Final Pitch Season 6 scouts for ‘new normal’ heroes

The country’s only business reality TV show, The Final Pitch, may have been dealing with entrepreneurs who are in essence heroes in their respective expertise. But this latest season to air on CNN Philippines is on the lookout for ones with “great business ideas to solve pandemic problems.”

In some way, the show launched last Feb. 16 via a Zoom presser, is still all-business, but with more heart and compassion as we all move forward to a safer, better world.

Host and creator John Aguilar, expressed, “This season is a chance to prove that despite our current challenges, we can work strategically given our limited resources to move the country forward, provide solutions and opportunities and discover new startups and talented individuals to help rebuild the nation.”

This sixth season, appropriately themed the Heroes Edition, will feature four successful individuals to serve as judges-investors to pitchers. The line-up includes 917Ventures’ Vince Yamat, FWD Insurance’s Li Hao Zhuang, UBX’s John Januszczak and Thames International Business School’s Joel Santos. Their main goal is “to look for the next great business idea that will impact society positively.”

The past five seasons solidified the show’s reputation as contributor to the growth of the business community while publicly exposing the brilliant minds and inspirational stories behind some of the most innovative and triumphant entrepreneurs in the land.

Santos, who in previous seasons served as purely a mentor, now comes in as an investor who will lend his strategic insights owing to his extensive network. He noted, “We are ready to offer our programs in Thames, plus personal mentoring depending on the gap they need to fill to be able to scale up their enterprise. This includes possible strategic partnerships across the region that we hope to help facilitate.”

Katrina Chan, executive director of QBO Innovation Hub, practically occupies Santos’ former role as she joins the show as a mentor alongside QBO’s roster of startup ecosystem supporters and stakeholders.

The Final Pitch Season 6 specifically invites startups, non-profit organizations, entrepreneurs and individuals armed with new solutions to address the economic and social impact of COVID-19.

Yamat, the managing director of 917Ventures, shared, “We are looking for what we call a venture builder, someone with grit and the right attitude who is passionate about solving a problem. We just need the right idea and the right attitude and we will provide the ecosystem of marketing, logistics and product development. We will work with you as we solve a big problem and improve the lives of the Filipino people together.”

For his side of doing things, the CEO of a rapidly rising insurance company Li Hao Zuang aims to support those with a social mission, saying, “We are looking for entrepreneurs with a bayanihan spirit who want to change the world, who have a distinct offering and concept and a commercially viable plan.”

In addition, UBX’s Januszczak mentioned about his company’s venture studio “which could make sense for someone who has a smaller team but needs the resources of an incubator/accelerator to bring their startup to market.”

Online entries and one-minute pitch videos can now be submitted via TheFinalPitch.ph/application. Interested investors and corporate partners intending to work with the show “behind the scenes” may also reach the show through [email protected] or 0917-8136674.

The Final Pitch Season 6 will air Sundays (8:30 p.m.) beginning March 21. Replay 1 on Tuesdays (8:30 p.m.) and Replay 2 on Saturdays (11:30 a.m. for the initial episode. 11 a.m. for the succeeding episodes).

(For details, visit www.thefinalpitch.ph and follow its social media accounts at @TheFinalPitchPH on Facebook, @thefinalpitchph on Instagram, and @thefinalpitch on YouTube.)