The first KMC Startup Awards celebrates the excellence in innovation and entrepreneurial brilliance of local startups.

Awards and accolades serve a number of purposes for businesses. For established players and longstanding brands, awards can build loyalty and trust. For startups, they can cement a new company’s credibility and serve as a launchpad for fresh opportunities. KMC Solutions, a leading provider of flexible office spaces here in the Philippines, aims to do just that for the country’s startups and unicorns with the KMC Startup Awards.

By honoring the excellence in innovation and entrepreneurial brilliance of the local startup ecosystem, KMC Solutions recognizes new entrepreneurs and groundbreaking startups. Read on to find out which companies were honored and who took the Startup of the Year award.

The Inaugural KMC Startup Awards

“The KMC Startup Awards provides a platform to inspire innovation and recognize outstanding startups and visionary entrepreneurs reshaping the business and technology landscapes in the Philippines,” the company notes in a statement.

Choosing from over 200 submissions, KMC shortlisted 30 entries as gold, silver, and bronze winners across 10 categories. This includes the much-coveted top prize: the Startup of the Year award. Here are the list of winners for the 2023 KMC Startup Awards:

Startup of the Year

• Gold: Packworks
• Silver: Kindred
• Bronze: Taxumo

Emerging Leader of the Year (Co-Presented by Bossjob)

• Gold: Patrick Gentry, Co-Founder and CEO of Sprout Solutions
• Silver: Jessica de Mesa, Co-Founder and CEO of Kindred
• Bronze: Reggie Jacinto-Barrientos, CEO of Unawa

Outstanding Marketing Campaign

• Gold: PetPal
• Silver: Packworks
• Bronze: Unawa

Tech Innovator Award

• Gold: GoTyme Bank
• Silver: Sprout Solutions
• Bronze: Nudgyt

Customer Excellence Award

• Gold: Sprout Solutions
• Silver: Growsari
• Bronze: GoTyme Bank

Most Innovative Startup Award

• Gold: Smile API
• Silver: Cubo Modular
• Bronze: Nudgyt

Outstanding Brand Development Award

• Gold: Eduksine
• Silver: Life by Petto, Inc.
• Bronze: Collo

Innovation in Design

• Gold: Power 4 All, Inc.
• Silver: Eduksine
• Bronze: Usher Technologies, Inc.

Sustainable Business Practice Award

• Gold: Cubo Modular
• Silver: Mober Technology, Inc.
• Bronze: Bambuhay

Social Impact Award

• Gold: Sakahon
• Silver: Unawa
• Bronze: Growsari

Supporting the Startup Community

Beyond celebrating the rapid growth of these startups, whether in revenue, manpower, or even seed funding, the awards serve to highlight the impact that they have made on the country. From empowering small businesses to giving job opportunities to Filipinos, or addressing a prevalent pain point in the country, these businesses have proven that they have truly earned their success.

Moreover, awards like this offer emerging businesses a unique opportunity to gain exposure, credibility, and access to valuable business development opportunities—likewise attracting potential investors and business partners.

“We believe that the KMC Startup Awards will be a cornerstone in celebrating and empowering the Filipino entrepreneurial spirit for many years to come,” says Michael McCullough, the CEO of KMC Solutions. “To all the winners and participants, your passion, creativity, and resilience are not just the foundation of your success but the driving force that will continue to propel the Philippine startup community forward.”

As a steadfast supporter of the Philippine startup community, KMC Solutions plays a big part in nurturing startups, and fostering growth through innovative facilities and events has been unwavering. With that, the KMC Startup Awards serve as a testament to their dedication to strengthening the startup ecosystem in the Philippines.

The inaugural event is co-presented by Bossjob, in collaboration with Philippine Startup Week, QBO Innovation Hub, Kaya Founders, the Sinigang Valley Association, and Uniquecorn Strategies, and in partnership with 917Ventures and Amazon Web Services. Esteemed media outlets that partnered with KMC Solutions for the event include BusinessWorld, Rappler, The Business Manual, The Manila Times, and WhenInManila.com.

For more details on the KMC Startup Awards, you may visit the Facebook page of KMC Solutions or https://kmc.solutions/kmc-startup-awards/.