Franco Varona is the Managing Partner of Foxmont Capital Partners, the Philippines' only independent VC firm.
They recently announced the close of Fund 2 at $21M, which will invest in early-stage, Philippine-focused startups.
Before Foxmont, Franco was the General Manager of Grab Philippines when it was first starting out in the country. He is also the co-founder of media company GMI Post and watch store Vintage Grail.
What was it like for him to move to the Philippines as a Filipino-Canadian after being born and raised in Canada all his life? How did Franco's experience during the 9/11 attack in the US change his life? How did his experience as an entrepreneur help influence the start of Foxmont? Why does VC matter so much not just to the local startup ecosystem, but to the entire country?
Topics
[00:02:13] - Franco's early life in Canada
[00:05:53] - Interest and hobbies growing up
[00:08:20] - Impact of growing up with mostly female friends
[00:08:34] - Growing up with girls
[00:11:14] - Moving to the Philippines
[00:15:51] - Meeting Jesse Maxwell
[00:16:54] - Building Strong Relationships
[00:20:01] - Meaningful Connections
[00:23:37] - Leaving the Philippines
[00:25:53] - Integration into Local School Culture
[00:29:04] - Challenges with Local Curriculum
[00:31:19] - Choosing Syracuse University
[00:33:09] - 9/11 Experience
[00:39:36] - Traveling Sales Job
[00:41:24] - Founding Global Media
[00:42:29] - Building Grab in the Philippines
[00:47:05] - Challenges of Raising Money
[00:47:54] - Venture Capital Landscape
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Visit Amanda Cua’s social media pages:
Amanda (Linkedin): https://ph.linkedin.com/in/amanda-cua
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Visit Franco Varona’s social media pages:
Franco (Linkedin): https://ph.linkedin.com/in/francovarona
Foxmont Capital Partners: https://www.foxmontcapital.com/
Franco (Twitter): https://twitter.com/francovarona
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