A Wider Search
Participation expanded to more schools and more student innovators across the country.
Presented by OGIS Philippines
OGIS Ignite Philippines 2026 · Grand Finals
Five ideas.
One seat in Osaka.
Your judgment helps decide which one.
OGIS IGNITE gives student innovators a national stage—and one team the opportunity to represent the Philippines in Japan. Discover the story behind the program, how it has grown, and why your perspective matters at this year’s Grand Finals.
47
Teams
36
Universities
5
Grand Finalists
1
Philippine Representative in Osaka
This is OGIS Ignite.
OGIS IGNITE is the Philippine leg of the software ideas contest that OGIS-RI has conducted in Japan since 2010.
It is not a traditional hackathon. No finished product is required. No coding competition decides the winner.
Teams begin with an idea: a real problem worth solving and a technology concept with the potential to make a difference.
The defining question is simple
Does this idea deserve to be built?
Year one proved what was possible.
2025 · 13 Teams · One Journey to Osaka
Last year’s winning students entered OGIS IGNITE without having built an app. Their idea addressed a distinctly Filipino problem: helping households find tradespeople they could actually trust.
They developed the idea into an application—and, in December, presented it alongside Japan’s finalists in Osaka.
From a first-time idea to an international stage.
That journey became the proof of concept for OGIS IGNITE itself: give young innovators a meaningful platform, and they can go much further than they imagined.
This year, the search became bigger.
What began with 13 teams has grown to 47 teams from 36 universities in only its second year. But growth is only part of the story.
A Tougher Progression
From 47 teams, only 12 advanced to the semifinals. Five earned their place at the Grand Finals.
A Broader Judging Perspective
This year, selected leaders from outside OGIS will sit alongside our internal judges—bringing real-world business, technology and leadership perspectives into the final decision.
The 2026 Challenge
This year’s theme
つながらない価値
Disconnected by design
What if not connecting is the point?
Technology is usually designed to connect more people, more devices and more information. This year’s theme challenges students to question that default assumption—and explore where deliberate disconnection might create greater value. Five finalists have responded with five different ideas. At the Grand Finals, they will defend not only what they want to build, but why it should exist.
We’d like you on the panel.
Five teams will pitch. The judges will decide which idea will represent the Philippines in Osaka. We are inviting a small group of leaders who understand what it takes for technology to move from an interesting concept to meaningful real-world value.
You are not being asked to judge code.
You are being asked to judge possibility.
Your role is to
- 01 Test the clarity and relevance of each idea
- 02 Challenge the teams’ assumptions
- 03 Consider its potential users and real-world value
- 04 Help identify the idea most deserving of the international stage
What the winner takes
₱100,000
And a seat in Osaka this December
The winning team will represent the Philippines and present its idea alongside the finalists from Japan.
Event details
OGIS Ignite Philippines 2026 Grand Finals
- Date
- Friday, 25 September 2026
- Time
- 1:00–5:00 PM
- Venue
- AIM Conference Center, Makati City
- Attire
- Business attire