Investors in business are a crucial component of the startup ecosystem. They help firms looking to expand into new areas by investing in capital, offering counsel, and acting as mentors. These can include developing products, expanding operations, or acquiring new customers. Knowing the best venture capital networks in the Philippines is crucial for company owners searching for investment since they may help speed your growth goals and offer excellent business advice. A hand-selected list of Philippine venture capitalist companies and angel networks is provided in this article. Let’s discuss them one by one in no particular order!
What is a Venture Capital Firm?
Startups and other firms with the potential for significant and quick development are typically supported by venture capital firms. To invest in potential businesses or even bigger venture funds, venture capital firms raise money from limited partners (LPs). The VC’s business model accounts for the potential for significant losses, even losing the whole investment. Make sure you comprehend the long- and short-term effects of your company’s financial decisions so you can pick the path that most closely reflects your business goals.
What is the Difference Between a Venture Capitalist and an Investor?
A venture capitalist creates a limited partnership, which is one way they vary from investors. By doing this, the venture capital fund’s limited partners, rather than external investors, serve as the fund’s investors. Other variations relate to the timing and amount of investment. Investments made by venture capitalists help businesses through the stages of fast development and provide a gain in market share more quickly.
An individual or individuals who spend their own money in a small firm are known as “angel investors.” Individual investors often contribute between $25,000 and $100,000 of their own money. These numbers represent the overall investment area; however, various enterprises may cost more or less than these numbers. Syndicating as many investors as possible into a single investment operation with an average size of $750,000 or more is one of the objectives of angel investors.
Venture Capitalists
AHG Lab
Smartly redefining the landscape of the Philippine startup ecosystem, AHG Lab has crafted a targeted approach centered around four key focus areas: Builder, Accelerator, Investor, and Fund Partner. Each area is carefully calibrated with varying levels of involvement, allowing AHG Lab to engage where it’s needed most. By adopting an ecosystem approach, they ensure that every venture in their portfolio not only grows but scales successfully. This holistic strategy positions AHG Lab as a leader in shaping a brighter future for the country’s startup scene.
Foxmont Capital Partners
Foxmont Capital Partners is a team backed by a broad network of Filipino business owners who contribute to funding and building specialized skills in various fields. These include finance, accounting, marketing, public relations, media, manufacturing, supply chain logistics, and information technology. This venture capital company invests in early-stage technology businesses with a Filipino focus or with Filipino founders who have demonstrated their ability to expand successfully and drive the Philippine digital revolution. The business is of the opinion that if a Filipino startup can flourish there, it can succeed everywhere.
Founders Launchpad
Founders Launchpad is a dynamic, industry-agnostic accelerator dedicated to early-stage startups. It provides venture capital funding, comprehensive operational support, and expert mentorship. By leveraging these resources, Founders Launchpad empowers high-potential startups to effectively scale their businesses and achieve sustained success in their respective markets.
Kaya Founders
An early-stage venture capital firm formed through a partnership of seasoned entrepreneurs and operators, Kaya Founders is in the business of building impactful, enduring companies that harness the power of technology to solve the most pressing problems in the Philippines and Southeast Asia.
ADB Ventures
The Asian Development Bank is a multilateral development bank based in the Philippines that was founded in 1996. Its venture capital arm is called ADB Ventures. They make investments in innovative firms tackling Asia’s most urgent problems, with an emphasis on gender inequality and climate change. ADB Ventures gives enterprises that are making an impact in Asia seed early to early-growth stage finance to assist and back their expansion. They assist companies in entering new markets and establishing themselves as market leaders thanks to their extensive network and in-depth sectoral understanding.
Indelible Ventures
Focusing on seed-stage, tech-enabled B2B startups, Indelible Ventures is dedicated to fostering international growth. Their primary goal is to identify companies with the potential for global scalability. Through extensive global experience, they guide startups with expansion processes. By providing tailored support, they help founders navigate and grow across diverse geographies. Their expertise ensures that businesses can scale effectively in different markets.
TENCO Capital
Focused on the success of startups in the Philippines and Southeast Asia, TENCO Capital is a Corporate Venture Capital firm with a commitment to early-stage investments. By nurturing early-stage ventures, TENCO aims to turn business concepts into industry-shaping realities. Their hands-off approach to day-to-day operations allows entrepreneurs the space they need to execute their plans. TENCO understands that entrepreneurs thrive when given the autonomy to lead their startups.
Buko Ventures
Spanning sectors from health and logistics to fintech and human capital management, each company in the portfolio of Buko Ventures focuses on addressing localized needs using proven models. These investments are strategically chosen to innovate within their respective markets, pioneering new approaches while strengthening existing strengths. By championing the development of online experiences, Buko Ventures supports companies poised to make significant impacts in the digital landscape, ensuring sustainable growth and market relevance.
Ignite House
Ignite House specializes in innovation and venture capital, emphasizing peak performance through a unique framework of five interconnected cycles of Virtuous Capital. Each cycle complements and strengthens the others, creating a dynamic system that promotes growth and success. Known as 5 Cycles of Virtuous Capital (5VC), this approach enhances financial returns, market impact, and team morale, ensuring sustained excellence in both personal and corporate achievements.
Nila Capital Partners
Nila Capital Partners empowers the next generation of Filipino entrepreneurs by fostering a supportive community beyond financial backing. They provide up to $25k in early-stage funding, enabling young founders from diverse backgrounds to focus on their ideas without financial constraints. This support fuels growth by connecting them with a network of mentors and a community of fellow founders, ensuring they have the resources needed to succeed.
DayOne Capital Ventures
Partnering with entrepreneurs across a diverse range of industries, DayOne Capital Ventures is an independent Philippine-based private holding company focused on early-stage businesses targeting the mass market. Beyond providing capital, DayOne aims to add value through its extensive network, local strategic insights, and potential synergies with existing portfolio companies. This holistic approach is designed to foster growth and success for startups poised to make a significant impact.
Gobi Partners
With US$1.5 billion in assets under management (AUM), Gobi Partners is the Pan-Asian venture capital firm with the greatest connections. The company, which has offices in Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong, assists business owners from the start-up through growth phases and focuses on underdeveloped and growing markets. In order to ensure long-term wealth generation and sustainability throughout their portfolio, Gobi Partners, a participant in the UN Global Compact, is dedicated to aligning its strategy and operations with the fundamental values of human rights, labor, the environment, and anti-corruption.
ICCP Venture Partners
Since 1998, ICCP Venture Partners, the longest-running Philippine VC company, has raised 6 international funds. One of the biggest VC firms in Japan is run by SBI Holdings, previously SoftBank Investments. Since 1999, it has made investments in over 1,000 direct and indirect portfolio companies. ICCP SBI Venture Partners (ISVP) is a joint venture between SBI Holdings and ICCP Venture Partners, two of the top VC companies in Asia. Up until Series B, ISVP makes investments in innovative firms that are expanding quickly in the US and Southeast Asia.
First Asia Venture Capital
First Asia functions similarly to a holding company for direct investments, with a diverse investment portfolio. This company has strategically positioned itself in businesses that have the ability to flourish in its industry in order to manage its growth. Since then, it has taken part in securing funding for a range of small-to-medium-sized firms as a venture capitalist firm. First Asia had been properly founded and incorporated as a professionally run venture capital firm by 1983. By establishing offices in other ASEAN nations, First Asia is continuing to follow its ambition of growing its operations in the Philippines.
Quest Ventures
Quest Ventures, a leading venture capital company in artificial intelligence, e-commerce, and marketplaces, entertainment, finance, food, insurance, logistics, media, property, sports, and has concentrated on an all-encompassing “digital economy” approach across Asia since 2011. The enterprise innovation initiative from Quest Ventures, in collaboration with Silicon Valley’s preeminent Applied Innovation Institute, facilitates corporate and industry change for industries in danger of going under by relying on first-rate research, regional knowledge, and relationships with startups. Some of the industries addressed include alternative food, aviation, banking, insurance, logistics and transportation, oil and gas, and smart cities.
JGDEV Digital Equity Ventures
JG Digital Equity Ventures Inc., or JGDEV, is the corporate venture capital arm of JG Summit Holdings, Inc., one of the largest conglomerates in the Philippines with business interests in banking, petrochemicals, power generation, real estate, property development, and telecommunications. JG Digital Equity Ventures searches for scalable and sustainable business models with an emphasis on supply chain and logistics, finance, and e-commerce that may provide value to the Gokongwei Group ecosystem. The organization primarily invests in tech startups in the early growth phases that are focused on the Southeast Asian market.
Openspace Ventures
Openspace is a multi-stage investor in B2C and B2B companies in Southeast Asia with a compelling expansion strategy. With its portfolio, Openspace assists organizations in creating market-leading brands and defining the strategic narratives that fuel success throughout the whole company. The company assists in putting systems in place, attracting the best individuals, and developing vibrant workplace cultures. To stay ahead of the curve across several industries, the company is aggressively growing its geographical and operational platform.
Narra Venture Capital
A venture management and consultancy firm called Narra Venture Capital has made investments in high-tech businesses with the potential for rapid expansion. Since its founding in January 2002, it has concentrated on making investments in businesses that have defendable barriers to competition, which are often built on cutting-edge technology or its effective usage. Narra looks for businesses in the Philippines and other parts of Asia that might benefit from the synergy with high-tech firms. These businesses provide more specialized information systems, electronic manufacturing services, software services, and design services.
Manila Angel Investors (MAIN)
The Manila Angel Investors Network Inc. (MAIN) is a non-stock, nonprofit corporation that was established to help the startup ecosystem in the nation by bringing investors and potential early-stage firms together. It is the biggest dedicated network of private investors in the Philippines. Along with fund assistance, it also mentors business owners, supports them with their experience and creates networking possibilities. Both the portfolios of MAIN members and the general expansion of Filipino entrepreneurs would benefit from this cutting-edge startup environment.
XA Network
Established in 2018 within the Google alumni network, XA introduced the XA Network as its initial offering. This investment network includes senior leaders from global and regional tech companies, along with founders of prominent companies across Southeast Asia. XA’s goal is to promote inclusive innovation by empowering the tech community in the region.
Founders value the distinguished backgrounds of XA’s members as entrepreneurs and senior business leaders. Additionally, XA’s portfolio companies benefit from the collective power of extensive networks and expertise in areas such as business strategy, product development, fundraising, and more.
Epic Angels
Their strategic focus lies in nurturing early-stage startups across the Asia Pacific region spanning various sectors. Epic Angels specializes in funding at pre-seed, seed, and Series A stages, emphasizing the advancement of female leadership. A prerequisite for their investments is the inclusion of at least one woman on the executive team. Their financial commitment typically extends up to 200K USD per company.
Acknowledging the formidable journey of entrepreneurship, they offer comprehensive support encompassing capital infusion, strategic acumen, mentorship, access to a global network, and active involvement on advisory boards. Their adept team of investors actively engages in operational execution, working closely with portfolio companies to foster further growth and scalability.
IdeaSpace Ventures
As a pivotal entity in the Philippines’ startup ecosystem, fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, the organization champions technological advancement through initiatives like the IdeaSpace Accelerator Program and QBO Innovation Hub. IdeaSpace Investments, the venture capital arm of IdeaSpace Venttures, is dedicated to cultivating emerging entrepreneurs who contribute significantly to national development.
The IdeaSpace Accelerator Program plays a crucial role by connecting startups with mentors and investors, providing essential resources to facilitate their successful attainment of initial institutional funding. This holistic approach empowers startups to flourish in a competitive business environment.
Plug and Play
At the forefront of innovation, Plug and Play is cultivating a distinctive ecosystem that connects change-makers and industry leaders. With a vast network encompassing over 75,000 startups, 500+ leading corporations, and numerous venture capital firms, universities, and government agencies across multiple sectors, Plug and Play collaborate to propel forward-looking technologies. Actively engaged in investment rounds alongside top global VCs, they also provide strategic guidance to portfolio companies and facilitate impactful partnerships with corporate entities.
Kickstart Ventures
Managing the Philippines’ largest technology venture capital funds, Kickstart Ventures has a significant impact on global tech investments. Founded in 2012 as a corporate incubator of Globe Telecom, it began with a US$2.5 million fund. By 2015, Kickstart had transitioned into a full-fledged Corporate Venture Capital firm with a US$50 million growth fund. Today, it oversees the Ayala Corporation Technology Innovation Venture Fund (ACTIVE Fund), the largest venture capital fund originating from the Philippines. Through its investments in early- to growth-stage tech startups around the world, Kickstart continues to drive innovation and growth on a global scale.
Government Grants
DOST PCIEERD’s Startup Research Grant Program
The Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST PCIEERD) supports startups that offer technology-based solutions aimed at contributing to economic recovery post-COVID-19. This program intends to provide a fund mechanism aligned with the Innovative Startup Act of 2019 (RA 11337), supporting startups in jumpstarting the economy through the development of new products and services. Their initiatives aim to create jobs, increase revenue, and attract local and foreign investment, thereby fostering economic growth and innovation.
Startup Grant Fund
ICT-based startups that are registered as businesses in the Philippines and hold a valid startup number can apply for the DICT Startup Grant Fund, which offers funding ranging from Php 500,000.00 to Php 1,000,000.00. The amount awarded depends on the approved Financial Plan for the startup’s product development. Throughout the process, the DICT provides ongoing support and monitoring through dedicated mentors and regional offices, ensuring grantees make substantial progress.
National Development Company (NDC) Startup Venture Fund (SVF)
The National Development Company (NDC), the investment arm of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), is stepping up to support the Philippine startup ecosystem with a significant financial boost. NDC has earmarked P500 million for equity financing and set aside an additional P2 billion for capital financing, all part of a larger P8-billion fund dedicated to nurturing startups. In tandem with this effort, DTI’s micro-financing arm, Startup Venture Fund (SVF) has also contributed P500 million for equity financing. These combined efforts are designed to provide crucial financial backing to emerging businesses, helping to drive innovation and growth in the country’s startup scene.
StartUp QC
To support startups and enhance business friendliness, the Quezon City Government has introduced Startup QC. This program provides funding to early-stage startups with promising products or services ready for execution. It brings together government, the private sector, and academia in a collaborative effort to nurture entrepreneurs.
As the startup ecosystem grows rapidly in the Philippines, it is important to develop a network of systems with these institutions. The Philippines is currently in a golden age of venture capital, with an increasing number of investors and entrepreneurs boosting the momentum of the industry. The criteria for participating as an investor is allowing more professionals to join your network. Today, we discussed the leading venture capitalist firms and angel networks in the Philippines. As your plans intend to do so, you can choose among the names and firms on this list to build a connection for your business venture.
Want to know more about the startup ecosystem? We can help you get started with establishing your business before you pitch to venture capitalist firms and angel investors. Here at Shoppable Business, we welcome both sellers and buyers who want to reach their market faster and more directly. Let’s work together!
