Learn more about Tatler Asia’s Most Influential 2022 honouree, Kumu founder and CEO Roland Ros, and the story behind his journey in the industry
In the age of technology, we do not have a choice but to move with the times. We can do almost everything with our gadgets—from booking groceries to conducting meetings. We take photos and tons of videos. We stream. Roland Ros knew this. He founded one of the leading local mobile applications now—Kumu.
Online networks have become a part of social entrepreneurship, building communities among like-minded individuals to improve people’s lives. Kumu is proof of this. In 2022, the app hit a record 15 million registered users, actively supporting the 10,000 content creators make their living through the platform.
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As he was the first local tech start-up to receive venture funding from Summit, Ayala’s Kickstart Ventures and the SM Group’s Gentree Fund, Ros teamed up with Foxmont Capital Partners, Kaya Founders and Endeavor to start the cheekily named Sinigang Valley, which aims to uplift the country’s technological ecosystem.
“The start-up ecosystem has now raised over US$1.5 billion in funding [to provide] thousands of jobs and impacting millions of lives for the greater good of the country,” Ros says.
In this article, Tatler sits down with Ros to learn more about the nitty-gritty of his work and field.
What projects in the last two years that you are most proud of? Why?
Roland Ros (RR): In 2022, we celebrated 15 million registered users who support 10,000 content creators who earn on our platform. As the first startup to receive venture funding from Summit (Gokongwei), Kickstart (Ayala), and Gentree (Sy) backed companies, we have been able to build a startup network that includes Foxmont Capital, Kaya Founders, and Endeavor, among others, to be the founding members of Sinigang Valley, an organization dedicated to uplifting the tech ecosystem of the Philippines.
With General Atlantic’s first-ever investment in the Philippines through Kumu, and a historic Series C round that pushed our total funding to over USD 100 million, we have also been able to attract more international investors to the Philippines. The startup ecosystem has now raised over USD 1.5 billion in funding, providing thousands of jobs in the country and impacting millions of lives for the country’s greater good.
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I have also supported the startup ecosystem. I have enjoyed being an investor in Podcast Network Asia, Square One Hospitality, Lista, Endeavor Catalyst, and PickUp Coffee. As an executive producer for the film Love at First Stream, a movie about teenagers finding friendship and love in Kumu, co-produced with Star Cinema and directed by the legendary Cathy Garcia Molina, we not only received six nominations from the Metro Manila Film Festival but debuted as the number two movie in the Philippines on Netflix. We also just launched PenLab, a mobile app that brings all Filipino comics together in one place.
Altogether, these projects point to bringing a voice back to the Filipinos. Kumu was built for fans of Filipino culture and entertainment, and we have the foundations to build a world-class digital entertainment company that the Philippines can be proud of.
