Kickstart Ventures
Venture capitalManila · Seed–Series C · 20 people tracked
Find your way into Kickstart Ventures
3,362 people in our graph share verified history with the Kickstart Ventures team — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.
Investment thesis
Kickstart Ventures focuses on empowering founders to bring transformative ideas to market by bridging global innovation with Southeast Asia's leading conglomerates and the markets they serve. The firm aims to help startups reach markets, networks, and partners needed to scale, delivering strategic value and financial returns to its partners through insight, investments, and partnerships. It envisions a Southeast Asia where innovation crosses borders, founders and corporations access opportunities they could not reach alone, and the region becomes a defining force in the future global economy.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.
Team · 20 people
from the firm's website
What they invest in
from 36 of 44 portfolio companiesSaaS ×13AI & Machine Learning ×8Enterprise Software ×6Cloud Computing ×5IoT ×5E-commerce ×4Fintech ×4Future of Work ×4
HQs:Philippines×9Singapore×7United States×5United Kingdom×2Indonesia×2Canada×1
Who they back
founder profiles across 22 portfolio companiesFounding team size:solo founder×102 founders×83 founders×4
Where their founders studiedfrom 26 founders with education data
University of California, Berkeley ×6National University of Singapore ×3Stanford University ×3
What their founders studiedfrom 26 founders with field-of-study data
Engineering ×7Computer Science ×5Economics ×5Law ×3Business & Management ×2Finance & Accounting ×2Humanities ×2
Where their founders worked beforefrom 28 founders with career history
Dreamit Ventures ×2McKinsey & Company ×2Singtel ×2
Accelerator rootsportfolio companies that came through a program
2 founders hold a PhD · 4 hold an MBA (of 27 with degree data)
Investments · 44 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2026 · 22022 · 12017 · 14 dated
BagoSphere provides vocational training and employment support programs for frontline workers in Southeast Asia, focusing on customer service, microfinance, healthcare, transportation, food and beverage, retail, and hospitality sectors.
EdTechFuture of WorkHR TechImpact & Social GoodBacolod, PH
ZhihanEllwynTippi
Co-investorsElea Foundation for Ethics in Globalization
Clarity provides air quality sensing-as-a-service solutions, combining hardware air pollution sensors with cloud-based monitoring software and consulting services for organizations and communities measuring air quality.
CleantechClimate TechData & InfrastructureHardwareIoT
BoardMinette NavarreteinRamanan RaghavendraninMarc Tarpenningin
Co-investorsBlue Bear VenturesSoundproof VenturesSpero VenturesHumba VenturesLMNT VenturesRegeneration.VC
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Dialpad provides a platform that transforms customer conversations into actionable intelligence for businesses.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareFuture of WorkSaaSSan Ramon, US
Craig Walker(Chief Executive Officer & Founder)inJohn Rector(Director)inBrian Peterson(Chief Technology Officer & Founder)inLily Toy(Executive Officer)inDan O'Connell(Director)in
BoardMark Shulgan(Director)in
Co-investorsAcrew CapitalAndreessen HorowitzAtomicCerity Partners VenturesFelicis VenturesFly Ventures+13 more
DIVE Studios is a K-entertainment content network that produces original talk shows, game shows, podcasts, travel series, and social content aimed at Gen Z fans worldwide.
Creator EconomyMarketing TechMedia & EntertainmentSocial
Brian Nam(Founder)inEric Nam(Host / Founder)
Co-investors500 GlobalTBT
Edamama is a platform committed to helping parents make better decisions.
ConsumerE-commerceMarketplacesSocialMetro Manila, PH
Bela Gupta(Founder)in
Co-investorsFoxmont Capital PartnersAlpha JWC VenturesGentree FundInnoVen Capital
eezee offers single-point automatic lubricators, including gas-driven (LAGD) and electro-mechanical (TLSD) models, that deliver a continuous, precise amount of grease to bearings in hard-to-reach and safety-critical points.
Advanced ManufacturingB2B MarketplacesE-commerce
Co-investorsGenesis Alternative VenturesWavemaker ImpactJanuary CapitalKorea Investment PartnersWavemaker Partners
engageSPARK offers a self-service communication platform that lets NGOs, researchers, and businesses reach and survey people via SMS, voice/IVR, WhatsApp, chatbots, and airtime top-ups, including those with basic phones.
Developer Tools
Avner Mizrahi(Founder)inRavi Agarwalin
Co-investors500 Global
Expedock builds dedicated remote outsourcing teams, supported by Operations Managers and QA specialists, that handle back-office workflows such as freight operations, documentation, billing, data annotation, RLHF, model evaluation, and healthcare administration.
AI & Machine LearningFuture of WorkLogistics & Supply Chain
Jeff Tan(Founder)in
Co-investorsDorm RoomFourth RealmFoxmont Capital PartnersInsight PartnersWebb Investment NetworkDecent Capital+2 more
Featherless.ai provides a single API for accessing over 40,000 open-source AI models, including DeepSeek, Kimi, and GLM, without requiring setup or self-hosting.
AI & Machine LearningCloud ComputingDeveloper Tools
Eugene Cheah(Founder)in
Co-investorsFjor FoundersOakseed VenturesPanache VenturesTranspose Platform ManagementWavemaker PartnersHack VC
Igloo develops digital lock systems and access management technology for property owners, vacation rental hosts, and building managers to replace physical key exchanges.
HardwareIoTPropTechSaaSSingapore, SG
Anthony Chow(Co-Founder | Chief Executive Officer)inKelvin Ho(Co-Founder and Chief Research Officer)in
Co-investorsInsignia Ventures PartnersSingTel Innov8 Pte Ltd.Wavemaker Partners
Igloohome develops smart locks that enable property owners and managers to control access to homes and buildings remotely without physical keys, serving short-term rental hosts, property managers, and facility operators globally.
HardwareIoTPropTechSingapore, SG
Anthony Chow(Co-Founder | Chief Executive Officer)inKelvin Ho(Co-Founder and Chief Research Officer)in
Co-investorsK3 VenturesTH Capital
Kalibrr is a job marketplace platform that connects job seekers with employers across the Philippines.
B2B MarketplacesEnterprise SoftwareHR TechSaaSMakati, PH
Paul Rivera(Founder/CEO)inDanny Castonguay(Founder)inDexter Ligot-Gordon(Founder/COO)in
BoardAnna Irmina Navarrete(Director)Badri Pillapakkam(Director)Beau Seil(Director)
Co-investorsFundersClubFuture Now VenturesY CombinatorLearn CapitalOmidyar Network
Kumu is a social gaming platform where players join live multiplayer games such as Color Game, Pusoy, and Tongits with real-time voice chat, reactions, and token-based prizes.
ConsumerGamingSocial
Roland Ros(Founder)inRexy Josh Dorado(Founder)in
Co-investorsFoxmont Capital PartnersGobi PartnersManila Angel Investors NetworkOpenspace VenturesCiscoGeneral Atlantic+5 more
Lifetrack Medical Systems builds cloud-based medical imaging software platforms for the healthcare ecosystem, with initial focus on radiology solutions in emerging markets.
Digital HealthHealthtechMedical DevicesSaaS
Dr. Schulze(Founder)
LotusFlare provides DNO Cloud, a cloud-based, microservices Business Support System (BSS) for Communication Service Providers to run digital telecom operations, monetize APIs, and sell eSIM connectivity.
Cloud ComputingEnterprise SoftwareSaaSSanta Clara, US
Sam M G(Founder)Shao Xia(Founder)in
Lydia.ai offers ORCA, an AI system for retail marketing teams that monitors vendor catalogs, product data, and live commerce sessions and generates campaign-ready content — brand stories, product pages, and campaign videos — through a conversational interface.
AI & Machine LearningDeep TechEnterprise SoftwareInsurTechMarketing TechRetail TechSaaS
Anthony LeeinChristina CaiinFedor Suprychevin
Co-investors500 GlobalAlibaba Entrepreneurs FundBeast VenturesWI Harper GroupAccel
Monogoto provides software-defined cellular connectivity that lets device makers program and manage connectivity across public networks, private 5G, and satellite through a single subscription and API.
Cloud ComputingIoTSaaS
Maor E.(Founder)in
Co-investorsAssembly VenturesMagenta Venture PartnersPlanven Entrepreneur VenturesTriventuresJ-VenturesSamsung Next+2 more
End-to-End Software for Business Operations
Co-investorsFoxmont Capital PartnersIdeaspace VenturesFf Venture CapitalLas Olas Venture CapitalOcean Azul PartnersRadical Ventures+1 more
NextPay provides payment infrastructure for businesses and platforms in the Philippines, enabling payouts, invoicing, bill collection, and embedded payment workflows across local payment rails and banking networks.
FintechMakati, PH
Don Pansacola(Founder)inAldrich Tan(Founder)in
Co-investors1982 VenturesFoxmont Capital PartnersGolden Gate VenturesSaison CapitalY Combinator
Pickup Coffee is a Filipino coffee company operating coffee shops in multiple formats and locations, offering espresso-based beverages positioned as fast, accessible, and affordable.
ConsumerFoodTech
Co-investorsFoxmont Capital PartnersOak Drive venturesOpenspace Ventures
Quickture is an AI-powered video editing tool that uses computer vision to automatically analyze footage, generate summaries, identify b-roll and faces, and suggest edits for faster post-production workflows.
AI & Machine LearningCreator EconomyMedia & Entertainment
Matt Hanna(Founder)in
Co-investorsArts AllianceForward Venture CapitalKickstart
Roslin Technologies develops and supplies animal stem cells for cultivated meat production, enabling producers to reach market faster and reduce costs.
AgTechBiotechFoodTech
Ernst Van Orsouw(CEO)
Co-investorsMilltrust International Group
RuralNet provides a digital platform and distribution channels for microinsurance programs targeting lower-to-middle-income households.
FintechInsurTechSaaS
Co-investorsFoxmont Capital PartnersKaya FoundersRazor CapitalKickstart
SaVia Health builds clinician-authored care pathway software that integrates with electronic health records to standardize and enforce evidence-based care at the point of care.
Charlotte, US
Tom Burton(Director)William Caldwell, Jr.(Executive Officer, Director)Curt Roberts(Director)inBrent James(Director)
Co-investorsIntel CapitalKickstartPeterson Ventures
Skillshare is a New York-based subscription online learning community offering video classes in creative disciplines.
New York, US
Michael Karnajaprakorn(Executive Officer, Director)Michael Karnjanaprakorn(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardAlex Finkelstein(Director)inAlbert Wenger(Director)inRamanan Raghavendran(Director)inMoshe Koyfman(Director)
Co-investorsBurda Principal InvestmentsFounder CollectiveMenlo GroupRunway Growth CapitalTop Corner CapitalUnion Square Ventures (USV)+4 more
Snapcart provides consumer insights and retail data to brands and CPG companies by collecting point-of-sale and consumer behavior data from offline retail channels.
AdTechAI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureE-commerceRetail Tech
Co-investorsR/GA VenturesVickers Venture PartnersWavemaker Partners
Spiralytics is a digital marketing agency that provides performance-based marketing strategy and analytics-driven campaign optimization.
AdTechMarketing TechSaaS
Jimmy Cassells(CEO, Founder)in
Sprout.ai provides AI-powered software to insurance companies for intelligent decision-making, helping them reduce costs, improve customer experience, and support growth.
AI & Machine LearningCrypto & Web3FintechInsurTechSaaSLondon, GB
Co-investorsEvolution VenturesForefront VenturePortfolio VenturesTechstarsAmadeus Capital PartnersAmadeus Capital SA+3 more
Sprouts.ai offers a go-to-market platform for B2B sales teams, consolidating sales and revenue tooling to support deal execution.
AI & Machine LearningSaaSSales Tech
Co-investors7BC Venture CapitalTrue Global Ventures
SRTX develops materials and software tools for textile manufacturing, with an initial product line of hosiery made from high-strength polymers.
Advanced ManufacturingRoboticsMontreal, CA
Katherine Homuth(Founder/CEO)in
Co-investorsSeraph GroupY CombinatorArcTern VenturesG2 Venture PartnersZeno Ventures
SwipeRx operates a two-sided platform connecting pharmacy professionals with independent pharmacies across Southeast Asia, enabling better pricing and faster procurement of medicines through a purchasing network.
B2B MarketplacesDigital HealthHealthtechMarketplacesSaaS
Farouk MeralliinJon LininYee Fong Ten
Co-investors500 Global
Teridion provides a cloud-based network optimization service that uses hundreds of Points-of-Presence and multiple global cloud providers to improve routing, latency, and bandwidth for site-to-site, site-to-cloud, and multi-cloud traffic.
Cloud ComputingData & InfrastructureEnterprise Software
Co-investorsJVPMagma Venture Partners
Transcelestial builds laser communication technology that delivers high-speed internet connectivity using compact wireless optical devices as an alternative to fiber.
Cloud ComputingDeep TechDeveloper ToolsHardwareMedia & EntertainmentSpace TechSingapore, SG
Rohit Jha(CEO)inMohammad Danesh(CTO)in
BoardYuichiro Hikosaka
Co-investors500 GlobalBeyond Earth VenturesCapria VenturesChampion Hill VenturesEntrepreneur FirstIn-Q-Tel+5 more
TreeDots operates a food ecosystem that connects suppliers with businesses to sell excess or imperfect food inventory at reduced prices, aiming to cut food loss.
Circular EconomyFoodTechLogistics & Supply ChainSingapore, SG
Nicholas Lim(Founder)in
Co-investorsAmasiaEast VenturesSEEDS Capital
Wattpad is a digital platform where users can read, write, and share stories, with a mobile app enabling access to stories and community features on-the-go.
Creator EconomyMedia & EntertainmentSocial
Co-investorsAugust CapitalBling CapitalGolden Venture PartnersGolden VenturesLobby CapitalOMERS Ventures+3 more
Xendit provides payments infrastructure for global companies and local businesses in Southeast Asia, offering direct integrations with over 100 local payment methods.
FintechJakarta, ID
Moses Lo(Founder/CEO)inBo Chen(Founder/CTO)inJuan Gonzalez(Founder/Principal Software Engineer)in
Co-investors01vcAC VenturesAccelCoatue ManagementEast VenturesGMO VenturePartners+11 more
Zipmatch runs a real estate brokerage and property listing platform based in Singapore.
PropTech
John Dang
Co-investors500 GlobalIdeaspace VenturesKickstart
Other
Tracked investments with no reachable website or further public details — typically companies that wound down, renamed, or were absorbed.
CaxeSariSukiSquadzip
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companiesClarity · finsmes.com · Aug 14, 2026
Mosaic · stocktitan.net · Aug 12, 2026
Dialpad · fundraiseinsider.com · Jul 19, 2026
Sprout.ai · technode.global · Jul 9, 2026
Xendit · manilatimes.net · Jul 8, 2026
Eezee · businesstimes.com.sg · Feb 24, 2026
SRTX · insolvencyinsider.ca · Feb 22, 2026
Quickture · trysignalbase.com · Dec 4, 2025
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Kickstart Ventures made?
- Kickstart Ventures has 39 tracked investments, 2 of which have exited via acquisition or IPO, including 1 dated in the last 24 months.
- What stage does Kickstart Ventures invest at?
- Kickstart Ventures invests at the Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C stages.
- What is Kickstart Ventures's typical check size?
- Kickstart Ventures typically writes checks of $30K – $20M.
- What sectors does Kickstart Ventures focus on?
- Kickstart Ventures focuses on Sector Agnostic.
- Where is Kickstart Ventures located?
- Kickstart Ventures is headquartered in Manila, PH.
- Who does Kickstart Ventures co-invest with?
- Kickstart Ventures most often shares deals with Foxmont Capital Partners, 500 Global, Openspace Ventures, among 91 tracked co-investors.
Media · Podcasts & interviews
featuring the teamJoan Yao, Kickstart Ventures | Anchor Roundtable: Women in Venture (XIII)
Anchor Taiwan · Joan Yao
adobo FOI 2019: Investing in the Future of Technology with Kickstart Ventures's Minette Navarrete
adobo magazine · Minette Navarrete
Joan Yao - Vice President of Kickstart Ventures
Tagcash · Joan Yao
Images
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