In a celebration of excellence and innovation within the Philippines’ startup ecosystem, flexible office space solutions provider KMC Solutions hosted the inaugural edition of the KMC Startup Awards on November 24, 2023, at KMC One Ayala in Makati City.
Jointly presented by Bossjob and Philippine Startup Week, in collaboration with QBO Innovation Hub, Kaya Founders, the Sinigang Valley Association, and Uniquecorn Strategies, and partnered with 917Ventures and Amazon Web Services, the KMC Startup Awards recognized emerging startups reshaping the country’s business and technology landscapes.
According to KMC Solutions CEO Michael McCullough, the event served as a testament to their deep ties with the local startup community. “The awards mean a lot because this is our way of giving back to the startup community. It wasn’t that long ago we considered ourselves a startup, now we’ve grown to see ourselves as a scaleup. So now this is our way of paying it forward and shedding a spotlight on some companies people may not have heard of,” said McCullough.
Emphasizing the importance of supporting startups amidst challenging macroeconomic conditions, McCullough added “They’re working through tough times to get through high interest rates, less investment money out and we’re proud of them. So we’re thankful to judges and sponsors who made this possible,” he said.
Founded to address the growing demand for flexible workspaces, KMC initially provided innovative office solutions to startups, enabling them to scale up without the financial constraints of traditional office spaces. In the past, KMC has extended its support to startups through initiatives such as offering free coworking spaces and fostering their ongoing growth.
Over 200 submissions were received for consideration, out of which only 30 entries were shortlisted to be named gold, silver, and bronze winners across 10 categories, including the top prize, the Startup of the Year award.
The inaugural KMC Startup Awards culminated in a prestigious ceremony honoring its esteemed gold winners, including:
Startup of the Year: Packworks
Emerging Leader of the Year: Patrick Gentry, Co-founder and CEO of Sprout Solutions
Outstanding Marketing Campaign: PetPal
Tech Innovator Award: GoTyme Bank
Customer Excellence Award: Sprout Solutions
Most Innovative Startup Award: Smile API
Outstanding Brand Development Award: Eduksine
Innovation in Design: Power 4 All, Inc.
Sustainable Business Practice Award: Cubo Modular
Social Impact Award: Sakahon
Ibrahim Bernardo, Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Startup of the Year Awardee Packworks, emphasized that the recognition validated their mission more than anything else. “Winning awards in and of itself doesn’t impact our day to day operations. But we do celebrate wins because it’s also a way to celebrate the hard work of our nanays,” Fernando concluded. “We love celebrating their hard work and honestly winning this award is how our nanays must feel. It’s tough running a startup and running a sari sari store. It’s nice to have the effort acknowledged.”
On December 1, Packworks will be representing the Philippines in the Startup World Cup Grand Finale 2023 in San Francisco, CA.
According to awards judge and Bossjob Country Manager Kimberly Chen, each of the winners were selected based on a diverse criteria emphasizing their potential to innovate. “There’s a lot that made the winners stand out. Of course they have their grit and perseverance but what’s important is they also have problems they want to solve,” explained Chen. “The winners understand the local ecosystem and pain points of the people they want to serve. But more importantly, they now also have the framework to make their solutions work at scale.”
The silver awardees include Kindred (Startup of the Year), Jessica de Mesa, Co-founder and CEO of Kindred (Emerging Leader of the Year), Packworks (Outstanding Marketing Campaign), Sprout Solutions (Tech Innovator Award), Growsari (Customer Excellence Award), Cubo Modular (Most Innovative Startup Award), Life by Petto, Inc. (Outstanding Brand Development Award), Eduksine (Innovation in Design), Mober Technology, Inc. (Sustainable Business Practice Award), and Unawa (Social Impact Award).
Meanwhile, the bronze recipients comprise Taxumo (Startup of the Year), Regina Jacinto-Barrientos, CEO of Unawa (Emerging Leader of the Year), Unawa (Outstanding Marketing Campaign), Nudgyt (Tech Innovator Award), GoTyme Bank (Customer Excellence Award), Nudgyt (Most Innovative Startup Award), Collo (Outstanding Brand Development Award), Usher Technologies, Inc. (Innovation in Design), Bambuhay (Sustainable Business Practice Award), and Growsari (Social Impact Award).
Cubo Modular Co-Founder and COO Zahra Zanjani hoped the event was a sign of bigger things to come for her startup. “This recognition from KMC means a lot to us, and we’re excited about the opportunities it might bring. It highlights that startups, like ours, can connect with a wider network—showing that bigger businesses are open to reaching out and supporting each other.”
For more details on the KMC Startup Awards, please visit the Facebook page of KMC Solutions or https://kmc.solutions/kmc-startup-awards/.