Upgrade Innolab

A NEW acceleration initiative is positioning Mindanao as an emerging hub for circular economy startups, as Upgrade Innolab launches Circulab: Accelerating Circular Innovation from the Ground Up, a program designed to help entrepreneurs turn waste, surplus materials, and underutilized resources into scalable businesses.

The initiative arrives at a moment when the Philippines is grappling with growing environmental pressures while simultaneously seeking new engines of economic growth.

Mindanao alone produces more than 40 percent of the country’s food supply, but it also generates significant volumes of agricultural waste, packaging materials, and biomass that often go unused. For startup builders working in climate technology, sustainable manufacturing, and resource recovery, that gap represents both a challenge and an opportunity.

Circulab aims to close that gap by supporting early-stage ventures that are designing solutions around the principles of the circular economy — an economic model that replaces the traditional take-make-dispose system with one focused on reuse, regeneration, and resource efficiency.

Through a 12-month accelerator program, Upgrade Innolab will select ten startups and MSMEs from Regions 10, 11, 12, 13, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to receive venture development support, technical mentorship, and grant funding of up to Php 1.3 million.

The program is implemented by Upgrade Innolab and funded through the European Union–Philippines Green Economy Programme under the Green Up to Scale Up initiative managed by Expertise France Philippines, which supports the growth of green enterprises and circular economy solutions across the country.

For Richard R. Day, president of Upgrade Innolab, the program reflects a broader shift in how regional innovation ecosystems are beginning to respond to climate and resource challenges.

“Mindanao is rich in resources, but much of that value is still lost in linear supply chains,” Day said. “What we are seeing now is a new wave of entrepreneurs who are redesigning industries—from agriculture to manufacturing—so that waste becomes a resource and communities benefit from it.”

Unlike traditional startup competitions that emphasize rapid scaling alone, Circulab focuses on ventures that combine environmental impact with commercial viability. Startups entering the program are expected to already have a working Minimum Viable Product and an identified market.

Over the course of the accelerator, founders will work with mentors and ecosystem partners to refine their technology, strengthen supply chains, and prepare for investment. Beyond supporting individual companies, the program also seeks to stimulate broader economic transformation in the region.

Circulab aims to generate 1,000 green jobs, establish at least ten circular economy pilot projects with local governments or communities, and strengthen value chains that convert waste streams into productive economic activity.

The effort comes as the Philippines begins aligning more closely with circular economy policies and sustainability commitments. Recent legislation, such as the Extended Producer Responsibility Act of 2022, has pushed companies to rethink how packaging waste is managed, while development programs supported by international partners are increasingly investing in green innovation.

Day believes Mindanao’s entrepreneurial community is ready to play a larger role in that transition. “Circular innovation doesn’t just reduce waste, it creates entirely new industries,” he said. “Our goal with Circulab is to ensure that founders in Mindanao have the same access to capital, mentorship, and markets needed to scale those industries.”

Applications for the program opened on March 12, 2026, and will remain open until May 15. Selected startups will begin the accelerator cycle in June, culminating in a Demo Day in April 2027, where founders will present their ventures to investors, industry partners, and ecosystem stakeholders.

For a region long viewed primarily as an agricultural frontier, initiatives like Circulab signal a growing recognition that Mindanao may also become a frontier for sustainable innovation — where environmental challenges are increasingly becoming the starting point for the next generation of startups.