ASES Manila: Student Builder & Founders Community in the Philippines

ASES Manila

Meet students who make you want to be better.

We are

misfits.
failures.
learners.
builders.

A community that lets you fail.

So... imagine a world where you made this

50+ people from our Build with ASES initiative, all starting from scratch. And the ASES community is here to make sure your ambition is backed with action.

50+ active student builders

People who show their half-baked idea to a room full of strangers, take the hit, and come back the next week with version two.

where our builders come from
Ateneo de Manila UniversityUniversity of the PhilippinesDe La Salle UniversityUniversity of Santo TomasMapúa UniversityPolytechnic University of the PhilippinesFar Eastern University
ASES Manila community

Partners we build with

AWS
Microsoft
Globe
Accenture
Kaya Founders
Kickstart Ventures
Kalibrr
AstraZeneca
Founders Launchpad
AWS
Microsoft
Globe
Accenture
Kaya Founders
Kickstart Ventures
Kalibrr
AstraZeneca
Founders Launchpad

Build with ASES

Twice a month, we fill a room with people sharper than you and hand you the mic. That's the whole event.

Build with ASES session in progress
Apply to Build with ASES
YES, THERE'S AN APPLICATION

It's not membership. Different thing entirely.

Build with ASES has its own sign-up. You're applying for a seat in the room, not applying to join ASES, so there's no overlap and no confusion: this is a standing event, not a club application. Show up, present, and let the room tell you what to fix next.

TWICE A MONTH

Two nights. Every month. No skipping.

One night we go hunting for real problems worth solving. The other, you stand up and show what you actually built. Sometimes there's a theme, sometimes a weird constraint, but the follow-through is never optional.

WHO'S IN THE ROOM

Anyone can walk in. Not everyone walks out unbothered.

Free if you're an ASES member, a small door fee if you're not, but either way you get the same seat and the same brutally useful feedback. Nobody checks your resume at the door.

WHY WE STILL DO THIS

Because your bad first draft deserves an audience.

Every idea that gets picked apart in this room walks out a little less bad. We built BWA because most people hide their rough drafts. We'd rather cheer for them.

More rooms we run

Beyond the twice-a-month grind, two flagship events take builders further from home turf.

Campus Roadshow

We haul the whole setup to campuses across Manila so you don't have to find us. Same honest feedback, closer to your dorm.

ASES Bootcamp

Three weeks to prove you're not just talk. Pick a real Philippine problem, build something for it, then pitch to investors flying in from Manila and Silicon Valley. Win, and the funding is real too.

Special thanks to

Hey April
Frankenstein
ASES Manila

is the local chapter of Stanford's student entrepreneurship network. We're undergrads from across Manila's universities, building together.

FAQ

Questions we actually get.

What is ASES Manila, actually?

The Manila chapter of the Affiliated Stanford Entrepreneurial Society, a student startup crowd from across the city's universities. We build things. We don't just talk about building things, which turns out to be the rarer skill.

Okay but which university runs it?

None of them, and that's kind of the point. We're a chapter of Stanford's global network, so our people come from Ateneo, DLSU, UST, UP, Mapúa, PUP, FEU, and a bunch of schools that would otherwise never share a room.

Do I need to already know how to code or pitch or whatever?

Nope. We're not checking your GitHub at the door. The only question that matters is: are you building something, or do you want to start? Everything else you figure out here.

I'm not in Metro Manila. Can I still join?

Yes, any university student in the Philippines is welcome. Just a heads-up: the events themselves happen in Metro Manila, so you'll need to make the trip.

Will I actually get to pitch something, or just watch?

You'll pitch. Build with ASES runs twice a month and the whole point is putting your work in front of people who'll tell you the truth. Then there's Bootcamp: three weeks, a real problem, and a pitch to investors from Manila and Silicon Valley. Win that one and the funding is real money, not a certificate.

Has anyone actually made it out of ASES Manila?

A fair few. Members and alumni have launched startups, closed VC funding, and landed roles at companies you've heard of. Some are still grinding on their thing. A few of them are now the ones giving feedback in the room, which is either full circle or slightly terrifying depending on how your last pitch went.

How do I actually reach a human?

Facebook or Instagram, both @asesmanila, or email asesmanila.team@gmail.com. A real person answers, not a bot.