Paulo Campos: Founding Philippines ZALORA & Kaya Founders Venture Capital Lessons - E685

About this episode

In this episode, Jeremy Au interviews Paulo Campos about his journey in the Philippine tech scene and the evolving venture capital landscape.

Is the Philippines the next major tech hub in Southeast Asia? In this episode of BRAVE, venture capitalist Jeremy Au sits down with Paulo Campos, Founding Managing Partner of Kaya Founders. From leaving a lucrative career at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) to pioneering cash-on-delivery (COD) as a co-founder of ZALORA Philippines, Paulo has been at the forefront of Southeast Asia's digital revolution. We dive deep into the "Cambrian explosion" of startups in Manila following the 2020 pandemic, why returning "sea turtles" (diaspora talent) are reshaping the local economy, and what it really takes to build a sustainable, profitable tech company in today's venture capital climate. Whether you are building in Calabarzon or raising funds in Singapore, this is a masterclass in emerging market entrepreneurship. 0:00 - Introduction & Growing Up in 1990s Manila 4:40 - A Grandfather’s Lesson: "The Best Way to Help is to Create Jobs" 7:55 - Choosing the Philippines Over Wall Street & Ayala Group 11:54 - Harvard Business School (HBS) & Discovering Venture Capital 14:00 - Why BCG is the Ultimate Training Ground for Founders 20:50 - The Leap of Faith: Leaving Corporate to Co-Found…

People in this episode

Host: Jeremy Au

Guest: Paulo Campos

Topics covered

• Southeast Asia tech
• venture capital
• entrepreneurship
• e-commerce
• startup ecosystem
• Philippines economy

Keywords

• ZALORA
• Kaya Founders
• venture capital
• Philippines tech hub
• cash-on-delivery
• startup growth
• diaspora talent

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Boston Consulting Group, ZALORA Philippines, Kaya Founders

Places: Philippines, Singapore, Calabarzon

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