Kickstart Ventures
Kickstart Ventures is the Philippines' largest corporate venture capital firm and wholly-owned Globe Telecom subsidiary, managing $242M+ across three funds. It invests seed-to-Series C in technology startups globally, providing capital plus structured access to Ayala, Globe, and Singtel corporate ecosystems.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersMakati, Philippines
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Kickstart Ventures does
Kickstart Ventures is the Philippines' largest corporate venture capital (CVC) firm and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Globe Telecom, founded in 2012 and headquartered in Makati. The firm operates three distinct investment vehicles — Fund One ($12M evergreen, 2012), Fund Two ($50M from Globe Telecom, 2015), and the ACTIVE Fund ($180M from the Ayala Corporation ecosystem, 2020) — totaling over $242M in committed capital deployed across 70 portfolio companies led by more than 130 founders. Its investment focus spans seed to Series C technology startups addressing fintech, AI/ML and data infrastructure, sustainability and climate, healthtech, digital commerce, and TMT sectors, with a geographic footprint covering the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, USA, Israel, UK, and Canada.
The firm generates revenue through standard CVC mechanics: management fees on committed/invested capital across its three funds, plus carried interest on successful portfolio exits. The ACTIVE Fund achieved its first realized exit in Q3 2025 when portfolio company SlashNext was acquired by Varonis. Kickstart differentiates from independent VCs through deep corporate integration: as a Globe subsidiary it can route portfolio companies into the Ayala, Globe, and Singtel corporate ecosystems via structured programs including Deal Day (corporate-startup commercial pilots), Area 55 Mixers (curated networking), Coffee Chats (executive roundtables), and Raid the Fridge (the longest-running Philippine startup community event, running continuously since 2012). Strategic LPs include Ayala Corporation, Globe Telecom, BPI, AC Energy, AC Industrials, and AC Ventures, providing portfolio companies with banking, energy, telecommunications, and industrial market access.
Leadership is led by President & Managing Partner Minette Navarrete, Founder & Managing Partner Dan Siazon, and General Partner Joan Yao, supported by a team spanning investment, portfolio operations, strategic partnerships, communications, finance, HR, and compliance functions. The Investment Committee includes external members Ernest Cu (Chairman of Mynt) and Ramanan Raghavendran (Co-founder & Managing Partner of Amasia). The firm holds no proprietary technology products; its product is investment capital combined with structured corporate market access and community programs delivered through events, content publications, and direct founder engagement.
Kickstart Ventures firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kickstart Ventures
- Legal name
- Kickstart Ventures Inc.
- Website
- https://kickstart.ph
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Kickstart Ventures is the Philippines' largest corporate venture capital firm and wholly-owned Globe Telecom subsidiary, managing $242M+ across three funds. It invests seed-to-Series C in technology startups globally, providing capital plus structured access to Ayala, Globe, and Singtel corporate ecosystems.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kickstart Ventures industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital / Corporate Venture Capital
- NAICS
- All Other Financial Investment Activities (52399), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394), Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Early-Stage Venture Capital (Pre-Seed/Seed) (FSANAAAA), Late-Stage Venture Capital (Series C+) (FSANAAAC)
Keywords
Where Kickstart Ventures is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Makati
- HQ country
- Philippines
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Kickstart Ventures business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Fund Management - Management Fees: Kickstart Ventures generates revenue through management fees charged on the funds they manage, including the $180M ACTIVE Fund, Fund Two ($50M), and Fund One ($12M evergreen). These fees support the firm's operations and investment activities.
- Carried Interest: VC firms typically earn carried interest (carry) on successful portfolio company exits and IPOs. Kickstart achieved its first realized exit for the ACTIVE Fund when SlashNext was acquired by Varonis in Q3 2025.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
Kickstart Ventures product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kickstart Ventures is a corporate venture capital firm that invests capital from Seed through Series C stages in technology startups, primarily across Southeast Asia but also in the USA, Israel, the UK, Canada, and Taiwan. The firm manages three funds — Fund One ($12M evergreen, 2012), Fund Two ($50M from Globe Telecom, 2015), and the ACTIVE Fund ($180M, 2020) — and supplements capital with portfolio support programs providing access to expertise and market access through corporate affiliations with Globe, Ayala, and Singtel groups.
Product overview
Kickstart Ventures is the Philippines' largest corporate venture capital firm and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Globe Telecom. It operates three distinct investment funds: Fund One (launched in 2012 with $12 million, focusing on Philippines and Southeast Asia startups in seed to Series A stages), Fund Two (established in 2015 with $50 million from Globe Telecom, focused on Technology, Media, and Telecommunications globally), and the ACTIVE Fund (the $180 million Ayala Corporation Technology Innovation Venture Fund launched in 2020 as the Philippines' largest VC fund, backed by Ayala and its subsidiaries). Beyond capital deployment, Kickstart provides portfolio support through value creation programs including Deal Day (connecting Ayala business units with startups), Area 55 Mixers (networking events), Kickstart Coffee Chats (roundtable discussions on emerging technologies), and Raid the Fridge (monthly community mixer since 2012). The firm maintains partnerships with Philippine corporates (Ayala, Globe, BPI, AC Energy) and global ecosystem builders (Singtel, Telkomsel, AIS, SVCA, Sinigang Valley) to facilitate market access for its portfolio companies.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Fund One (Evergreen Fund) An evergreen venture capital fund launched in 2012 with $12 million to back technology-driven startups in the Philippines and Southeast Asia reimagining consumer and enterprise experiences through digital innovation; targets Seed to Series A stages.
- Fund Two (TMT Global Fund) A $50 million venture capital fund established in 2015 with capital from Globe Telecom, focusing on global Technology, Media, and Telecommunications investments including network efficiency, data analytics, and solutions for emerging-market challenges.
- ACTIVE Fund (Ayala Corporation Technology Innovation Venture Fund) The $180 million flagship venture capital fund established in 2020 as the Philippines' largest VC fund, backed by Ayala Corporation and its subsidiaries, focused on backing visionary businesses with transformative solutions to real-world challenges from Seed through Series C stages across fintech, AI, sustainability, healthtech, and digital commerce.
Companies that use Kickstart Ventures
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Kickstart Ventures technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Kickstart Ventures partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Ayala CorporationcoreKickstart provides access to Ayala's business units through programs like Deal Day. Ayala is a key LP in the ACTIVE Fund and provides market access for portfolio companies across real estate, banking, energy, and industrials sectors.
- Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI)coreBPI is a key LP in the ACTIVE Fund, providing access to the banking and financial services ecosystem for portfolio companies with fintech or financial inclusion focus.
- AC EnergycoreAC Energy is a key LP in the ACTIVE Fund, supporting investments in sustainability, climate tech, and renewable energy startups.
- SingtelcoreRegional partnership with Singtel group to support startup expansion and provide market access across Southeast Asia. Joint programs include Innov8Sparks workshops.
- TelkomselminorPartnership with Indonesian telecom operator to support regional expansion of portfolio companies into the Indonesian market.
- AIS (Advanced Info Service)minorThai telecom partner in the Innov8Sparks Regional Workshop 2025, supporting Thai startup ecosystem and regional expansion opportunities.
- Deal Street AsiacoreAnnual partnership to publish the Southeast Asia Startup Funding Report, providing industry research and thought leadership on regional funding trends.
- SVCA (Singapore Venture Capital & Private Capital Association)minorPartnership with regional VC association to support ecosystem development and governance frameworks in Southeast Asia.
- Sinigang ValleyminorPartnership with Philippine startup ecosystem builder to support local startup community development and mentorship.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Kickstart Ventures competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Kaya Founders: Philippine VC actively investing at early stages; comparable as a local CVC/independent competitor sourcing from the same Philippines founder pool and appearing alongside Kickstart at GOAB.
- Foxmont Capital Partners: Philippine VC focused on early-stage startups with expanding portfolio; directly comparable as Philippines-based CVC-equivalent competing for the same local deal flow as Kickstart.
- IdeaSpace: Philippine accelerator and VC investor; overlaps with Kickstart in Philippine early-stage technology investing and seed-stage community programming.
- Gobi-Core: Cross-border SEA VC actively co-investing in the region; comparable as an early-stage VC targeting similar Philippine/SEA technology startups, often co-participating with Kickstart.
- Wavemaker Ventures: SEA/US VC investing Seed to Series B across technology and consumer startups; comparable in stage focus and geographic mix and has co-invested with Kickstart in Eezee and Featherless.ai.
Broad incumbents
- East Ventures: Indonesia-headquartered SEA VC with deep regional footprint and the largest portfolio across Southeast Asia; comparable as a multi-stage regional VC competing for the same early-stage quality deal flow in SEA.
- Openspace Ventures: Singapore-based multi-stage VC investing across Southeast Asia; comparable as a regional VC with broader geographic reach and fund size than Kickstart.
- Golden Gate Ventures: Singapore-based early-stage VC investing across Southeast Asia; comparable in Seed/Series A positioning and cross-border SEA mandate.
- Monk's Hill Ventures: Singapore-based early-stage VC investing across Southeast Asia; comparable in stage focus and SEA tech thesis, operating at broader scale than Kickstart.
Regional players
- Amasia: US/global VC with Asia expertise; Amasia's co-founder Ramanan Raghavendran sits on Kickstart's Investment Committee, evidencing direct comparability and ecosystem overlap.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Kickstart Ventures social profiles
Digital presenceKickstart Ventures compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Kickstart Ventures financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kickstart Ventures leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles22 records
Kickstart Ventures funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kickstart Ventures M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments65 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kickstart Ventures
What does Kickstart Ventures do?
Kickstart Ventures is a corporate venture capital firm that invests capital from Seed through Series C stages in technology startups, primarily across Southeast Asia but also in the USA, Israel, the UK, Canada, and Taiwan. The firm manages three funds — Fund One ($12M evergreen, 2012), Fund Two ($50M from Globe Telecom, 2015), and the ACTIVE Fund ($180M, 2020) — and supplements capital with portfolio support programs providing access to expertise and market access through corporate affiliations with Globe, Ayala, and Singtel groups.
Is Kickstart Ventures a public or private company?
Kickstart Ventures is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Kickstart Ventures founded?
Kickstart Ventures was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Kickstart Ventures based?
Kickstart Ventures is headquartered in Makati, Philippines, in the Asia region.
How does Kickstart Ventures make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Fund Management - Management Fees are the primary driver. The others are carried Interest.
Who are Kickstart Ventures's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Kaya Founders, Foxmont Capital Partners, IdeaSpace, Gobi-Core and Wavemaker Ventures. Broad incumbents are East Ventures, Openspace Ventures, Golden Gate Ventures and Monk's Hill Ventures. Amasia is listed as a regional player.
Does Kickstart Ventures have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kickstart Ventures.
What industry is Kickstart Ventures in?
Kickstart Ventures's product category is Venture Capital / Corporate Venture Capital. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAB, Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B), with a secondary code of FSANAAAA, Early-Stage Venture Capital (Pre-Seed/Seed). Its NAICS code is 52399 and its SIC code is 6282.