When Soj Gamayon arrived in California from his home in the Philippines, he was determined to make the most of his journey as a budding entrepreneur. His experience, featuring intensive mentoring and networking opportunities, has significantly influenced the development of his AgriConnect idea, which leverages AI to help farmers identify crop threats. Moreover, it has altered his perception of himself and his capabilities.
Gamayon’s journey began with two weeks in Los Angeles, where he met with Hans Yang, the head of Microsoft for Startups, who had been a global judge at the Red Bull Basement World Final in Tokyo. Yang provided him with a tour of the University of Southern California’s Iovine and Young Academy, dedicated to innovation at the intersection of technology, design, and business. Gamayon shared, “Microsoft had helped me think through the systems that I have on the backend of my startup, and Hans and I were catching up. I was able to tell him about the progress I was making, and it was a very genuine interaction.”
Yang commented on Gamayon’s growth, saying, “The highlight of my time at Red Bull Basement in Tokyo was watching founders go from an idea to a real business. With someone like Soj, who came in with a concept, what he left with was a journey that he can now follow for the rest of his life.”
Throughout his time in Los Angeles, Gamayon was provided with resources to prepare for the culmination of his trip: three immersive days at Plug and Play’s Silicon Valley Summit. The Summit brings together thousands of attendees from various industries to network, hear from expert speakers, and discover promising AI startups. Gamayon was given a startup booth and the opportunity to pitch AgriConnect to a room of influential figures. He shared, “For the two weeks ahead of the Summit, basically every day I had a two-hour session with different Plug and Play mentors. Everything was curated according to where I am right now – a pre-product startup – and also to the industry I’m in, which is Agriculture.”
The mentors took a custom approach to Gamayon’s needs, addressing topics from product tech to pitching and scaling. This experience came at a crucial time, just eight months after he first envisioned AgriConnect and six months after his Red Bull Basement win. Gamayon explained, “This is my first rodeo, my first startup. I don’t have a product, so I can’t answer anything too technical yet, and I don’t have revenue, so I can’t give a good financial projection. The time in LA taught me that I had to reorient how I was looking at my startup. The mentors told me, ‘Soj, you’re not at that stage yet. This journey should be about how you can defy the odds and take calculated risks to learn more.’”
Despite this new mindset, Gamayon acknowledged feeling nervous going into the Silicon Valley Summit. However, the mentors reassured him, pointing out that he had already achieved significant recognition by winning Red Bull Basement and bringing attention to the often-overlooked Agri-Tech industry. This realization helped Gamayon gain clarity and confidence. He said, “It gave me a lot of clarity to think that this is beyond me now. Beyond my uncle. Even beyond the Philippines. It’s a whole industry that I’m representing. And I think that’s ultimately what I learned: from doubting myself to believing that I’m supposed to be here.”
Gamayon’s goal shifted from seeking investors to solidifying his value proposition. He shared, “When I talked to people at the Summit, I always told them that I am pre-product, and that I am trying to de-risk two main things: the technical aspect of my startup and the market. And these people in the industry, they understood.” Jamie Lipman from the Plug and Play Tech Center expressed excitement for Gamayon’s potential, saying, “I’m very excited for Soj and AgriConnect. I think there is a lot of potential for his company, and we know he’s going to make such an incredible impact in the agricultural space.”
Next up for Gamayon is producing and testing a minimum viable product (MVP). He is in talks with potential partners in the Philippines for the MVP build and testing, with Plug and Play suggesting the possibility of conducting tests in California as well. Long-term, his goal has expanded to help even more farmers by addressing a variety of crops beyond his original concept of rice and corn.
Gamayon also has advice for innovators interested in entering Red Bull Basement 2026: “When I think about Red Bull Basement’s theme of ‘It takes one idea to make an impact,’ it seems that ‘impact’ means something that resonates. For example, when I pitched at the World Final