Kaya Founders
Kaya Founders is a Philippines-based early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2021 that invests in Filipino startup founders from pre-seed through Series A. The firm manages a $25 million Fund II, has backed 40+ portfolio companies, and operates accelerator programs and proprietary research across Southeast Asia.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersMakati, Philippines
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Kaya Founders does
Kaya Founders is an early-stage venture capital firm headquartered in Makati, Philippines, founded in 2021 by alumni of Zalora, Summit Media, and Lazada. The firm invests in Filipino startup founders from pre-seed through Series A, with a stated geographic focus on the Philippines and broader Southeast Asia. Kaya operates a multi-vehicle fund structure: Fund II closed at $25 million in November 2025, combining a pre-seed vehicle and a seed-to-Series A vehicle, bringing total assets under management to approximately $25 million. The firm has backed more than 40 portfolio companies spanning e-commerce enablement (Etaily, which exceeded $100M in annualized revenue), banking-as-a-service (Netbank), digital health (GoRocky), online education (Edge Tutor), MSME lending (Datung, OneLot, LenderLink), and consumer (Mobee, Baskit).
Beyond capital deployment, Kaya Founders runs ecosystem programs including the Future Founders Program, Product Design Fellowship, and Venture Partner Masterclasses, and partners with Founders Launchpad (AHG Lab and Draper Startup House) to deliver a 12-week accelerator offering US$50k–US$100k capped SAFE investments. The firm also publishes proprietary research including The Philippine Fintech Stack 2026, The AI Landscape in Southeast Asia, and annual investment themes documents, which function as both marketing assets and ecosystem thought leadership. Distribution channels include direct founder outreach, accelerator partnerships, content marketing, and participation in Philippine Startup Week, Geeks on a Beach (GOAB), SaaScon PH, and Stanford panel discussions.
Revenue is generated through the traditional VC model of management fees (typically 2% of committed capital) and carried interest (typically 20% of profits) on the firm's fund vehicles. Limited partners include Pavilion Capital, Concentric Equity Partners, investors affiliated with Bracebridge Capital, the National Development Company Startup Venture Fund, and various institutional and individual investors. The firm maintains no parent company, is privately held, and is led by Founding Managing General Partner Paulo Campos, General Partners Ray Alimurung and Lisa Gokongwei Cheng, and Managing Director Raya Buensuceso.
Kaya Founders firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kaya Founders
- Legal name
- Kaya Founders
- Website
- https://kayafounders.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Kaya Founders is a Philippines-based early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2021 that invests in Filipino startup founders from pre-seed through Series A. The firm manages a $25 million Fund II, has backed 40+ portfolio companies, and operates accelerator programs and proprietary research across Southeast Asia.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Kaya Founders is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Makati
- HQ country
- Philippines
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Kaya Founders business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Fund Management: Traditional VC revenue model consisting of management fees (typically 2% of committed capital) and carried interest (typically 20% of profits). Fund II is a $25 million vehicle combining pre-seed and seed-to-Series A investments.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | $25M Fund II for early-stage investments |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Kaya Founders product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kaya Founders is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in Filipino startup founders from pre-seed through Series A stages. The firm manages Fund II, a $25 million vehicle combining pre-seed and seed-to-Series A investments, and supports portfolio companies through accelerator programs, operational mentorship, and ecosystem research. It partners with Founders Launchpad (AHG Lab and Draper Startup House) to deliver a 12-week intensive program offering US$50k-US$100k capped SAFE investments.
Product overview
Kaya Founders is an early-stage venture capital firm that provides investment capital, acceleration programs, and ecosystem support to Filipino startup founders. The firm offers venture capital investment across pre-seed to Series A stages, operational support programs including the Future Founders Program, Product Design Fellowship, and Venture Partner Masterclasses, and publishes proprietary research reports on the Philippine and Southeast Asian startup ecosystem including The Philippine Fintech Stack 2026, The AI Landscape in Southeast Asia, and thematic investment thesis documents.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Zero to One Fund: Early-stage investment fund managed by General Partner Ray Alimurung
- Kaya Angel Network
Products and services
- Fund II (Pre-Seed and Seed-to-Series A Vehicle) A $25 million early-stage venture capital fund combining pre-seed and seed-to-Series A investment vehicles, providing equity capital to tech-enabled startups in the Philippines and Southeast Asia. Standard VC fund management structure with management fees and carried interest.
- Founders Launchpad Accelerator Program A 12-week intensive startup accelerator program delivered in partnership with AHG Lab and Draper Startup House, offering Philippines-focused startups US$50,000 to US$100,000 capped SAFE investments along with hands-on operational support and co-living facilities in Makati.
- Future Founders Program
Quantifiable outcome
- 40+ portfolio companies including Etaily exceeding $100M annualized revenue
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Kaya Founders
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Kaya Founders technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Kaya Founders partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Founders LaunchpadcorePartnership expanded in 2024 with Kaya Founders bringing investment expertise and operational guidance to Founders Launchpad's 12-week intensive accelerator program. Offers Philippines-focused startups US$50k-US$100k capped SAFE investments with hands-on operational support and co-living facilities in Makati.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Kaya Founders competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Antler: Global Day 0 VC with active SEA operations including Philippines. Directly comparable as a founder-first, pre-seed/seed investor building companies from ideation stage with structured programs.
- Beenext: SEA-focused early-stage VC backing founders at seed and Series A. Comparable as active co-investor in Kaya portfolio companies (Netbank) with similar stage focus and SEA thesis.
- January Capital: SEA-focused early-stage VC investing in fintech and B2B software across the region. Co-investor with Kaya in Netbank, comparable stage and thematic overlap.
- Iterative: SEA-focused pre-seed and seed VC. Comparable as a regional early-stage fund with operator support model and similar ticket sizes in the $50K-$500K range.
- Saison Capital: Early-stage fintech-focused VC with SEA presence backed by Credit Saison. Comparable stage and SEA fintech focus; co-investor profile in Philippines market.
- East Ventures: Southeast Asia-focused early-stage VC firm investing across pre-seed to Series A in Indonesia and broader SEA. Directly comparable as a regional early-stage fund operator with similar ticket sizes and Day 0 support model.
- Wavemaker Partners: SEA and US early-stage VC firm with operator-led model and $50M-$100M fund sizes. Comparable in stage focus and operational support approach; Toby Floro at Kaya previously worked at Wavemaker.
- Gobi Partners: Pan-Asian early-stage VC with strong SEA presence including Philippines. Comparable as multi-stage early investor with focus on tech-enabled businesses in emerging markets.
Emerging players
- Plug and Play Philippines: Global accelerator with Philippines operations supporting early-stage startups. Comparable as ecosystem builder providing accelerator programs and corporate connections in the Philippines.
Broad incumbents
- 500 Global: Global early-stage VC and accelerator with active SEA programs including Philippines. Comparable as accelerator-led early-stage investor; broader fund footprint than Kaya.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Kaya Founders social profiles
Digital presenceKaya Founders financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kaya Founders leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Kaya Founders funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kaya Founders M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments64 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kaya Founders
What does Kaya Founders do?
Kaya Founders is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in Filipino startup founders from pre-seed through Series A stages. The firm manages Fund II, a $25 million vehicle combining pre-seed and seed-to-Series A investments, and supports portfolio companies through accelerator programs, operational mentorship, and ecosystem research. It partners with Founders Launchpad (AHG Lab and Draper Startup House) to deliver a 12-week intensive program offering US$50k-US$100k capped SAFE investments.
Is Kaya Founders a public or private company?
Kaya Founders is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Kaya Founders founded?
Kaya Founders was founded in 2021. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Kaya Founders based?
Kaya Founders is headquartered in Makati, Philippines, in the Asia region.
How does Kaya Founders make money?
One revenue line is on record: fund Management.
Who are Kaya Founders's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Antler, Beenext, January Capital, Iterative, Saison Capital, East Ventures, Wavemaker Partners and Gobi Partners. Plug and Play Philippines is listed as an emerging player. 500 Global is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Kaya Founders have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kaya Founders.