3 Startups to Watch Out For

The startup industry, while not as robust as Silicon Valley, is beginning to take off in the Philippines (for more on this, read my previous article here). For those of you looking to invest or start your own company, here are 3 stand-out startups to keep an eye on.

Kumu

A self-proclaimed “super app” built specifically for Filipinos, Kumu offers a wide range of services and use-cases; most notable is its live-streaming service, but Kumu also offers the standard social media experience. It aims to launch an e-commerce platform and also serve as a gateway to online payments.

Their vision is “a future that is empowered by Filipino culture, with its secret sauce made of one part hugot, two parts creative ingenuity, and a whole lot of love.” A few months back in April, Kumu raised a USD 5 million Series A, led by Openspace Ventures, with participation from Kickstart Ventures, ABS-CBN, Gobi-Core Philippine Fund, and returning investors Summit Media and Foxmont Capital Partners.

Sprout Solutions

Sprout Solutions offers an all-in-one HR platform, from “timekeeping to payout, and everything in between.”

Last 2019, Sprout Solutions raised a USD 6 million Series A. According to CEO and Founder Patrick Gentry stated that Sprout is “expanding throughout the provinces, whereas previously we’ve been focused on Metro Manila.”

The Series A was led completed with contributions from Point72 Ventures, Dymon Asia, Next Billion Ventures (NBV) and Endeavor Catalyst, with existing investors Kickstart Ventures, and Singapore-based firms Beenext and Wavemaker Partners taking part as well.

Kalibrr

Backed by Y Combinator, Learn Capital, Kickstart Ventures, Siemer Ventures Funder’s Club and the Omidyar Network, Kalibrr is an end-to-end recruitment platform with over 500,000 jobseekers utilizing their service.

In 2015, Kalibrr raised a USD 2 million Series A. Last 2019, Kalibrr was selected to take part of the Unreasonable FUTURE program. Paul Rivera, CEO and Foudner of Kalibrr has this to say, “It’s an honor for our work at Kalibrr to be recognized by a global panel of change makers who care and have the resources to impact the problem we spend everyday solving – helping people get great jobs.”