Established as a subsidiary of Globe Telecom in 2012, Kickstart Ventures supports various startups around the world in sectors such as supply chain, e-commerce, fintech, health, and enterprise solutions. It also serves as advisor to the USD 180 million Ayala Corporation Technology Innovation Venture (ACTIVE) Fund. We talked to Frances Barsana, Kickstart’s business development manager, about how startups coped with the challenges presented by COVID-19 and the way forward for these enterprises in the future.
What is Kickstart’s most important consideration in selecting startups to support?
We look for startups with visionary founders that are aiming to help make the future better for customers we serve, industries we participate in, and communities we reach. We are not after digitalization for innovation’s sake but innovation that solve real world problems, at scale.
Some of the startups you work with are in the logistics and e-commerce space. What role do you envision these companies will play in the coming years?
In logistics tech we have made investments in a company that offer premium distributed logistics that help service unserviceable areas and empower mom-and-pop shops, CollectCo. The next one is Entrego, a technology-driven business solutions provider for the fulfillment and logistics needs of enterprises. We’ve also invested in an AI-powered automation platform for global supply chains, Expedock.
For the commerce space, we’ve made investments in Kumu, Zalora, AVA, and Edamama. We’ve also made investments in adjacent spaces like conversational commerce (AIAH) and in a communication automation platform, Engagespark, for both SMS and IVR that allows organizations to interact with anyone, via any phone, even with the lack of internet access.
The vision is, even before the pandemic, the way we access our goods and services needed to drastically change for the better. Investing in various parts of the supply chain map gives us a unique perspective and insight and these companies have a headstart.
How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the startup scene in general, and the companies Kickstart supports in particular?
For the startups that are solving real problems, the pandemic accelerated their business. Corporates used to bide their time or were overly cautious. Now, relevant startups are helping solve pain points or gaps of corporates that were previously overlooked and are now impacting their business. For other startups, because of their agile nature, they can pivot easily to be able to adapt in the pandemic era.
In your view, how can businesses best leverage the opportunities offered by emerging technologies?
There are many ways to leverage working with a startup. You can tap them to improve your product, processes, and customer experience. Startups give you access to new capabilities. They can accelerate your R&D. They give you insight into trends and market opportunities your company may have not realized yet.
Given the intrinsic characteristics of a startup being agile, innovative, flexible in pricing, and lacking bureaucracy – startups can help you solve business problems in a faster and more creative manner.
What trends and innovations should we keep an eye on as we move towards a post-pandemic world?
There are major shifts in consciousness in the way we do work, access our goods and services, and the state of our health. Innovations in future-of-work, commerce and logistics, fintech, and healthtech will be front and center.