Packworks, a Philippine-based B2B platform backed by private equity firm CVC Capital Partners and logistics group Fast Group, has added former Lazada chairman and CEO Ray Alimurung to its Board of Advisors.
Alimurung, who led Lazada’s Philippine expansion as its first Filipino CEO from 2018 to 2022, now joins former Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez, Angkas founder Angeline Tham, ZQR Corp founder and CEO Simon Paterno, and Integrated Microelectronics CEO Arthur Tan in the board, according to an announcement Thursday.
The startup’s Board of Advisors shares knowledge and expertise to further unlock the potential of Packworks’ network of over 200,000 sari-sari stores across the Philippines.
Alimurung, currently a general partner at early-stage investment firm Kaya Founders, also served as the CEO of e-commerce enabler aCommerce Philippines and worked with Amazon before leading Lazada’s expansion in the country.
“Mr. Alimurung has been at the forefront of the e-commerce industry in the Philippines, and his addition to Packworks’ Board of Advisors brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our pursuit of further unlocking the potential of our saripreneurs and nanaypreneurs,” said Ibba Bernardo, co-founder and chief marketing officer of Packworks.
Packworks started out as a solution for multinational companies in the Philippines to connect with neighborhood stores in 2018. By 2019, the company rolled out nationwide with only 220 stores with a gross merchandise value (GMV) of $400,000.
After a year, it gathered 27,828 stores with GMV of $30 million, and reached 130,000 stores with GMV of $139 million in 2021.
In June last year, the startup announced raising $2 million in a Seed funding round co-led by Fast Group and CVC Partners. The round was also backed by ADB Ventures, the venture capital arm of Asian Development Bank, Arise, Techstars, and IdeaSpace Foundation.
Packworks started after founders Hubert Yap, Bing Tan, and Ibba Bernardo took a motorcycle journey to rural communities. They came up with the idea of helping micro-entrepreneurs by bringing scalable and accessible technology to them.