Kickstart Prexy speaks at 2014 Asia Innovation Forum

 Kickstart President Minette Navarrete was tapped as a speaker at the GSMA-Cyberport 2014 Asia Innovation Forum in Hongkong which focused on building a vibrant mobile ecosystem through innovation and collaboration.

The event brought together key players in the mobile ecosystem including mobile operators, internet companies, incubators, entrepreneurs, policy makers, regulators, and academia and dealt with the role of various sectors in accelerating innovation.

                Kickstart's Navarrete, the lone Philippine representative, was a panel member in a discussion moderated by The Boston Consulting Group's Partner and Managing Director, William Yin. The other speakers were Professor Wilton Chau, Chairman of the HK Business Angel Network and William Fitzgerald, Policy Manager at Google Inc. The panel talked about building a digital entrepreneurship ecosystem, and finding the right model for success as well as the complementary roles of the private and public sectors and the need for collaboration to ensure that grassroots innovators thrive.

                Navarrete discussed the contribution of corporate venturing in helping develop innovation ecosystems in Asia, based on Globe Telecom's experience of launching Kickstart in the Philippines.

"It is tempting to think that mimicking the elements of Silicon Valley is the way for Asian countries to build innovation hubs. But Silicon Valley evolved within a unique context, and those conditions do not exist in Asia today. Asian culture, demographics and economic models are different; as are the opportunities! To build innovation hubs here, we need to break down traditional ways of acting," said Navarrete.

                She added:  "Corporations like telcos need to be better at being equal partners, irrespective of whether we are dealing with global giants or early-stage startups. Negotiating for advantage, demanding exclusivity, and monopolistic behavior are not consistent with driving innovation. Kickstart has learnt in the Philippines that we support innovators via a balanced approach: on one hand, aligning ourselves with our portfolio companies' business interests and disruptive innovation mindset; and on the other hand, leveraging Globe's considerable assets to provide startups a better shot at scale and success.”

 “Innovation has always been at the very heart of the mobile industry and we’ve seen many significant developments in this technology sector in a relatively short period of time. As we move to an increasingly mobile world, we need to continue to drive the pace of innovation in order to deliver new products and services to our customers and to create value for players across the mobile ecosystem,” said Irene Ng, Head of Asia, GSMA.

While GSMA is more frequently associated with the global communications industry and the business, regulatory and technology developments in the industry, this particular event highlighted the role of telecommunications companies in supporting innovation, noting how continued growth and competitiveness depend upon the ability of companies and industries to constantly re-invent and re-shape themselves, in tune with their customers.

PHOTO CAPTION: Kickstart President Minette Navarrete (left) with (from L-R):  Professor Wilton Chau, Chairman of the HK Business Angel Network; William Fitzgerald, Policy Manager, Google Inc.; and William Yin, Partner and Managing Director, The Boston Consulting Group.

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About Kickstart

Kickstart is an incubator and investment firm which helps startups operating in the Philippines to build robust businesses and technical foundations, and to scale. Kickstart puts big company resources - - capital, facilities, expertise, and business connections - - behind the startups that it funds so they can launch faster and achieve scale and profitability sooner.

Kickstart was incorporated in March 2012 to serve as Globe Telecom's wholly-owned incubator and investment firm with a focus on digital startups. As a strategic early-stage investor, Kickstart is frequently a startup founder's first institutional investor, and an active mentor and business partner.

About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators with 250 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organizations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo.