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

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 ZALORA 28:00 - Building a Company in a 10sqm Room & "Founder Energy" 29:10 - The Masterstroke: Unlocking E-Commerce with Cash on Delivery (COD) 34:50 - The Pandemic Pivot & Angel Investing in Local Builders 38:40 - Launching Kaya Founders to Fuel the Philippine VC Ecosystem 44:20 - The "Language Lock" Advantage & The Return of the Diaspora 51:50 - The Bravery Required to Build and Invest in Tech Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/paulo-campos-kaya-founders-zalora Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at https://www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyau Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyauz Twitter X : https://x.com/jeremyau LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea English: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts #Philippines #VentureCapital #Startup #Podcast #southeastasia #techpodcast