Cover Paulo Campos III
Paulo Campos III
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Tatler Asia’s Most Influential 2022 honouree Paulo Campos III has been successful in pushing his businesses’ digital assets over the last couple of years
When COVID-19 hit the country, entrepreneur Paulo Campos III was quick to mobilise his businesses in adapting to changes and invest in a wider range of industries.
Campos is the founding managing general partner of Kaya Founders, co-founder of Zalora, and a board member of Shakey’s Pizza Asia Ventures Inc. Over the last two years, he had the privilege to work with and invest in Etaily, Kraver’s Canteen, Locad, DART, Armada Brands and Snack, which have been present in the e-commerce space he is familiar with. On the healthcare front, he invested in Kindred and Mediclick. While in the wealth management or fintech space, he became involved with Ztock and CommonWealth.
Read also: Philippine femtech startup Kindred launches app on its first anniversary
Braving the rise of startup companies despite the economic uncertainties during the pandemic, Campos met and worked with rising techpreneurs Bela and Nish Gupta D’Souza of Edamama and Nel Laygo of Peddlr, which he find inspiring for having created solutions to address relevant concerns of Filipinos.
Driving the country to digital transformation in commerce and critical services, Campos is committed to building, supporting, and investing in the next generation of entrepreneurs.
Above (L-R) Paulo Campos - CEO and Co-founder of Zalora PH; Gottfried Bogensperger - General Manager of Grand Hyatt Manila; Robby Carmona - CEO and Events Director of SAGA Events; Ernest Cu - CEO of Globe Telecom; Leah De Guzman - Head of 0917 Lifestyle; and Joe Caliro - Globe Telecom Senior VP of Retail (Photo: StyleFest PH 2019)
(L-R) Paulo Campos - CEO and Co-founder of Zalora PH; Gottfried Bogensperger - General Manager of Grand Hyatt Manila; Robby Carmona - CEO and Events Director of SAGA Events; Ernest Cu - CEO of Globe Telecom; Leah De Guzman - Head of 0917 Lifestyle; and Joe Caliro - Globe Telecom Senior VP of Retail (Photo: StyleFest PH 2019)
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What challenges do you see now in your respective industry? How do you intend to help address these challenges?
Paulo Campos III (PC): The Philippines is one of the hottest markets for tech investment in Southeast Asia, with investors flocking to our shores to learn more about the local ecosystem. While the opportunities for transformational tech-enabled ventures abound locally, there are gaps in terms of the number of founders looking to start ventures and the experience to know how to navigate the early stages of a venture—from “zero to 1”.
Kaya Founders is an early-stage venture capital firm committed to building, investing, and supporting the next generation of companies driving digital transformation in commerce and critical services in the Philippines and Southeast Asia.
We invest in promising Pre-seed, Seed, and Series A ventures that are tech-enabled, scalable and fit within our focus sectors of e-commerce, financial services, logistics, healthcare, education, agriculture and more. Our mission is to accelerate lasting and impactful companies that improve the lives of millions across the region.
With our unique model, our vision is to position the Philippines as a leading regional technology hub and unlock significant returns for investors. Through our deep domain expertise and expansive network, Kaya Founders provides invaluable support for our portfolio companies to be at the forefront of start-ups addressing Asia-Pacific consumer and business needs.
Above Paulo Campos (Photo: Renzo Navarro)
Paulo Campos (Photo: Renzo Navarro)
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What can you say to those who want to follow in your footsteps?
PC: Kaya Founders believes in the transformative power of technology to level the playing field and democratise opportunity for all. We embrace founders and employees from all backgrounds and believe that the world’s stickiest problems will be solved not from an ivory tower but by those closest to realities on the ground. We value diversity not for diversity’s sake but stemming from the foundational belief that companies thrive when there is a multiplicity of perspectives to challenge and enlighten one another.
Above (Clockwise, from far left: Rick Santos, Steven Tan, Ana de Ocampo, Paulo Campos III, Peter Faulhaber, and Amit Oberoi (Photo: Renzo Navarro / Tatler Philippines)
(Clockwise, from far left: Rick Santos, Steven Tan, Ana de Ocampo, Paulo Campos III, Peter Faulhaber, and Amit Oberoi (Photo: Renzo Navarro / Tatler Philippines)
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Who do you look up to for guidance, inspiration or mentorship?
PC: While he has since passed, my grandfather (Paulo Campos Snr) has always been my source of inspiration. He was a self-made man who became one of the country’s pre-eminent cardiologists and was nominated for a Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1963 for his research. As an 8-year-old, I was able to go to Malacañang under President Cory Aquino, who bestowed upon my grandfather the distinction of being one of our country’s National Scientists. He always wanted to help people and was a man for others, even while enjoying tremendous personal success and achievement. I hope to be able to follow in his footsteps!
What are your plans for the coming years and what keeps you going?
PC: Kaya Founders is building the future we want to see. We will only invest in ventures aligned with our mission to help the Philippines and have the potential to meaningfully improve the status quo. We recognize the importance of balancing optimism with pragmatism. Innovation does not necessarily mean starting from scratch or achieving perfection. It does, however, require audacity. We gravitate toward those who are undaunted by limits and can think in unconstrained ways. In our founders and our team, we look for pioneers motivated by the prospect of solving difficult problems. Missteps and detours are a given—ultimately, what sets the winners apart are the courage to start and the grit to persist.
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