Kaya founders led by Lisa Gokongwei raise $12 million to fuel tech startups in Southeast Asia

By: Bilyonaryo
Source: bilyonaryo

Kaya Founders, a venture capital firm led by Lisa Gokongwei-Cheng and former Zamora CEO Paulo Campos, successfully raised $12 million in its first close to support the growth of tech-enabled start-ups that are reshaping industries across Southeast Asia.

The company aims to secure a total of $25 million across two new funds with a focus on investing in pre-seed to Series A stage start-ups in the Philippines and Southeast Asia.

The funding round received strong backing from the Gokongwei family as well as technology solutions provider Accent Micro Technologies Inc (AMTI).

Additionally, institutional investors, family offices, high-net-worth individuals, and notable entrepreneurs participated, further solidifying Kaya Founders’ financial position.

With this round, the firm’s total committed capital now stands at $16.5 million.

Kaya Founders is dedicated to nurturing start-ups in the Philippines, which has emerged as a hub for startup investing in the wider Southeast Asian region.

The firm boasts an impressive portfolio of 31 companies across various sectors, including eCommerce, digital health, fintech, B2B SaaS, agritech, and proptech.

Notable companies in its portfolio include Etaily, an eCommerce enabler, Advance, a salary-on-demand start-up, and Peddlr, a point-of-sale (POS) app for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).