AIM-DBI in 2023, she has been able to help monitor the exponential growth and inspiring success of 65 startups. In 2018, she completed her degree in entrepreneurship with a specialization in tourism management. In her previous roles, she worked for retail and aviation industries and helped managed their communications, problem-solving areas, and organizational growth.
