Rising Stars: The Filipina Founders Reshaping the Philippine Startup Ecosystem

The Philippine startup ecosystem is witnessing an unprecedented surge in female leadership, with women entrepreneurs spearheading innovative companies that are transforming industries from healthcare to fintech, proptech to media. These trailblazing founders are not only building successful businesses but also redefining what leadership looks like in the male-dominated tech world.

Breaking Ground in Traditional Industries

Maria Ressa stands as perhaps the Philippines' most internationally recognized female entrepreneur, having co-founded Rappler, the country's leading digital news platform. The Nobel Peace Prize winner has demonstrated fearless leadership in journalism and media innovation, turning Rappler into a pioneering force in digital storytelling and investigative reporting. Her leadership style is characterized by unwavering commitment to truth and democratic values, even in the face of government persecution.

Sabrina Tan, co-founder and president of Lhoopa, is revolutionizing the affordable housing sector through property technology. Her company has raised $80 million in funding—one of the biggest rounds for a Philippine startup to date—and has sold over 2,500 affordable homes across 58 cities. Tan's leadership approach focuses on using data and technology to solve pressing social problems, demonstrating how business can be a force for societal good.

Leading the FinTech Revolution

Jenny Galang has positioned herself as a key figure in the accounting and compliance space with Beppo, a platform that simplifies bookkeeping and tax compliance for small businesses and self-employed individuals. The company has served more than 18,600 organizations and filed PHP 6.7 billion in tax returns. Galang's leadership style emphasizes solving real-world problems through AI-driven solutions, addressing the global shortage of accounting professionals.

Camille Ang, CEO and co-founder of Hive Health, is transforming healthcare accessibility through her full-stack health insurance technology company. Backed by Y Combinator, Hive Health targets small and medium enterprises with comprehensive health plans powered by data science. In 2023, the company significantly expanded its reach by acquiring Health Plans Philippines, Inc., growing its network to include over 1,700 hospitals and 20,000 doctors nationwide. Ang's leadership philosophy centers on leveraging business innovation to drive meaningful social impact.

Tech Media and Community Building

Amanda Cua, founder of BackScoop, has become a prominent voice in Southeast Asian tech media at just 23 years old. Starting her newsletter from her childhood bedroom in the Philippines, she has built a platform with over 10,000 active subscribers, including top executives and startup founders across the region. Named to Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia, Cua exemplifies the new generation of Filipino entrepreneurs who are building global businesses from the Philippines. Her leadership style combines authenticity with strategic networking, demonstrating how passion and consistency can create international impact.

Kimberly Yao, co-founder and CEO of CloudEats, has been pioneering the cloud kitchen concept in Southeast Asia since 2019. The company operates over a dozen kitchens across the Philippines and Vietnam, serving nearly 2 million customers through its 46 culinary brands. Yao's entrepreneurial journey began in traditional food and beverage, but she pivoted to create what she calls "future-proof restaurants" using technology. Her leadership approach balances rapid growth with strategic planning, emphasizing measurable results and efficient capital deployment.

Empowering Women Through Technology

Gina Romero, founder of Connected Women and Mettamatch, has dedicated her career to empowering women through technology and ethical AI services. Her work focuses on creating meaningful online work opportunities for Filipino women through socially responsible outsourcing. Recognized with the TOWNS award (The Outstanding Women in the Nation's Service), Romero's leadership style emphasizes community building and inclusive innovation.

Angela Chen-Delantar, co-founder of Eskwelabs, has been instrumental in democratizing access to data skills education. The online upskilling platform has achieved remarkable results, with 90% of graduates landing jobs within 90 days and increasing their starting salaries by 50%. Recently recognized as Forbes 30 Under 30, Chen-Delantar's leadership focuses on using education as a tool for economic empowerment.

Rhea See, co-founder and CEO of She Loves Tech, operates the world's largest startup competition and accelerator program for women in technology. Under her leadership, the platform has built a database of over 15,000 women-led startups from more than 100 countries, collectively raising over $500 million in funding. See's leadership style emphasizes closing the funding gap for women entrepreneurs while promoting gender diversity in the tech industry.

Transportation Innovation

Angeline Tham, founder of Angkas, transformed public transportation in the Philippines through her motorcycle ride-hailing app. Despite facing significant regulatory challenges, Tham's persistent leadership has resulted in a platform serving over 50,000 biker-partners with a 99.997% safety record. Her approach to leadership involves advocating for industry regulation while maintaining focus on safety and reliability.

Leadership Characteristics and Ecosystem Contributions

These women founders share several common leadership traits that have contributed to their success. They demonstrate resilience in overcoming regulatory, funding, and market challenges while maintaining a strong focus on solving societal problems through technology. Their leadership styles are characterized by:

Community-Centric Approach: Many of these founders prioritize building communities and support systems, both within their companies and in the broader ecosystem.

Purpose-Driven Innovation: Rather than building businesses solely for profit, these entrepreneurs focus on addressing pressing social issues such as healthcare access, affordable housing, and education.

Collaborative Leadership: They emphasize mentorship, knowledge sharing, and creating opportunities for other women in the ecosystem.

Data-Driven Decision Making: These founders leverage technology and data analytics to drive business decisions and optimize operations.

Growing Ecosystem Impact

The impact of these women founders extends beyond their individual companies. According to recent data, nearly one-third of tech companies in the Philippines now have at least one female founder, representing an increase from 28% between 2015-2019 to 34% between 2020-2024. This growth is supported by initiatives like Startup Pinay, a platform that narrows the gender gap in tech by fostering female-led startups through funding, mentorship, and exposure.

The rise of these female entrepreneurs is also contributing to the Philippines' ranking as the 16th best country globally for gender equality, with the highest gender equality score in Southeast Asia at 79.1%. While women comprise 29.2% of the tech industry workforce, only 12.4% hold leadership roles, indicating significant room for growth.

Future Outlook

These standout women founders are not just building successful companies—they're reshaping the entire entrepreneurial landscape in the Philippines. Their success stories serve as powerful examples for the next generation of female entrepreneurs, while their leadership approaches are influencing how businesses operate in the region.

As the Philippine startup ecosystem continues to mature, these women leaders are proving that diverse leadership drives innovation, creates sustainable solutions to social problems, and builds more inclusive business environments. Their contributions extend beyond financial metrics to encompass social impact, community building, and the democratization of opportunities through technology.

The continued rise of female entrepreneurship in the Philippines, supported by organizations like She Loves Tech, QBO Innovation Hub, and various government initiatives, suggests that this trend will only accelerate in the coming years, potentially transforming the Philippines into one of the most gender-inclusive startup ecosystems in Southeast Asia.