Co-Founder Connect: Ateneo Blue Nest and Benilde HiFi Host Cross-Campus Co-Founder Networking Event for Aspiring Startup Founders

On March 4, 2026, Ateneo Blue Nest, the startup incubator of the Ateneo Intellectual Property Office (AIPO), partnered with the Benilde Hub of Innovation for Inclusion (HiFi) to host Co-Founder Connect, a curated speed networking event designed to help aspiring startup founders meet potential co-founders and collaborators.

Most startups do not fail simply because the idea was wrong. They fail because the team was not ready to build it. For early-stage founders, finding a co-founder with complementary skills, shared commitment, and aligned vision remains one of the hardest challenges. Yet, many students try to solve this within the limits of their own school networks. Co-Founder Connect was built to widen that circle.

Participants engage during the speed-matching session at Co-Founder Connect.

Held at the Makers Space HiFi, College of St. Benilde, the event gathered 32 participants from Ateneo de Manila University and De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde who share an interest in entrepreneurship, startups, and innovation.

The program began with brief introductions from both institutions, followed by a short talk on the Minimum Viable Team framework, which highlights the importance of complementary roles in startup teams — Hacker, Hustler, Hipster, and Handler. Participants took part in a structured speed-matching session, where they engaged in timed conversations to explore potential collaborations.

The event concluded with a Merienda Mixer, allowing participants to continue discussions and strengthen the connections formed during the networking session.

Co-Founder Connect is part of Ateneo Blue Nest’s larger bet: that the Philippine startup ecosystem grows stronger when aspiring startup founders get a real shot at finding the right team. Some of the matches made here will become tomorrow’s founding teams.

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Are you building a startup and looking for the right co-founder? Or does your organization want to collaborate on events like this? Ateneo Blue Nest, the startup incubator of the Ateneo Intellectual Property Office (AIPO), supports innovators and researchers at every stage — from idea to team to market.