The Next Chapter Begins: trellis PH Joins the AIM-Dado Banatao Incubator Family

We started trellis PH with a simple but deeply personal mission: to make running a business in the Philippines a little less overwhelming. We've seen it firsthand—the store owner juggling payroll on a notebook, the small business founder losing sleep over SSS contributions, the growing team that still tracks attendance on a spreadsheet. Pinoy MSME’s are the backbone of our economy, and yet so many of them are left without the tools they actually need to thrive.

That belief is what drives us every single day. And today, we're proud to share that it's driving us somewhere very exciting.

trellis PH has been officially selected to join the AIM-Dado Banatao Incubator (AIM-DBI) THINCOHORT Program, one of the most prestigious startup incubator programs in the Philippines. (Image from the AIM-DBI Facebook page)

What is the AIM-DBI THINCOHORT Program?

The AIM-Dado Banatao Incubator is the first business school-founded, -located, and -funded technology business incubator in the Philippines, housed at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) in Makati City. Backed by the Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD), it was created to fill a critical gap: the lack of structured, high-quality support programs for Filipino startup entrepreneurs.

Since its launch in 2017, the AIM-DBI has helped build more than 70 startups from across the country—startups that have gone on to generate jobs, attract investment, and create real, lasting impact for Filipino communities.

The THINCOHORT Program is AIM-DBI's flagship 12-month development journey for selected startup founders. It's not just a certificate or a plaque on the wall. It's a rigorous, hands-on experience covering everything a growing startup needs to scale with confidence:

- Founder identity and leadership development
- Branding and marketing strategy
- Finance, fundraising, and investment readiness
- Legal and corporate compliance
- Technology and AI integration
- Business model innovation
- Intellectual property protection
- People, culture, and sustainability

Top executives, serial entrepreneurs, industry experts, and thought leaders from across Asia come as mentors, bringing real-world experience to the table. For startups like trellis PH, this is the kind of access that accelerates years of growth into months.

What This Means for trellis PH, and for You

Being selected to join AIM-DBI's THINCOHORT Program isn't something we take lightly. It means that some of the sharpest minds in the Philippine startup ecosystem looked at what trellis PH is building—an all-in-one HR and compliance platform purpose-built for Philippine MSME’s—and said: this matters. This belongs here.

And it does, because the problem we're solving matters.

Right now, hundreds of thousands of small and medium businesses across the Philippines are navigating the complexities of SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG, BIR, and DOLE compliance largely on their own. A problem compounded by outdated tools, incomplete information, or no support at all. Payroll mistakes and compliance missteps aren't just costly; they put businesses and their employees at risk.

trellis was built to change that. We're building the platform that gives every Filipino business owner, whether you're managing a team of 5 or 500, the confidence to run people operations correctly, efficiently, and without the stress.

The AIM-DBI THINCOHORT Program is a powerful next step in that journey. Over the next 12 months, we'll be deepening our product, sharpening our strategy, expanding our network, and learning from the best in the business. All of it in service of one goal: becoming the most trusted HR platform for Philippine MSME’s.

A Word of Gratitude

To the AIM-Dado Banatao Incubator: Thank you for this incredible opportunity and for your belief in what trellis PH is building. We are humbled and energized to be part of a community that has already launched so many impactful Filipino startups.

To our clients, partners, and early believers: This milestone belongs to you just as much as it does to us. Every business that trusted trellis to manage their payroll, track their team, or navigate compliance gave us the proof of concept we needed to stand in front of AIM-DBI and say: this works, and Filipino businesses need it. Thank you for being part of our story.

To every Filipino entrepreneur and MSME owner reading this: We see you. We feel you. We're building trellis for you. And with programs like AIM-DBI behind us, we're more committed than ever to ensuring you have the tools you deserve.

What's Next

We're just getting started. Over the coming months, we'll be sharing more updates on our THINCOHORT journey, new features rolling out on the trellis platform, and the milestones we're hitting along the way.

If you're a business owner curious about how trellis can simplify your HR and compliance, we'd love to show you what we've built, and if you're an investor or partner who believes in the future of HR tech for Philippine MSME’s—let's talk.

The best is very much ahead.