Kaya Founders to invest in more early-stage startups this year

LOCAL VENTURE capital firm Kaya Founders plans to invest in eight to 12 startups this year, focusing on early-stage financial technology and business-to-business (B2B) platforms.

“In 2026, we expect to invest in approximately eight to 12 startups, primarily at the pre-seed and seed stages,” Paulo Campos III, founding managing general partner at Kaya Founders, said in a Viber message.

The firm’s priority investments next year will be startups in fintech, commerce and distribution channels, he said. It will also focus on capital-light B2B platforms and frictionless business models that show early potential for regional or global expansion.

Kaya Founders is also looking at startups with embedded credit solutions and those building foundational fintech infrastructure, Mr. Campos said.

The firm invested in 10 startups last year.

Investment decisions are based on a startup’s capital efficiency, addressable market size, scalability and ability to build lean teams, he said.

Founders are also expected to demonstrate strong founder–market fit, a clear path to profitability and regulatory awareness, particularly in fintech and other regulated sectors.

Kaya Founders also evaluates realistic exit pathways and a startup’s capacity to form strategic partnerships with corporations, Mr. Campos said.

“Ultimately, we back founders who combine ambition with discipline — building companies that can scale efficiently in today’s environment while positioning themselves for meaningful outcomes over the long term,” he added.

Since its founding in 2021, Kaya Founders has increased its portfolio to about 40 startups across sectors including e-commerce, fintech, education, healthcare and software-as-a-service.

The firm ended 2025 with the close of its $25-million (P1.5 billion) fund, which will be deployed to support Filipino and regional startups.

The fund follows a two-part structure, consisting of Kaya Founders’ “Zero to One” pre-seed fund and its “One to Ten” seed-to-Series A fund, allowing the firm to support founders from the idea stage through early growth.

Investors in the fund include local and international partners such as Singapore-based Pavilion Capital, Gabriel and Geraldine Sunshine of Boston-based hedge fund Bracebridge Capital and Chicago-based Concentric Equity Partners.

The Philippine startup ecosystem raised $1.12 billion in equity funding in 2024, up 16% from a year earlier, according to the Philippine Venture Capital report by Boston Consulting Group and Foxmont Capital Partners. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz