From an Idea to Grand Champions: Our SolutionsFest Journey

We Didn’t Expect to Win

We didn't expect to win. Going into SolutionsFest 2026, our main goal was simply to give our best pitch and connect with the people at the event. Out of nearly 100 teams, only 12 would be selected as finalists, so even making it that far already felt like a long shot. We definitely weren't expecting to walk away as the Grand Champion.

Honestly, I came into the event with pretty low expectations. During the first day of SolutionsFest, you could feel the nerves throughout our team. There was so much uncertainty. Would we make it to the top 3? Would the judges understand what we were trying to build? Would people actually see the potential in Tabo?

Then, something unexpected happened. One of the Open-Track panelists, Ms. Vanessa Caceres, approached us and asked about our application. What started as a simple conversation turned into one of the most helpful moments of the entire competition. She gave us advice on how to pitch Tabo more effectively and shared some of her own experiences in marketing.

That conversation completely changed the team's energy. We took her advice and applied it to our pitch. When it was finally time to present, we were much more confident in how we communicated our idea. The judges responded positively and praised what we were building.

Day 1 of solutionfest would only announce the top 3 from each track without disclosing the order. One by one, each slot was being filled. As each team was announced and we still hadn't heard “Team UmaSenso,” we started to wonder if we had made it at all. Then, after all the other teams had been called, they finally announced our name. Team UmaSenso had made it into the Top 3 of the SolutionsFest 2026 Student Track. The feeling was indescribable. What started as a day filled with uncertainty had ended with us standing among the final three teams competing for the championship. It was a huge boost of confidence, but it also made the next day feel even more real. We weren't just there to compete anymore, we had a chance to win.

The Moment We Became Champions

The announcement came the following day at Cebu Business Month's event at Waterfront Hotel. We had another opportunity to pitch our startup on stage, this time in front of an even wider audience of people, trying to leave a mark to industry leaders present at the event.

After Gab, our CEO, presented Tabo, many people came up to congratulate us and tell us how much they liked our vision. It felt really nice to see our hard work finally being recognized. The reception reminded us that what we had been working on for the past year was starting to reach people beyond our team.

Then came the announcements. The nerves came back all over again. Everything we had worked on throughout the past year had led to this moment. And then we heard it:

“Team UmaSenso. Grand Champion of SolutionsFest 2026 Student Track.”

It was really an incredible feeling. Aside from excitement, there was a huge sense of relief. All those late nights, discussions, revisions, and moments of uncertainty had finally led somewhere. We won. But looking back, winning the competition was only the beginning.