Kat Borlongan

Building a successful startup ecosystem takes more than funding promising companies. It also requires policies that attract talent, connect founders with resources and give new ideas room to grow. Filipina strategist Kat Borlongan brought these priorities to the centre of France’s technology agenda as director of the French Tech Mission under President Emmanuel Macron.

During her tenure, the initiative’s international network expanded to more than 120 cities, while the number of French tech unicorns rose from three to 16. She also helped develop the French Tech Visa, which makes it easier for international founders, employees and investors to join France’s startup ecosystem.

Borlongan now works on a broader European stage as a global ambassador for the European Innovation Council, after two terms on its board. Her focus remains on helping breakthrough technologies move from research to market, particularly in deep tech. In April 2026, France awarded her the National Order of Merit in recognition of her contributions to its economy.

Her work in technology has also extended to humanitarian response. After Typhoon Yolanda, she helped mobilise more than 500 volunteer technologists to support disaster mapping and recovery in the Philippines. Across both fields, her career reflects a practical conviction: innovation depends as much on the systems around it as on the ideas themselves.