Ateneo startup Murch wins Innovation Champion at the ASEAN Young Business Youth Association LEAPS Demo Day

Murch, an e-commerce platform founded by Ateneo students, won Innovation Champion at the recent ASEAN Young Business Youth Association (ABYA) LEAPS Demo Day held in a hybrid setup online and at DBS Asia X in Singapore on October 29, 2022. The student team consists of Fifth Year BS Information Technology Entrepreneurship (BS ITE) students Arvin Martin Santos, Joshua Taningco, Benedict Tyler O'yek, Frances Therese Ong, Ma. Ysabel Aurora Poe, and Jason Jon Reyes. Mary Pauline Baterna, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer, is a graduate of the BS ITE Program batch 2022 and is currently a faculty member under the John Gokongwei School of Management (JGSOM).

Six teams out of hundreds of participants across the ASEAN region were picked as finalists, with only three winning awards. Additionally, Murch was the only team from the Philippines that made it to the finals.

Murch is an end-to-end merchandise platform that supports communities (e.g., student and youth organizations, non-profits) throughout their fundraising efforts—from design and production, to e-commerce and distribution.

ABYA LEAPS (Leadership, Exploration, and Progress) is an ASEAN-focused industry
immersion program designed to equip and groom students to become industry-relevant,
future ASEAN- savvy talents. This year's iteration, co-presented by Deloitte SEA, is focused on technology and digitalization—allowing participants to drive tangible action by working on real-world projects with industry mentors.

Murch learned about the opportunity through the YSEALI network, which Arvin Martin Santos is a part of, and applied alongside several university-level startup groups across ASEAN. The program lasted from August to October 2022, with Demo Day held online and on-site at DBS Asia X, Singapore's premier hub for innovation and creative thinking. Mentoring Murch throughout the journey was Mr. Andy Koh, Product Management Lead of Rakuten Viki.

To learn more about Murch, visit their Facebook page: https://facebook.com/murchshop

About ASEAN Business Youth Association
ASEAN Business Youth Association (ABYA) empowers a community of ASEAN youth to work and communicate effectively with people regionally through cross-cultural training, exposure, application, and networking. Its vision is to be the leading youth organization that nurtures future ASEAN business leaders.

To learn more about ASEAN Business Youth Association, visit their website: aseanbusinessya.com