Students from at least 13 universities in the Philippines are joining the country’s first proptech hackathon to solve real-world problems in the real estate sector, while BridgeAI, an edtech startup that targets ESL teachers, has officially launched.
13 universities join PH’s first proptech hackathon
Students from 13 universities in the Philippines are joining the first proptech hackathon in the country—Hackestate: Hackathon 2025 – organised to address real-world problems in the real estate and events sectors.
The two-day event, organized by PropTech Philippines, aims to nurture talent and foster digital innovation in the country’s real estate industry, Anthony Gerard Leuterio, CEO of PropTech Philippines, the event’s organiser, told DealStreetAsia.
Student teams are tasked with developing web-based applications that focus on creativity, user experience, and practical impact to solve industry challenges. Most of the participating universities are based in Cebu.
Leuterio said the hackathon will push participants to go beyond coding. “They’ll study the root causes of real estate problems and create tech that can simplify and elevate property processes.”
Edtech startup BridgeAI launches to assist Filipino ESL teachers
BridgeAI, a Philippine-based educational technology (edtech) startup, has officially launched to help Filipino English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers automate lesson planning and improve classroom engagement.
The startup, founded by Vietnam-based Cebuano innovator Poppet C. Celdran, is a platform designed to generate ESL lesson plans quickly, saving teachers time and improving the quality of instruction, per the announcement.
Early pilot tests among Filipino teachers showed the platform helped save up to eight hours of planning time per week and increased student engagement by 40%, the company said.
The launch comes as the global online ESL learning market is forecast to grow to a $15.03 billion industry by 2030 from $10 billion in 2021, according to reports.
Filipino teachers are known worldwide for their excellent English instruction, Celdran said, but lesson planning takes up so much of their time.
“It affects both their personal lives and how well they teach,” he added.
