Philippines

Gogoro Inc., a Taiwan-based technology leader in battery-swapping ecosystems that enable sustainable mobility solutions for cities, has announced the commercial launch and availability of its smartscooters and battery swapping ecosystem in Manila, the capital of the Philippines.

Philippines-based finance app GCash – operated by the country’s fintech firm Mynt – has entered agrifintech through a strategic bid with Mayani, an agri-fisheries platform connecting smallholder farmers and fishers to buyers, to tackle the nation’s elusive phenomenon of rural financial inclusion.

Hive Health, a Philippine-based digital health insurance startup, has acquired Health Plan Philippines, Inc. (HPPI), one of the Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) service providers in the country. With this strategic initiative, Hive Health will be able to share its technology and data-driven innovations with HPPI’s existing members.

Swarm, a Filipino tech company that connects startup founders with freelance tech builders, has announced that it has raised $1.1 million in a pre-seed funding round. Leading the round are two early institutional investors, Hustle Fund and Plug and Play.

With the powerful growth of widespread digitalization in the #Philippines, #embeddedfinance promises to get integrated into the national digital economy so deeply that it may become a benchmark for the global #fintech industry. And ultimately, the consumer wins.

United States consulting firm Chemonics International announced Monday that it has invested $5 million in Philippine venture builder Talino Venture Studios. Supported by the investment, the two firms will work together to build groundbreaking, impact-driven, scalable technology solutions for individuals and communities in emerging markets and beyond.

Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), the mobile services arm of PLDT Group, and Google Cloud have on Wednesday announced a collaboration to improve the accessibility of essential digital services for Filipinos, with Searce providing technical implementation support.

917Ventures, a venture builder in the Philippines, has established six startups dedicated to supporting micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in their digital transformation efforts, from securing funding and upskilling to expanding their customer reach.

Cera, a United States stock trading platform backed by Y Combinator, in partnership with Fireblocks, announced its Beta launch, allowing Filipinos and anyone anywhere in the world to invest in US stocks using stablecoins.

As crypto adoption continues to grow in the country, top cryptocurrency traders have formally announced the formation of the Innovative Movement of the Philippine Association of Crypto Traders (IMPACT).