Despite global headwinds, the Philippine startup ecosystem showcased resilience by raising US$956 million in funding in 2023, according to a report.

While this is a relatively modest dip (14 per cent) year-on-year, the number of deals increased by 16 per cent to 96, according to the Philippine Venture Capital Report released by Foxmont Capital Partners and BCG. This is a notable achievement, given the 62 per cent y-o-y decline in funding observed across the region by the Global Private Capital Association across Southeast Asia.

Also Read: Founders are pessimistic about Philippines’ funding climate in 2024: study

The total deal value experienced a modest 14 per cent drop in the Philippines. In comparison, the deal value witnessed a 62 per cent decline across Southeast Asia, with Indonesia and Singapore feeling the largest drops at 68 per cent and 73 per cent, respectively.

Fintech (22 deals), B2B SaaS (14), and e-commerce (13) were the top 3 funded verticals
in 2023.

Agritech is the emerging sector with good public support as agriculture holds a significant role in the Philippine economic development in the coming years.

The report further revealed that the Philippines’s share of total funds raised in Southeast Asia continued to climb to 13 per cent from 7 per cent in 2022 and 5 per cent in 2021.

“The sustained momentum we see in Philippine startup investments is encouraging, particularly with early-stage deals. We attribute this performance to a deepening pool of strong founders, attractive Philippine macro fundamentals, modest entry valuations, and a reallocation of regional private capital,” said Jelmer Ikink, General Partner at Foxmont Capital Partners.

Furthermore, the report highlights that the Philippines has reached an inflexion point in key digital transformation levers, mirroring trends observed in countries like Indonesia, China, and India.

On the macro level, the report indicates that the Philippines’s growing labour participation rate is expected to overtake the global average by 2030. To fully capitalise on this demographic dividend, concerted efforts are underway within the public and private sectors to create job opportunities, improve talent quality, and promote entrepreneurship.

Also Read: Kaya Founders looks to back 30-40 startups in SEA with new funds

While the Philippine startup ecosystem is nascent, the report links numerous initiatives that have begun to facilitate exits for alternative investments, with the government implementing more progressive laws to encourage inbound investments and boost participation in the public market. Joint consultations between the private sector, operations, and the public sector have been taking place to make IPOs more accessible to both growth companies and investors.

—

The post Philippine startups raised US$956M in 2023 amidst funding winter appeared first on e27.

Some of today’s coolest tech startups were launched out of dorms, basements and friends’ living rooms. The majority of entrepreneurs launch their ventures with $10,000 or less to their name. In fact, 75% rely on their personal savings only to get off the ground.

Certainly, it’s nice when you have some additional financial support from friends or peer investors. But if your finance are really tight, that doesn’t mean you should steer away from launching your business. You can bootrstarp an MVP product such as an interactive mockup, a simple website or landing page, or even a demo video for less than 10K. Here are some tools to help you do just that.

1. Framer

Framer offers a robust toolkit for designing animated protorypes. Non-designers should enjoy the drag & drop functionality, while more advanced users will appreciate a bunch of additional editings tool, which allow to create pixel-perfect designs. Framer comes with handy presents for desktop, iOS and Adroid, which streamline and speed up the design process. With this tool you can create an attractive app prototypes to pitch to potential investors and test with early-bird adopters.

Also read: Planning to bootstrap your business? Follow these 7 tips

2. Deluxe Logo Maker 

Speaking further about design, don’t understimate the power of your logo. That small visual makes your brand unique and memorable. According to the Association for Psychological Science, logo design can also strongly influence how customers perceive products. More angular logos, for example, meant that customers were more likely to rate a company’s products as “durable.”

Deluxe Logo Maker is one affordable tool to help you design just the right logo for your brand. Even the most basic package provides the talents of multiple designers, redesigns to incorporate your feedback, and multiple scalable image files. Deluxe’s most comprehensive service, its Platinum Package, includes services such as a hand-drawn mascot and printed business cards, while its do-it-yourself service lets you customize a wide variety of templates for only $50.

3. Shopify

If you plan to launch an ecommerce startup, Shopify is the safest bet. Lifehacker recently called this platform “unquestionably the easiest way to open an online store.” You can use it build customizable ecommerce storefront, choose from 70 payment gateways and enjoy over 1,200 pre-integrated ecommerce tools such as discount code generator, shipping, vendor relationship management and more. Shopify can even take over handling sales in your brick-and-mortar location.

4. Chargify

Subscribtion businesses and booming. This industry as a whole has been growing at 200% annually since 2011 and is no where close to slowing down. So why shouldn’t you capitalize on the trend? The particular appeal here is that you can launch a subscribcribtion business as relatively low cost as you can direct the customer’s recurring paymets first and use them towards paying vendors, rather than using your own funds to keep everything in stock.

Also read: 5 reasons why subscription models can be a double-edged sword for e-commerce retail

Chargify will help you collect those recurring payments and keep your records neat. You can also integrate it with Xero – a popular accounting software – to have complete control over your books and cashflow.

5. Packlane

If you choose to go the ecommerce or subscribtion route, beyond the storefront and payment processing, you should also think about how your products will be delivered. Packlane lets you provide your customers with a customized, branded, and beautiful experience whenever they receive a package. With an easy-to-use online platform for box designs and almost endless options for color printing, interiour printing, and box size and shape, Packlane will please your inner aesthete. And because its minimum order is so low–they’ll even print you just one cardboard box, if that’s what you need–it’s a truly small-business-friendly solution.

6. MailChimp

According to Wordstream, businesses experience an average of $44 dollars in returns for every dollar spent on email marketing. Many email marketing systems are out there, but some are better than others. MailChimp is among the top choices. It provides a comprehensive platform for sending out customized email content and newsletters to interact with your audience e.g. ask for their feedback on the product; notify about new deals, beta launch and so on.

7. Animatron  

You probably know that Dropbox got started as a screencast video created by founders and posted on Hacker News. That’s exactly how they measured the interest in such product and acquired some beta adopters. Today, video marketing still remains among the most promising tools any the entrepreneurs stack as it converts better than any other type of content. Want even better news – you don’t need to hire some fancy video production study to create an animated explainer video. Try Animatron instead. The free version will allow you to choose from 2,200 pre-animated objects, style them into a quick video reel, add a voice over and share your creation in one click.

—-

Editor’s note: e27 publishes relevant guest contributions from the community. Share your honest opinions and expert knowledge by submitting your content here.

Featured Image Copyright Copyright: flynt / 123RF Stock Photo

This article was first published on February 19, 2018

The post Bootstrapping your startup? Here are 7 tools you can use to make launch and growth easier appeared first on e27.

Visit Echelon X to learn more about the program. Get your tickets here!

As the world grapples with an increasing frequency and intensity of natural disasters, the landscape of disaster preparedness has undergone significant evolution. Challenges persist, ranging from the unpredictability of certain events to the disproportionate impact on vulnerable communities. Climate change exacerbates these challenges, with rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as hurricanes, wildfires, and floods, posing significant threats to communities globally. All of these things are happening alongside rapid urbanisation and population growth, intensifying the vulnerability of densely populated areas to disasters and the potential for catastrophic impacts.

Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic further highlighted the critical need for robust disaster preparedness and response mechanisms, exposing vulnerabilities in healthcare systems, supply chains, and social infrastructure.

Amid these challenges, innovative solutions are emerging to enhance disaster preparedness and resilience. Advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, remote sensing, and data analytics, are revolutionising disaster forecasting, early warning systems, and response coordination. Moreover, community-based initiatives that build local resilience and foster collaboration among diverse stakeholders are gaining traction. These initiatives emphasise the importance of grassroots participation, cultural sensitivity, and inclusive planning processes in enhancing community resilience to disasters.

Also read: Sustainable development through empowering commerce in Indonesia

Furthermore, there is a growing recognition of the interconnectedness of social, economic, and environmental factors in shaping vulnerability to disasters, driving efforts to address underlying systemic issues such as poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation. As the global community confronts the complex challenges of the 21st century, innovative approaches and collaborative strategies will be essential in building a more resilient and sustainable future.

Taking on the mantle of fostering education, research, and support for disaster-preparedness efforts is Prudence Foundation, the community investment arm of Prudential PLC which aims to address target issues in three key areas with purpose-built programmes to make communities safer and more resilient to life’s risks: financial literacy and inclusion, health and safety prevention, and climate adaptation.

Prudence Foundation as a catalyst for disaster tech

Technological advancements such as blockchain and decentralised platforms are enhancing coordination and transparency in disaster response operations, facilitating efficient resource allocation and accountability have proven important. These innovations spell the difference between saving and securing human lives before, during, and in the aftermath of disasters.

However, despite these advancements, persistent challenges such as funding constraints, political inertia, and systemic inequalities continue to hinder progress in achieving comprehensive and equitable disaster preparedness and resilience. Thus, there remains a pressing need for sustained commitment and collaboration at all levels to navigate the increasingly complex landscape of disaster risk management.

Over the past few years, Prudence Foundation has been spearheading initiatives such as the SAFE STEPS D-Tech Awards to address these challenges.

In a nutshell, the SAFE STEPS D-Tech Awards finds, funds, and supports innovative technology solutions which save lives before, during and after events of natural disasters. Since 2019, the SAFE STEPS D-Tech Awards has helped support startups working towards various aspects of disaster resilience, from digital platforms for remote project supervision and monitoring as well as infrastructure quality assurance, to cleantech startups offering waste-to-worth solutions focused on transforming waste materials into reusable products while delivering social and environmental benefits, and even to social enterprises that build simple and portable filters to make clean water accessible through water shortage solutions.

Also read: SAFE STEPS D-TECH Community Hub is leading the way to a resilient future

By examining these examples, Prudence Foundation demonstrates a holistic perspective of where to offer its support. This stems from their understanding that empowering disaster tech initiatives that address challenges in natural disasters before, during, and after they occur is paramount for enhancing resilience and reducing the impact of these events.

These initiatives are crucial in proactive preparedness by providing early warning systems, predictive analytics, and risk assessment tools, enabling communities to mitigate risks and plan effectively. During disasters, technology facilitates rapid response and coordination among stakeholders, improving the efficiency of search and rescue operations, resource allocation, and communication with affected populations. Moreover, post-disaster recovery efforts are bolstered by innovative solutions that streamline aid distribution, assess damage, and facilitate reconstruction, thereby expediting the recovery process and promoting long-term resilience.

By seeking out opportunities for investors to discover and support these initiatives, societies can better adapt to the evolving challenges posed by natural disasters, ultimately saving lives, protecting livelihoods, and building more resilient communities.

Meet Prudence Foundation at Echelon X!

Aligned with this commitment to promote and empower innovators addressing today’s most pressing global challenges, Prudence Foundation will be joining Echelon X as an official Disaster Technology Partner!

Echelon X will bring together industry leaders, visionary entrepreneurs, and groundbreaking startups from all corners of the region for two packed days. Happening on May 15 to 16 at the Singapore EXPO, Echelon X will feature dedicated content stages, exhibitions, panel discussions, and more — all to support and empower the tech startup ecosystem with actionable insights through a series of knowledge-sharing activities.

Also read: Leading end-to-end property platform in Indonesia will share insights at Echelon X!

Whether you’re eager to expand your knowledge, network with key players from the tech startup scene, or showcase your innovative ideas, Echelon X offers an unparalleled experience. Join us as a participant or an official partner by securing your spot now on our official page. Together, let’s embark on a journey to shape the future and create a lasting impact.

Join us at Echelon 2024, where innovation knows no limits, and the possibilities are endless!

The post Empowering innovators: Prudence Foundation tackles disaster challenges appeared first on e27.

Sherrie Low and Goh Ai Yat, esteemed academic lecturers at RMIT and the Singapore Institute of Management, bring decades of combined managerial experience to their work, having trained over 100 businesses and 200,000 participants. In March, they published a new book called The S.T.A.R. System, which aims to help entrepreneurs embrace and implement the transformative potential of pictures.

The following is an excerpt from the book.

—

PICTURES MATTER

Pictures matter. They reinforce your idea and give it greater clarity.

We draw to improve our understanding of the stories we encounter.

In the next few pages, we shall show you that simple pictures can give better clarity to the thinking process.

Why Pictures Matter: Example #1

Team A does large accounts and Team B does small accounts. Both teams bring in $50 million in profits each. Team A requires two persons to manage fewer clients, whereby each client has a higher yield compared to a client in Team B. Team B has more clients in absolute numbers compared to Team A, although the profits generated are on par with Team A. Team B requires more headcount to manage more clients, compared to Team A.

We have used several lines of words to explain this situation. The pictures effectively reinforce the message. You can clearly see that the desired and additional headcount for Team B is sorely missing.

Also Read: What are the basics of design thinking, and how to apply it?

Example #2

In the past, Company M was in an enviable position, owning a big share of the niche market and reaping huge profits.

Fast forward to the present and things are different. There are now many competitors, such as Companies A, B and C, each taking a slice of the market share.

The appearance of increasing competition shrinks the profitability of Company M. This should compel Company M to evaluate their current offerings, with the option to move to another quadrant in the positioning map, to become more relevant and profitable.

Example #3

Company X must be able to identify what customers deem important to fulfil their wants and needs.

Using one attribute, Design, as an example, we can see a gap between what customers want and what Company X is perceived as delivering. This should signal to Company X the need to rethink how to meet changing customer needs, based on current and potential resources.

—

The book is available for purchase on Amazon.

Image Credit: xixinxing, 123RF Free Images

The post Book Excerpt: How entrepreneurs can implement visual thinking to achieve success appeared first on e27.

Interruptions and distraction stall productivity and the office may be where the biggest offenders are. In this TED Talk, Jason Fried talks about why people can’t get work done at work and offers three suggestions to remedy it.

—

This article was first published on November 16, 2017.

The post Why work doesn’t happen at the workplace appeared first on e27.