5 young PH entrepreneurs on Forbes ’30 Under 30 Asia 2017′

MANILA, Philippines – Five young entrepreneurs from the Philippines made it to Forbes Magazine’s 2nd annual 30 Under 30 Asia list, which recognizes 300 young innovators and leaders from the region who are all under 30 years old.

The 5 young entrepreneurs who made it to the list are:

• Shahab Shabibi, cofounder, Machine Ventures
• Matthew Cua, founder, SkyEye Analytics
• Carl Ocab, founder, Carl Ocab Internet Marketing Services
• Maricor Bunal, COO, Growthsolutions Inc.
• Gian Scottie Javelona, founder, OrangeApps

The Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list features 300 honorees in Asia across 10 fields: consumer technology; enterprise technology; entertainment and sports; arts; finance and venture capital; industry, manufacturing and energy; healthcare and science; social ; media, marketing and advertising; and retail and e-commerce.

In a statement on Thursday, April 13, Rana Wehbe – Forbes Media’s Senior Digital Editor, Asia – said the list highlights 300 “impressive young entrepreneurs from all walks of life pushing the boundaries of innovation.”

“It’s fascinating to see how these millennials are using technology to disrupt their industries, empower their communities and overcome cultural barriers. Notably, this year’s list showcases a number of women in Asia who are advocates for social change and are defying stereotypes and prejudice to set a positive example for what women in this part of the world can achieve,” Wehbe added.

Below are their profiles, as featured on Forbes:

Shahab Shabibi, 21, cofounder of Machine Ventures

According to Forbes, Shabibi, who is originally from Iran, is a successful serial entrepreneur who founded two startups in music streaming and sports media before moving to the Philippines.

Forbes described Machine Ventures as a Philippines-based incubator providing financial support and management guidance to people trying to start their own businesses in the country. 

Among the first companies it supported is HeyKuya, a text-based personal assistant system with more than 35,000 users. 

Matthew Cua, 28, founder of SkyEye Analytics

Cua’s SkyEye started as a university project in 2009. The startup, which designs its own drones to perform aerial surveys and produce maps or models for customers, is also part of the United Nations Office for Coordination of Human Affairs. 

Carl Ocab, 23, founder of Carl Ocab Internet Marketing Services

According to Forbes, Ocab started experimenting with technology at age 12, building websites and forums. By 13, he founded Carl Ocab Internet Marketing which quickly became one of the highest-ranked sites on Google in the Philippines for its highly-coveted keywords “make more money. “

Forbes said Ocab has also started a web development and branding company, Rich Kid Media.

Maricor Bunal, 29, COO of Growthsolutions

Loansolutions.ph – a two-year-old startup – is a network of lenders that has helped 2,000 clients with an average loan amount of $2,220, according to Forbes. The startup got seed funding from a group of international and local investors led by KK Fund. 

Aside from being cofounder and COO, Bunal also plays other roles in the company – from content manager to sales tracking.

Gian Scottie Javelona, 24, founder of OrangeApps

Javelona runs OrangeApps, which Forbes described as a cloud-based platform where schools and universities can manage multiple processes like student enrollment, grades, HR and payroll. The company works with schools and has reported $2 million dollar valuation to date. 

Forbes Magazine chose this year’s honorees based on a set of criteria, including leadership and disruption in their field, entrepreneurial mind-set and results, and the likelihood of changing their field over the next half-century.

Forbes is set to host its 2nd annual Under 30 Summit Asia in Manila, Philippines, on July 25, 2017. – Jee Geronimo/Rappler.com