MANILA, Philippines,
May 9, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Kickstart
Ventures, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Globe Telecom, was
chosen by Ayala Corporation (AC) to manage its new US$150 million
venture capital fund to support startups pursuing innovations along
key technology areas in data and analytics, machine learning,
artificial intelligence, cloud computing, fintech, automation, real
estate, retail, transport, energy, water, health and wellness, and
food.
The Ayala Corporation Technology Innovation Venture (ACTIVE)
Fund is looking at a range of investments in Series A to Series C
or early- to mid-growth stage across four key investment themes -
(1) 'A Frictionless Future;' (2) 'From Automation to Augmentation;'
(3) 'Innovations in Real Estate;' and (4) 'A World of Plenty'.
As sole manager of ACTIVE Fund, Kickstart is responsible for
seeking companies that offer innovative, scalable, sustainable
solutions for the seamless integration of digital and traditional
channels such as On-Demand Services, IoT, FinTech, Blockchain,
E-Commerce and Omni-Channel as well as the automation and
augmentation applications for Artificial Intelligence, Machine
Learning, Robotics, Big Data and Analytics, and Cloud
Computing.
Other target companies are those that provide green and
inclusive technologies such as Clean Energy / Energy Storage /
Distributed Energy, Environmental Tech / Waste Management;
and smart technologies for homes, buildings, communities,
property management, retail tech, and similar use cases.
"While ACTIVE Fund will invest in tech companies not only in
the Philippines but also abroad,
our focus will be on systems and solutions, rather than pure
technology," said Minette Navarrete,
President of Kickstart. "Our investment themes reflect our
perspective that technology and innovation are a means to
positively influence the future we want to build rather than ends
in themselves. By investing in solutions that can scale
sustainably, and pairing equity with strategic support, we can put
Ayala Corporation's assets to work in a different way, forging a
future that is frictionless, symbiotic, equitable, and boldly
efficient," she explained.
Kickstart was launched in 2012 to support the Philippine startup
ecosystem and has so far made 39 investments in digital companies,
supporting 83 founders across the
Philippines, Indonesia,
Singapore, Malaysia, United
States, Canada, and
Israel. ACTIVE Fund will be its
third and largest fund to-date.
Kickstart investments include Toronto-based startup Wattpad, recently in the
news for having inked significant content deals with Sony Pictures
Television, Singapore's Mediacorp,
and the Philippines' Anvil
Publishing; Indonesia's C88, which
announced a $28M Series C round last
year; and the Philippines'
Coins.ph, which was recently acquired by Indonesia's Go-Jek.
On the other hand, Globe President and CEO Ernest Cu reflects on how venture capital has
become a vital part of Globe Telecom's future. "Globe is animating
its digital transformation via a corporate culture that is more
entrepreneurial, more customer focused, and executing with speed
and precision. We are engineering Globe to be more than a telco; it
is now a platform upon which our business partners can grow, and
individual consumers can depend on to provide access to the best
digital lifestyle options. Corporate venture capital through
Kickstart Ventures has been an important part of bringing more
startup partnerships to Globe. We're excited to work with Ayala
Corporation to support the Group-wide digital transformation," he
said.
Earlier, AC announced the creation of ACTIVE Fund which
leverages the breadth of the Ayala conglomerate - Ayala Corporation
and affiliates Globe Telecom, BPI, Ayala
Land, AC Industrials, Manila Water, AC Energy, and AC
Infrastructure, which are also leaders in their respective
fields.
"We offer more firepower, greater access, and the potential for
partnerships across multiple industries through this one fund. It
is simpler for potential investees to navigate, and more
collaborative for ourselves to operate," said Ayala Corporation CFO
Jose Teodoro Limcaoco.
Ayala Corporation Chairman Jaime Augusto
Zobel de Ayala indicated the role he wants AC to play with
the new business landscape, "The Group continues to thrive and
grow, and our business units are serving the needs of more
Filipinos than ever before. At the same time, we are well aware
that new technologies and business models are disrupting
established industries globally: the pace of innovation is
astounding. We are determined that Ayala Corporation will play a
role in the transformation of industries -- not as a
bystander, but as an innovation catalyst."
The fund also builds on the optimism around the Philippines and Southeast Asia: a recent report co-authored by
Google and Temasek predicts that the SEA region's digital economy
will triple to reach US$240 billion
by 2025; and the International Monetary Fund's World Economic
Outlook predicts that Philippine GDP per capita will
breach US$4,000 for the first time in 2022, improving
discretionary spend at both corporate and consumer levels, and
opening opportunities for further investments in infrastructure,
services, and products.
In view of global, regional, and national trends, Ayala is being
well-positioned with digital capabilities across all its businesses
as the Philippines and
Southeast Asia economies grow.
ABOUT KICKSTART
VENTURES
Kickstart is the Philippines' most active Corporate Venture
Capital fund investing in Pre-A to Series C digital startups
globally. A wholly-owned subsidiary of leading Philippine telco
Globe Telecom, Kickstart puts big company resources -- capital,
facilities, market access, and expertise -- behind
startups so they achieve scale and profitability sooner. For
more information, visit kickstart.ph. Follow us on Twitter:
@kickstartPH or email info@kickstart.ph.
ABOUT GLOBE TELECOM
Globe Telecom is a leading full service
telecommunications company in the
Philippines, serving the needs of consumers and businesses
across an entire suite of products and services including mobile,
fixed, broadband, data connections, internet and managed
services. Its principals are Ayala Corporation and Singtel who
are acknowledged industry leaders in the country and in the region.
For more information, visit www.globe.com.ph. Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/talk2Globe and Facebook: http://facebook.com/GlobePH
ABOUT AYALA
CORPORATION
Ayala Corporation is one of the largest
and most diversified business groups in the Philippines, with business interests in
real estate, banking, telecommunications, water, power, industrial
technologies, infrastructure, healthcare, and education. Its social
commitment arm, Ayala Foundation, has programs that focus on
education, youth leadership, sustainable livelihood, and the
promotion of arts and culture. With headquarters in Makati City and operations mainly in
the Philippines, it continues to
grow its regional and global footprint, serving millions of
customers across all market segments.
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SOURCE Globe Telecom, Inc.