Kumu Holdings
Kumu Holdings is a Manila-headquartered social entertainment platform combining livestreaming, social gaming, e-commerce (Shop Kumu), and live-event ticketing, serving primarily Filipino consumers domestically and across the global OFW diaspora with virtual-goods-driven monetization.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersManila, Philippines
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Kumu Holdings does
Kumu Holdings is a Manila-headquartered, Singapore-incorporated social entertainment platform that operates a mobile-first livestreaming app primarily serving Filipino audiences both domestically and across the overseas worker diaspora. The platform combines live video broadcasting, real-time chat, in-app social games (Mr. Rich 2, Color Game, Pusoy, Tongits), a social commerce marketplace (Shop Kumu), and live-event ticketing (Kumu Tickets), and supports an Agent program that lets users act as resellers/promoters for distribution. Core technical components include livestreaming infrastructure, a virtual currency and gifting system (coins and diamonds), an in-app games engine, marketplace transaction rails, and ML-driven content recommendation plus anomaly detection for safety and fraud control.
The company's business model is multi-stream consumer monetization: (1) virtual goods — users purchase coins/diamonds to tip broadcasters and unlock features, generating the majority of revenue; (2) advertising — in-app and creator-led ad placements; (3) Shop Kumu marketplace — transaction-based fees on social commerce; and (4) Kumu Tickets — ticket sale economics on live events. Pricing is micro-transactional and consumer-facing rather than enterprise subscription, with the user base acting as both supply (broadcasters) and demand (viewers/purchasers). The company has prioritized regulatory legitimacy, registering with the BSP, SEC, BIR, and DTI, which is a notable differentiator in the Philippine social entertainment market where many peers operate in grey zones.
Customer base skews toward Filipino consumers aged roughly 18–34, with meaningful reach into the global Filipino diaspora (active users across 55+ countries, 18M+ registered users, 10M+ active). The platform describes itself as the top-grossing social entertainment app in the Philippines, and the company's strategic positioning combines entertainment, community, and commerce into a single super-app-style experience targeted at the Filipino market.
Kumu Holdings firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kumu Holdings
- Legal name
- KumuMedia International Pte. Ltd.
- Website
- https://kumu.ph
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Kumu Holdings is a Manila-headquartered social entertainment platform combining livestreaming, social gaming, e-commerce (Shop Kumu), and live-event ticketing, serving primarily Filipino consumers domestically and across the global OFW diaspora with virtual-goods-driven monetization.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kumu Holdings industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Social Entertainment Platform
- akta.pro primary industry
- Gaming & Virtual World Social Platforms (MPACAJAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Virtual Fan Events & Meet-and-Greets (Q&A, VIP Access) (MPAGAOAG)
Keywords
Where Kumu Holdings is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Manila
- HQ country
- Philippines
- HQ region
- Asia
Markets served
Kumu Holdings business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Virtual Goods Sales: Users purchase coins which are used to buy virtual gifts for content creators. Creators receive diamonds from gifts, convertible to real currency at 50,000+ diamond threshold. Platform takes revenue share from virtual item transactions.
- Shop Kumu E-commerce: Marketplace for physical products and services from accredited sellers, operated by Kumu Inc.
- Advertising: Advertising leasing business operated by Kwentolabs Inc. for Philippines audiences and Kumumedia International Pte Ltd. for international audiences.
- Ticket Sales for Live Events: Sale of tickets for live streaming events on Kumu Live Website.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Virtual Coins - In-app currency purchase |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Shop Kumu Products and Services |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Event Tickets |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels4 records
Kumu Holdings product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kumu Holdings operates a Filipino social entertainment mobile platform that combines livestreaming, real-time multiplayer social games, and community engagement. Users play live games together with voice chat, watch and interact with livestreams, send virtual gifts using Kumu Coins, and earn Kumu Diamonds convertible to real currency. The platform also offers Shop Kumu (an e-commerce marketplace for accredited sellers), Kumu Tickets (live event ticketing), an Agent Program for community leaders, and a Partnership Program for brands.
Product overview
Kumu is a social entertainment platform built as a unified mobile-first product combining livestreaming, multiplayer social gaming, and community engagement. The core Kumu App serves as the main platform where users participate in live games (Mr. Rich 2, Color Game, Pusoy, Tongits), watch and interact with livestreams, and join communities. The ecosystem includes virtual currency (Kumu Coins) and creator earnings (Kumu Diamonds), an e-commerce marketplace (Shop Kumu), event ticketing (Kumu Tickets), and a business partnership program. Users can also become agents to build businesses within the platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Kumu App A Filipino social entertainment mobile platform combining livestreaming, real-time multiplayer social games (Pusoy, Tongits, Color Game, Mr. Rich 2), voice chat, live reactions, and community features. Users participate in games, watch and interact with livestreams, join communities (Kumunity), and engage in virtual gifting. Available globally on iOS and Android.
- Shop Kumu An e-commerce marketplace operated by Kumu, Inc. where users can purchase physical products and services from accredited third-party sellers. Operates as a marketplace with sellers setting their own prices and Kumu earning commission on transactions.
- Kumu Tickets A live streaming event ticketing service where users can purchase tickets (via PayPal or credit card) to watch exclusive events on the Kumu Live Website. Ticket prices include taxes and fees, with payment due immediately upon purchase.
- Agent Program A program for community leaders to build and grow player bases on the Kumu platform, providing an Agent Dashboard with analytics, game hosting capabilities, and earnings tracking. Agents earn commission through their community-building activities and serve as a key go-to-market channel.
- Partnership Program
Quantifiable outcome
- 18M+ registered users worldwide
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Kumu Holdings
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Kumu Holdings technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration9 records
AI capability5 records
Feature8 records
Kumu Holdings partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Kwentolabs, Inc.coreOperates the Advertising Leasing Business for audiences based in the Philippines. Part of the Kumu group of companies.
- Kumu, Inc.coreOperates the Marketplace Business (Shop Kumu). Part of the Kumu group of companies.
- Kumumedia International Pte Ltd.coreOperates the platform for content creation and distribution, Virtual Gifting Business, and Advertising Leasing Business for international audiences. Singapore-based entity.
- Business Partners (Campaign Sponsors)minorCompanies sponsoring campaigns, challenges, and gaming tournaments on the platform. They benefit from access to engaged user base for marketing.
- Accredited Sellers (Shop Kumu)minorThird-party sellers operating on Shop Kumu marketplace to sell physical products and services.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Kumu Holdings competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Bigo Live: Bigo Live is a global livestreaming platform with virtual gifting and multi-player social games, headquartered in Singapore. It is the most direct competitor to Kumu, particularly in Southeast Asia, sharing the same livestream-plus-virtual-currency model and targeting similar emerging market audiences.
- Hago: Hago is a social gaming and livestreaming app particularly strong in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, featuring casual multiplayer games and virtual gifting. Its emerging-market focus and game-led engagement model closely mirror Kumu's positioning and target user base.
- Likee (Bigo): Likee is a short-video and livestreaming platform with strong Southeast Asian traction, offering virtual gifting and creator monetization. Operated under the same parent as Bigo Live, it competes directly for the same emerging-market creator and viewer pool as Kumu.
- Yalla Group: Yalla Group operates Yalla and Yalla Ludo, social networking and casual gaming apps targeting Middle Eastern and emerging market users with voice-chat-based community rooms. Its user base profile, monetization through virtual goods, and emerging-market focus make it a strong comparable for Kumu's social entertainment model.
- Tango Live: Tango Live is a livestreaming and social discovery platform with virtual gifting monetization, popular in Southeast Asia and Latin America. It targets similar mobile-first emerging market demographics and competes for creator talent and viewer engagement.
- Poppo Live: Poppo Live is a livestreaming platform with strong Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern traction, featuring virtual gifting and creator monetization. Its focus on regional, mobile-first entertainment communities overlaps directly with Kumu's market positioning.
Broad incumbents
- TikTok (ByteDance): TikTok operates TikTok Live, a livestreaming product with virtual gifting that overlaps materially with Kumu's core offering. As a broad incumbent with vastly larger reach, content budgets, and creator tools, TikTok is both a competitive threat and a potential exit/partner for Kumu's creator base in the Philippines.
- Twitch (Amazon): Twitch is the global leader in livestreaming, primarily gaming-focused, with subscription and Bits (virtual gifting) monetization. While Twitch serves a different primary audience (English-language PC gamers), it represents the upper bound of livestreaming business models Kumu could aspire to with creator economy maturation.
- Facebook Gaming (Meta): Facebook Gaming integrated livestreaming, social games, and creator monetization into Meta's broader social platform. As a broad incumbent with massive distribution in the Philippines, it competes for the same social gaming and live entertainment attention budget.
Regional players
- Shopee Live (Sea Group): Shopee Live integrates livestreaming with e-commerce in the Philippines, monetizing through product sales rather than virtual gifting. While the core business model differs, it represents an adjacent competitor for Filipino livestream audience attention and creator partnerships.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Kumu Holdings social profiles
Digital presenceKumu Holdings compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Kumu Holdings financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kumu Holdings leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Kumu Holdings funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors15 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kumu Holdings M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kumu Holdings
What does Kumu Holdings do?
Kumu Holdings operates a Filipino social entertainment mobile platform that combines livestreaming, real-time multiplayer social games, and community engagement. Users play live games together with voice chat, watch and interact with livestreams, send virtual gifts using Kumu Coins, and earn Kumu Diamonds convertible to real currency. The platform also offers Shop Kumu (an e-commerce marketplace for accredited sellers), Kumu Tickets (live event ticketing), an Agent Program for community leaders, and a Partnership Program for brands.
Is Kumu Holdings a public or private company?
Kumu Holdings is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Kumu Holdings founded?
Kumu Holdings was founded in 2018. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Kumu Holdings based?
Kumu Holdings is headquartered in Manila, Philippines, in the Asia region.
How does Kumu Holdings make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Virtual Goods Sales are the primary driver. The others are shop Kumu E-commerce, advertising and ticket Sales for Live Events.
Who are Kumu Holdings's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bigo Live, Hago, Likee (Bigo), Yalla Group, Tango Live and Poppo Live. Broad incumbents are TikTok (ByteDance), Twitch (Amazon) and Facebook Gaming (Meta). Shopee Live (Sea Group) is listed as a regional player.
Does Kumu Holdings have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kumu Holdings.
What industry is Kumu Holdings in?
Kumu Holdings's product category is Social Entertainment Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPACAJAG, Gaming & Virtual World Social Platforms, with a secondary code of MPAGAOAG, Virtual Fan Events & Meet-and-Greets (Q&A, VIP Access).