WRITTEN BY: FRANCESA JANA SANTIAGO

Who would have thought that a start-up founded in a condo would soon evolve into the #1 app in the social media capital of the world? That’s basically the rags-to-riches story of KUMU: the largest social entertainment platform in the Philippines, made and utilized by Filipinos all across the world! “Traditionally, Filipino start-ups could not do this because they were being eaten up by big fish.” shares Roland Ros, the founder and CEO of the app. But fortunately, amidst the heavy competition within the tech ecosystem, KUMU was the first to get funding from the Sy, Gokengwei and Ayala family- three of the Philippines’ biggest investor families!

So what’s next for this digital giant? KUMU has come a long way from being a medium for livestreams and online campaigns for various causes because on September 15, it partnered up with Penlab to launch its own mobile application as a way to make Pinoy Komiks more accessible! This is an opportunity for Filipino artists and writers to share their craft to a bigger audience while helping them profit off their passions. In addition to that, users are now capable of reading original Filipino-made works from any genre, at any time and anywhere. KUMU’s co-founder Angelo Mendez hopes “to unlock the creative potential of Filipino creators” with this.

The digitalization of the Komiks scene is an attempt at bringing back the portion of Filipino audiences that were lost to video games and streaming shows. But if there’s one thing the western counterpart Marvel has proven, it is that the love and demand for comic book-related content is still thriving. Upon downloading the app, users will be presented with different titles and different genres such as the fantasy Katipunera Warrior, romances like Ang Jowa Kong Crosswise or if you’re into comedies, see Bunganga Memories! Angelo also announced that the Penlab Create feature will be added soon and by then anyone can begin uploading their own stories. This historical collaboration adheres to KUMU’s mission of “championing Filipino voices” while creating “a vibrant online culture filled with positivity and possibilities”.