The “Kaya” Spirit

At the Monday Circle at Westin Manila, Ortigas, an eclectic mix of industry leaders, investors, and innovators gathered for a dialogue on the future of business and finance in the Philippines.

With his signature can-do attitude, Paolo Campos III champions a new era of early-stage venture capital in the Philippines. I Photos: Kaya Founders

Among them was Paolo Campos III, the trailblazing Founding Managing General Partner of Kaya Founders, whose infectious “kaya” spirit—reflecting the Filipino ethos of “we can do”—set the tone for an engaging and forward-looking conversation.

Known for his remarkable journey in both venture capital and e-commerce, Paolo has consistently demonstrated that the power of a can-do attitude can redefine the way businesses are built and scaled.

At the helm of Kaya Founders, an early-stage venture capital firm forged through a partnership of seasoned entrepreneurs and operators, Paolo champions an investment philosophy that is both tech-enabled and sector agnostic.

This approach not only widens the scope of opportunities but also enables the firm to support ventures at the very ideation stage, effectively shortening the bridge to entrepreneurship.

His vision is to build impactful, enduring companies that harness technology to address the pressing challenges of the Philippines and Southeast Asia, thereby fueling a transformative wave of innovation across diverse sectors.

Paolo’s narrative is enriched by the formidable expertise of his partners.

He works alongside figures like Liza Gokongwei-Chen, whose leadership roles at Summit Media, Jobstreet Philippines, and the Gokongwei Group have cemented her reputation in digital transformation and corporate strategy, and Ray Alimurung, whose 14 years in consumer internet and e-commerce, including his stint as CEO of Lazada Philippines, now inform his strategic direction at the Zero to One Fund.

Together, they form a powerful circle that drives Kaya Founders’ mission to nurture high-potential startups and to cultivate a dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Throughout his address, Paolo illuminated the robust nature of the local startup scene by spotlighting several portfolio standouts.

E-taily, for instance, has impressively partnered with leading brands to build, launch, and scale retail operations across Southeast Asia, even surpassing the P100-M revenue milestone.

Equally notable is Swift Claims, a startup that has harnessed AI-powered automation to cut claims processing time by 90%, thereby eliminating errors and allowing healthcare providers to focus on what truly matters—patient care.

Other investments, like Britana ERP, which is revolutionizing digital tax collection for SMEs, along with Kindred’s innovative approach to women’s health clinics and Peddlr’s transformative role in empowering sari-sari store owners through its POS and financial management app, underscore Kaya Founders’ commitment to solving real-world problems.

It is this commitment to “falling in love with the problem, not the solution” that Paolo believes is at the core of sustainable innovation.

Addressing the broader challenges in the entrepreneurial landscape, Paolo did not shy away from critiquing systemic issues that hinder progress.

He expressed concerns over bureaucratic red tape, lamenting that while it takes only five minutes to start a business in places like Singapore, the process here can be a formidable hurdle.

He also stressed the importance of recalibrating immigration policies to attract digital nomads rather than merely catering to industries like POGO, arguing that a more welcoming environment is crucial for the tech startup scene to flourish.

Drawing on the energy and potential of the Philippine market, Paolo painted a picture of a country poised to become Southeast Asia’s most exciting startup ecosystem. He highlighted the nation’s booming early-stage startup landscape, driven by a rapidly growing economy and a young, tech-savvy population.

In his view, the entrepreneurial boom is fueled by four emerging founder segments: second-generation tech talent eager to branch out from established companies, corporate executives turning their domain expertise into innovative startups, foreigners—adopted Filipinos—drawn by the country’s high-growth potential and returning diaspora entrepreneurs (OFWs) who bring global insights back home.

These segments are not only transforming key sectors like e-commerce, fintech, healthcare, and enterprise SaaS, but they are also challenging the status quo in an environment where foreign venture capital and development finance institutions are increasingly investing, even as the need for a more robust exit landscape remains evident.

Before taking his current role at Kaya Founders, Paolo’s impressive track record was already well established.

As the Co-Founder of ZALORA Philippines, he navigated the company through significant milestones—from strategic investments by the Ayala Group to a successful listing on the Deutsche Börse—cementing his reputation as a visionary in e-commerce.

His academic achievements from Harvard Business School and Princeton University, coupled with his participation in various boards and business advocacy groups, further underscore his profound influence in shaping the nation’s business and financial landscape.

In closing, Paolo Campos III left the audience with a resonant call to action: to embrace challenges as opportunities and to focus on solving problems that matter, rather than chasing after fleeting solutions.

His insights not only underscored the potential of the Philippine startup ecosystem but also offered a roadmap for overcoming the systemic obstacles that stymie growth.

With leaders like Paolo inspiring a culture of innovation and resilience, the future of Philippine entrepreneurship looks not only promising but also ready to take on the global stage.