KMC and Impact Hub Manila, together with several stakeholders from both private and public sectors, teamed up to stage the 1st ever KMC Startup Summit held last November 2018 at Green Sun Hotel in Makati City.
Present during the event are several key personalities in fostering growth for the Philippine startup and invocation ecosystem, such as Department of Trade Industry (DTI) Director for Export Marketing Bureau Senen Perlada, Dentsu Aegis Network Philippines Country CEO Donald Lim, Asian Development Bank's (ADB) Head of NGO and Civil Society Center Chris Morris, and Meridian International (MINT) College Executive Vice President Hendrick Kiamzon, as well as KMC Chairman and Co-Founder Gregory Kittelson.
Also, joining them in this day-long gathering are the women who will be tackling their roles in championing technology and social media impact, such as Ronna Reyes Sieh, Managing Partner of The Coding School, Ginger Arboleda, Chief Operating Officer of Taxumo, Angeline Tham, Founder and CEO of Angkas, and Donna Paez, Innovation & Business Development Manager of Globe Telecom.
In addition, Freddie Tiñga, President of Global Electric Transportation, Sreejith Narayanan, the International Customer Success Head Netcore Solutions Pvt. Ltd., and Jonizel Lagunzad, Chief Operating Officer of Zennya also shared their insights on “trailblazing innovation crosscutting industries” at the VIA Industries segment.
The 2017 Philippine Startup Survey says there are now more than 300 startups in the country – with most of them being founded between 2012 and 2017. It is also known that continuing changes in technology and innovation have contributed to the growth of startups.
“We firmly believe in the Filipino entrepreneurial spirit. All startups have a dream they want to pursue. That dream is their starting point. They face many sacrifices, risks, and challenges,” said Ces Rondario.
Kittelson said KMC wants to provide startups and entrepreneurs the avenue to establish relationships, develop connections, and engage in programs that will help grow and sustain their endeavors. Furthermore, there are startups spread around the 19 locations of KMC endeavored together with their partner, Impact Hub Manila. And six of these startups came from the first batch of the SFI program.
The VIA Startup Summit also made to recognize the valuable contributions of startups to the local economy.
“Many startups have ventured into mobile, e-commerce, and fintech. This is proof that the Philippines’ startup ecosystem is growing rapidly with more and more young professionals starting their own ventures. Matthew Barrie is one of our young CEOs and his company has just won an International Smart City competition called AcceliCITY against 600 startups from 40 countries,” says Riccardo Corsini, KMC’s Vice President for marketing.
The partnership also enabled KMC to establish a program named “Space for Ingenious Program” which helps bring an idea from conception to reality through mentorship from industry experts, spaces conducive to productivity and idea incubation, and access to a vast network of connections and potential investors.
The six-month program began last May 2018 and has incubated six startups that were among the first batch of applicants for the program. One startup is Pushkart PH, an online grocery application that basically does the shopping for you. Founder Josh Aragon, 29, lauds the mentorship of the program.
“Having mentors dive into your business model, dissect all of the issues, and create a solution for you is really a valuable takeaway from the program. They also give you the connections you need for your business to take off,” said Aragon.
Visit the VIA Summit website for more information.
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