|THE AYALA WAY

Vol 6 No 61

CREATE VALUE TOGETHER

Decoding the future of global trade

Kickstart Ventures’ 142nd Raid the Fridge titled, “The Tariff Talk: Future of Global Trade Shifts”, convened panelists to weigh in on the implications of trade wars, regulatory pivots, and shifting economic alliances to startup founders, investors, and ecosystem players.

For the speakers, being resilient, leveraging one’s strengths, managing risks, and finding opportunities in a constantly evolving environment will help startups endure and overcome these disruptions.

Since 2012, Raid the Fridge has brought together stakeholders in the startup community for a monthly networking event to exchange ideas and foster collaboration. Kickstart Ventures, a wholly owned subsidiary of Globe Telecom, is the largest corporate venture capital firm in the Philippines. It invests in tech startups and advises the Ayala Corporation Technology Innovation Venture (ACTIVE) Fund.

ADB Regional Lead Economist James Villafuerte, AIM Adjunct Faculty and Program Director Masaki Mitsuhashi, Kickstart Ventures Legal and Compliance Partner Jecky Pelaez, and TradeAdvisors CEO Tony Abad in a Raid the Fridge discussion on tariffs held on May 29 and moderated by Kickstart Ventures Communications Head Celina Durante

“Do what you do best, because that’s your natural comparative advantage. […] Our domestic market is large. [...] So, it’s a challenge to our startups to deliver products and services that solve problems here. For example, quality education is quite low in the Philippines. How can our startup ecosystem develop edtech that actually raises quality education in far-flung areas with no internet?”

JAMES VILLAFUERTE
Asian Development Bank Regional Lead Economist, Southeast Asia Department

“It’s also about being able to synthesize the data that you have now and what’s going on around the world, whether it be tariffs or geopolitical shocks, etc., and adjusting business models and pivoting your strategy to adapt to these things.”

JECKY PELAEZ
Kickstart Ventures Legal and Compliance Partner

“When we look at tariffs, [...] they are also a tool by the government. Although they are temporary—because they are temporary—they are within that immediate horizon. So, [these become] a primary consideration particularly in risk management. [D]efinitely, it now becomes a very important consideration of how you can actually utilize that external information on tariffs to benefit your startup.”

MASAKI MITSUHASHI
Asian Institute of Management Adjunct Faculty and Program Director

“Do not put tariffs in because eventually those tariffs will become obsolescent and irrelevant. Always think of your business model in terms of the world. And the ease of doing business with the rest of the world is what is going to determine your success.”

ANTHONY ABAD
TradeAdvisors CEO