Kickstart Ventures teamed up with the Trade Commissioner Service at the Embassy of Canada to the Philippines to mark a significant milestone in strengthening international collaboration and investment opportunities at the inaugural run of “Cross-border Ventures: A Showcase of Canada’s Most Innovative Startups” pitching session.
As Globe Telecom’s wholly-owned corporate venture capital, Kickstart boasts the firm’s capability to invest, particularly in multi-million-dollar ventures, and its unwavering dedication to strategic post-investment support, has solidified its position as a sought-after partner for global partners.
Mike Maté, VP of Investments at Kickstart Ventures expressed enthusiasm about this partnership, noting the crucial role of embassies as gateways to global investment opportunities. “This collaboration exemplifies our commitment to forging connections in the global landscape, and we look forward to more possible partnerships with embassies worldwide,” Maté said.
Reaffirming the Embassy’s dedication to fostering mutually beneficial collaborations, H.E. David Hartman, Ambassador of Canada to the Philippines, highlighted the strong relationship between Kickstart and the Canadian startup community. He stated, “This partnership holds special importance to us and is something that we want to continue to invest in. We see great value in connecting Kickstart with more startups in Canada’s strong and robust innovation community, especially this milestone year, as we commemorate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of Canada-Philippines diplomatic relations.”
The event kicked off with compelling pitches from Canadian startups, showcasing groundbreaking solutions across sectors such as ClimateTech, FinTech, SaaS, Artificial Intelligence, and Cybersecurity.
Among the startups handpicked by Kickstart Ventures were FTEX, offering a solution tailored for light electric vehicle manufacturers; Koïos Intelligence, providing AI-powered assistants for insurance professionals; and Cya.Live, an immersive social broadcast platform for large virtual audiences in real-time. Meanwhile, BB Inventions showcased their innovative instant leak insights for risk management, and Cinareo Solutions Inc. unveiled workforce insights tailored for contact centers. In addition, Perch, a digital mortgage platform, aimed to streamline home buying processes. These startups were selected from a pool of over two dozen innovative, Canadian startups that indicated an interest in pitching.
As Kickstart Ventures continues to expand its investment footprint and explore new investment avenues, the collaboration with the Embassy of Canada stands as a testament to the power of international cooperation in driving innovation and economic growth. Furthermore, three additional investor pitching sessions with the Embassy of Canada are scheduled for the year ahead, offering startups more opportunities to demonstrate their innovations.