917Ventures’ digital innovations have enabled consumers and businesses to thrive
and triumph in today’s challenging environment. Companies like GCash,
KonsultaMD, HealthNow, RUSH, AdSpark, and PureGo have become the new lifelines
for Filipinos during this pandemic.
GCash helps its 40 million users securely send money and pay for goods and services
online and empowers many small businesses to survive and thrive through cashless
solutions. GCash was also one of the channels used by the government to safely
distribute financial assistance to Filipinos through its Social Amelioration Program
last year and remains to be a key donation platform in collecting and sending
assistance across the country.
Following its momentum in 2020, GCash continues to innovate and reinvent the
Filipino way of life through easy access to financial services through the following
features: GLife – access to mini-apps to shop, eat and play, and helps businesses save
cost from building their own apps; GInvest – participate in high yielding investments
for as low as P50 ; GInsure – life and health insurance for as low as P39; GSave – get
the best savings rate in the country with no minimum balance required; and GCredit
- the first digital credit model and mobile credit line in the Philippines, used as a
payment option in Shopee, Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
As health and safety have been the driving force behind the digital shift, 917Ventures
offers convenient and reliable healthtech platforms such as KonsultaMD and
HealthNow. Consultations made through KonsultaMD skyrocketed by 461 percent in
2020 compared to the previous year. The HealthNow app, on the other hand, has
been downloaded more than 240,000 times since its launch in August 2020.
HealthNow offers online prescriptions and delivery of medicines through partner
pharmacies so that customers receive medical services from their own homes. The
service is currently available in Metro Manila, and will soon include key cities in
Visayas and Mindanao.
Complementing the door-to-door delivery of medicines is Purego’s platform for
quick and easy grocery shopping. The app launched on December 1, 2020, enabling
customers easier access to essentials for the home. Armed with thousands of
products from reputable and trusted brands, consumers can practically order
anything using the app, from pantry essentials to household necessities all sourced
directly from Puregold. Multiple payment options including GCash are available, and
items are delivered within 24 hours.
For B2B markets, AdSpark and RUSH help accelerate the digital footprint of brands
through digital advertising solutions, customer engagement, loyalty and rewards
programs, giving added value to businesses and their customers.
AdSpark, through its access to consumer intelligence, enables businesses to grow
throughout their digital transformation journey. ThoughtSparkers, AdSpark’s
flagship whitepaper powered by AdSpark Intelligence, helps drive communication
strategies by studying the Filipino psyche.
RUSH offers digital innovations in the area of customer loyalty and retention, made
accessible through easy-to-use programs to help businesses grow in the digital
space. The company recently expanded its services to include an eCommerce
platform to help digitize merchant stores. It continues to empower digital marketers
to own customer relationships through RUSH Loyalty, as well as drive traffic to digital
stores by embedding the RUSH eStore in GCash, tapping on millions of customers
using GLife.
“We know how tough our battle against this pandemic is, and we are all at risk,
especially those who need to be physically present in their jobs. So we continue to
reinvent lifestyle and movement through different products and services in the
areas of health, e-commerce, financial technology, and advertising technology that
deliver indelible value to consumers and businesses,” said Vince Yamat, 917Ventures
Managing Director.
917Ventures is a subsidiary of Globe. It has likewise helped startups maximize Globe’s
‘Unfair Advantage’ by leveraging the rich asset base of Globe. Aside from capital and
funding firepower, Globe has a customer base of over 80 million, one million
distribution points, 150,000 enterprise partners as well as massive networks and
affiliates which the startups can tap. Being a venture builder, the company is
constantly on the lookout for new ideas to launch and accelerate, to further improve
the lives of Filipinos.
917Ventures is also part of Globe’s 5G Hackathon, providing mentorship to
participants of the nationwide competition welcoming students and professionals to
innovate and pitch their solutions to help various aspects of the Philippine society.
The competition will focus on the use of 5G technologies in various sectors of the
Philippine economy such as education, health care, livelihood, and disaster risk
management. Winners of the 5G Hackathon may join 917Ventures as a venture
builder to further jumpstart their idea. The successful venture builder under
917Ventures will receive P 2.5 million in support.
To know more about 917Ventures, visit https://917ventures.com/.
