Not even the COVID-19 pandemic could slow down the pace at which telecommunications giant Globe wants to roll out new products and services that address the everyday needs of its customers. The telecommunications arm of the Ayala group has always been proud to be an innovator, says Globe CEO Ernest Cu, guided by its vision to see a Philippines where families’ dreams come true, businesses flourish and the nation is admired.
“To get to this north star, we went beyond our core services in telco to maximize digital technology in providing solutions to real customer pain points,”
-Cu said.
This was how 917Ventures came to life, incubating new business ventures until they are ready to scale, fully integrating the assets built by Globe over the years.
“Our track record in getting businesses to scale speaks for itself, with our six portfolio companies under 917Ventures—GCash, HealthNow, KonsultaMD, PureGo, Rush, and AdSpark,” Cu said. “The solutions these brands put forth resulted in unprecedented growth amid the pandemic as Filipinos turned to digital for their everyday needs.”
And it is quickly adding more with an initial three moving on to the seed round.
These are BentaTV, an online selling platform that simplifies live selling and social media selling for merchants; Fanlife, an online lifestyle community bringing fans closer to their favorite artists through exclusive experiences and official merch and KodeGo, an online boot camp for those who would like to learn and improve in full-stack web development, a very in-demand skill in the tech industry.
“True to our commitment of offering inclusive and impactful digital solutions for all, we’re proud to be building these seed ventures that cater to diverse markets, addressing the different needs of businesses and vendors, pop culture and entertainment consumers, as well as tech students and career-shifters,” he said.
Added Vince Yamat, 917Ventures managing director: “We know how tough our battle against this pandemic is, and we are all at risk, especially those who need to be physically present in their jobs. So we continue to reinvent lifestyle and movement through different products and services in the areas of health, e-commerce, financial technology and advertising technology that deliver indelible value to consumers and businesses.”
917Ventures is a subsidiary of Globe and has helped startups maximize Globe’s ‘unfair advantage’ by leveraging the rich asset base of Globe. Aside from capital and funding firepower, Globe has a customer base of over 80 million, 1 million distribution points, 150,000 enterprise partners as well as massive networks and affiliates, which the startups can tap. Being a venture builder, the company is constantly on the lookout for new ideas to launch and accelerate, to further improve the lives of Filipinos.
“Expect more things to come from 917Ventures as we continue to find the next best solutions for Filipinos,”
-Cu said.
To know more about 917Ventures, visit 917ventures.com.
