Machine Ventures

Machine Ventures is a venture builder and startup studio founded in 2015, based in Taguig City, Philippines. Co-founded by Shahab Shabibi, who brings 15 or more years in technology startups, and Farouk Meralli, who also co-founded mClinica, the firm operates under the philosophy of High Value, Rapid Innovation, and Maximum Impact — combining economics, technology, and design to transform ideas into companies. Machine Ventures focuses on building companies from the ground up in Southeast Asia, with a particular emphasis on the future of work and on-demand services. The firm leads investments at seed stage across social commerce, on-demand platforms, and real estate services. Machine Ventures has made 5 investments across its portfolio. Named companies include MyKuya, an on-demand services platform built with a mission to create 1 million jobs in the Philippines; ChatGenie, a conversational commerce platform founded just before the COVID-19 pandemic that raised additional capital in 2021 with participation from Machine Ventures and Accelerating Asia; and Get.Place, a B2C real estate services company. The firm's most recent recorded external investment was ChatGenie in September 2021. Machine Ventures operates primarily as a venture builder, creating and incubating startups internally rather than pursuing a traditional external investment strategy — a model that explains the limited volume of publicly recorded deals. The firm is deeply embedded in the Philippine startup ecosystem and is focused on creating technology companies that address employment and economic participation at scale, particularly through digital labor marketplaces and on-demand platforms that connect underserved workers with urban service demand.