Geeks on a Beach 2025: Where Startups, AI, and Innovation Collide by the Shore

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

The waves of Mactan, Cebu, will once again crash in rhythm with the pulse of innovation as Geeks on a Beach (GOAB) returns for its 8th edition on October 1-3, 2025, at the world-class JPark Island Resort. But this isn’t just another tech event—it’s the Philippines’ premier international startup and technology conference, a crucible where groundbreaking ideas, ambitious founders, and global investors converge to shape the future of innovation in Asia.

Since its first run in 2013, GOAB has become more than a conference. It is a movement—a beachside arena where strategy meets serendipity, where “geeks” in flip-flops exchange billion-peso ideas with venture capitalists, and where world-changing collaborations are sparked over sand and sea. For startups, GOAB is not just an event. It’s a launchpad.

A Legacy of Catalyzing Innovation

“Over the past eight years, GOAB has grown into a catalyst for collaborations, investments, and game-changing ideas,” says Tina Amper, GOAB’s visionary lead organizer.

And she’s not exaggerating. Many of the Philippine startup ecosystem’s biggest success stories trace roots back to GOAB—where lightning pitches caught the eyes of international investors, where bootstrapped founders found mentorship, and where policy leaders took lessons that influenced national innovation strategies.

This year, with the world reeling from rapid AI disruption, volatile markets, and shifting geopolitical landscapes, GOAB is doubling down on its core mission: to build resilience through technology and collaboration.

What’s New in GOAB 8?

While its trademark mix of laid-back networking and hard-hitting conversations remains, the 8th Geeks on a Beach introduces fresh platforms that promise to reshape how startups and industries connect.

GOAB Beach Club – A newly launched year-round membership platform that transforms GOAB from an annual gathering into a continuous ecosystem of collaboration. “The GOAB magic isn’t just a once-a-year event. It’s now a year-round movement,” shares Dave Overton, co-founding organizer and CEO of Symph.

Startup Demos – Going beyond lightning pitches, these showcase events give founders a deeper platform to present their ideas and technologies to global investors. Overton emphasizes: “GOAB has always been a launchpad for founders. This year, we’re giving them even more opportunities to turn ideas into real growth.”

AI Masterclasses – With Artificial Intelligence shaping industries, GOAB 8 introduces exclusive team workshops, including GenAI for Startups and Tech Enthusiasts, AI for Tech Teams, and Advanced AI for Developers, Product, and Business Teams. Special rates for groups of four encourage companies to future-proof their workforce together.

One of the anticipated highlights is Tim Santos’ presentation of the PhilippineAIReport.com, a deep dive into AI adoption in the Philippines, coupled with strategies for executives on maximizing human talent alongside automation.

Backed by the Best

GOAB’s strength has always been its ecosystem of supporters, ranging from government agencies to leading investors.

This year’s partners include:

Government agencies: Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Department of Science and Technology (DOST, PCIEERD, and Region 7), and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI Region 7).

Investors and corporate backers: Austrian Business Agency, Kickstart Ventures, 917 Ventures, Sinigang Valley Association (including Foxmont Capital Partners, Kaya Founders, AHG Labs, Paymongo), Apollo Technologies, Megaworld, Bamboo Ventures, PwCPH, and more.

Community partners: QBO Innovation Hub, Ideaspace Ventures, DEVCON PH, UXPH, The Company PH, JEG Tower, The Gud Marketing, and StartupIsland.ph.

This powerful coalition ensures that GOAB doesn’t just stay as an event—it becomes an engine of opportunity for Cebu, the Visayas, and the Philippines at large.

The Roster That Inspires

Year after year, GOAB gathers some of the world’s most compelling voices in tech and entrepreneurship, and 2025 is no exception. Among the confirmed speakers are:

Jojo Flores, Co-Founder of Plug and Play Tech Center

Franco Varona and Catrina Magsadia, Foxmont Capital Partners

Audra Pakalnyte, First Move Partner

Hester Spiegel-van den Steenhoven, Co-Founder of Epic Angels

Mohan Belani, CEO & Co-Founder of e27 Singapore

Crystal Lee Gonzalez, CEO & Co-Founder of Noneaway Philippines

Josef Werker, Co-Founder & CEO of Humble Sustainability Philippines

Their stories of resilience, from startups to international expansions and acquisitions, fuel the imagination of every GOAB attendee. As Amper puts it: “These stories inspire the next generation of innovators. They remind us why we need more partners to support this momentum.”

Why It Matters

The Philippine startup ecosystem has long been hungry for platforms where it can engage the world. GOAB provides that space—unfiltered, authentic, and brimming with possibility. For founders, it’s the chance to be discovered. For investors, it’s access to untapped markets. For policymakers, it’s insight into how to design enabling environments.

Most importantly, GOAB 8 signals that Filipino innovation is not confined to boardrooms or laboratories—it thrives by the beach, powered by community, creativity, and collaboration.

About Geeks on a Beach

Launched in 2013, GOAB is the Philippines’ pioneering beachside international tech and startup conference. Known for its unique fusion of serious conversations and laid-back vibes, it has become a catalyst for investments, partnerships, and collaborations shaping the Philippine and Southeast Asian tech landscape.

This year’s GOAB happens on October 1-3, 2025, at JPark Island Resort, Mactan, Cebu. It is organized by the non-profit geeksPH with its founding government partner, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).

Tickets are available at www.geeksonabeach.com or via email at hello@geeksonabeach.com. Discounted rates are available for a limited time.

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