Few success stories in Philippine sports are quite like that of the University of the Philippines men’s basketball team, which in 2017, shed its long-held reputation as a bottom-dweller in its league and quickly transformed into a championship contender. Such was the foresight of JJ Atencio, who, through his asset management company Januarius Holdings, started backing the U.P. Fighting Maroons right before its turnaround season. Atencio clearly saw potential and, trusting his gut, placed a good bet.

Atencio has a knack for seeking out potential and accelerating its growth. Through Januarius, he manages diversified investments in securities and equity, real estate, venture capital, retail, and art. Among these are investments in small businesses and tech start-ups.

“Small businesses are the backbone of commerce and industry, [but they] have a harder time getting institutional loans and capital,” Atencio says. “They also need strategic guidance and corporate governance, which we provide. We are active investors who realise that investing in a company means investing in the people that run the business and also sharing in their vision.”