KMC Solutions, a premier business services company specializing in Employer of Record (EOR) services and the largest provider of flexible office space in the Philippines, celebrated the country’s top startups at the 2nd KMC Startup Awards gala night on November 15, 2024.
The KMC Startup Awards spotlight pioneering ideas and forward-thinking entrepreneurs shaping the Philippine economy. In collaboration with the Philippine Startup Week, QBO Innovation Hub, Kaya Founders, WEB3 PH, PowerMac Center, and Uniquecorn Strategies, the event also provides a platform to foster connection, mentorship, and inspiration within the startup community. Esteemed media outlets BusinessWorld, Manila Bulletin, The Manila Times, Manila Standard, and WhenInManila.com served as the event’s media partners.
This year’s competition received a record-breaking 300+ entries from over 100 startups nationwide, culminating in 30 finalists awarded gold, silver, and bronze distinctions across 10 categories.
Topping this year’s honors is GoTyme Bank, which claimed the Startup of the Year Gold Award, along with two additional golds for Innovation in Marketing and Growth Champion. Meanwhile, Packworks earned two gold distinctions, winning the Tech Innovator Award and Emerging Leader of the Year for Co-founder and CEO Bing Tan. Other gold winners include Sprout Solutions for the Customer Excellence Award, Xeleqt for Innovative Product of the Year, Mylo Speech Buddy for the Social Impact Award, Mober Technology, Inc. for the Sustainability Award, and OneLot for the Best Newcomer Award.
The silver winners are UNO Digital Bank (Startup of the Year), Cocotel International CEO Rafael Jouwena (Emerging Leader of the Year), Mylo Speech Buddy (Best Newcomer Award and Innovative Product of the Year), Qonnec Software Solutions Inc. (Tech Innovator Award), GoTyme Bank (Customer Excellence Award), Saint C (Innovation in Marketing Award), Sprout Solutions (Growth Champion Award), PAMMÉ (Sustainability Award), and Packworks (Social Impact Award).
GoTyme Bank wins Startup of the Year Gold honor – (L-R) Steve Sy, Founder and CEO, Great Deals E-Commerce Corp.; Jenelyn Bajacan, Customer Service Group, GoTyme Bank; Frederick Blancas, Head of Corporate Communications and External Relations, GoTyme Bank; Khecelyn Rayo, Customer Service Group, GoTyme Bank
Meanwhile, the bronze winners are Packworks (Startup of the Year), Unprude (Best Newcomer Award and Emerging Leader of the Year for Founder and CEO Rica Cruz, PHD), Cocotel International (Tech Innovator Award), KwikCare (Customer Excellence Award), Smile API (Innovative Product of the Year), EdukSine (Innovation in Marketing Award), Mober Technology, Inc. (Growth Champion), Agrabah Ventures (Sustainability Award), and Adobokashi Systems, Inc. (Pic-A-Talk AAC) (Social Impact Award).
Michael McCullough, Co-founder of KMC Solutions, reflected on the significance of the 2024 KMC Startup Awards, tying it to the company’s own journey. “This event holds a special place for us because we’ve been in their shoes—it wasn’t too long ago that KMC was a startup figuring out how to turn big ideas into reality. While we’ve grown, we’ve kept that agile mindset, constantly creating solutions to make it easier for businesses to navigate complexity and scale. Seeing these startups bring their visions to life is a powerful reminder of the magic that happens when great ideas meet determination.”
(L-R) Michael McCullough, Co-founder of KMC Solutions; Patrick Gentry, Co-founder and CEO,Sprout Solutions; Bernice Locsin, AVP, Customer Success Management, Sprout Solutions; Kislay Chandra, Chief Operations Officer, Sprout Solutions; Alexandria Gentry, Co-Founder, Sprout Solutions
Now in its second year, the KMC Startup Awards has become one of the most prestigious events for recognizing innovation and entrepreneurship in the Philippines. Organized by KMC Solutions, a pioneer in offering flexible and affordable office solutions, the awards underscore KMC’s commitment to strengthening the startup ecosystem in the Philippines and fostering growth through innovative facilities.
To learn more about the KMC Startup Awards and see how your startup can be part of next year’s event, you may visit the Facebook page of KMC Solutions or https://kmc.solutions/spaces/startup-awards-2024.
Startup of the Year
- Gold – GoTyme Bank
- Silver – UNO Digital Bank
- Bronze – Packworks
Emerging Leader of the Year
- Gold – Bing Tan, Co-founder and CEO, Packworks
- Silver – Rafael Jouwena, CEO, Cocotel International
- Bronze – Rica Cruz, PHD, CEO and Founder, Unprude
Best Newcomer Award
- Gold – OneLot
- Silver – Mylo Speech Buddy
- Bronze – Unprude
Tech Innovator Award
- Gold – Packworks
- Silver – Qonnec Software Solutions Inc.
- Bronze – Cocotel International
Customer Excellence Award
- Gold – Sprout Solutions
- Silver – GoTyme Bank
- Bronze – KwikCare
Innovative Product of the Year
- Gold – Xeleqt
- Silver – Mylo Speech Buddy
- Bronze – Smile API
Innovation in Marketing Award
- Gold – GoTyme Bank
- Silver – Saint C
- Bronze – Eduksine
Growth Champion
- Gold – GoTyme Bank
- Silver – Sprout Solutions
- Bronze – Mober Technology, Inc.
Sustainability Award
- Gold – Mober Technology, Inc.
- Silver – PAMMÉ
- Bronze – Agrabah Ventures
Social Impact Award
- Gold – Mylo Speech Buddy
- Silver – Packworks
- Bronze – Adobokashi Systems, Inc.
