The Philippines could be South-east Asia’s startup dark horse

DAN Siazon has been investing in Philippine startups for over a decade, and by now he sees the country’s tech scene as a Cinderella of sorts.

“We’re the ones that get ignored,” said Siazon, senior vice-president of investments at Globe Telecom’s Kickstart Ventures, one of the Philippines’ most active startup backers.

For years, investors have flocked to Indonesia and Singapore to tap the meteoric rise in tech activity. Both markets – one a natural financing hub and the other home to a massive population – took the lion’s share of deals and overshadowed the rest of South-east Asia.