Franco Varona is a well-known name in the venture capital space. His company, Foxmont Capital Partners, continues to be the only independent VC firm in the Philippines. It has amassed an impressive portfolio of over 30 startups, many of which—like PickUp Coffee, Booky and Kumu—have become familiar names.

Before founding Foxmont Capital Partners, Varona worked in Washington DC, before heading back to the Philippines and laying down the groundwork for Grab in the country. He hired the first 100 employees of the platform, established operations for GrabTaxi and set up the company’s international expansion.

Varona is also a co-founder and director of Global Media Post, a Singapore-based boutique agency specialising in media production and business intelligence.