
MANILA -- Philippine ride-hailing service Micab and its Singapore-based counterpart Grab both debuted in 2012. But while Grab has become Southeast Asia's biggest unicorn, with a valuation of around $14 billion and plans to raise $2 billion more this year, Micab aims to top a modest $2 million in its first major funding round.
This contrast has not been lost on Philippine policymakers and venture capitalists, who are wrestling with how to nurture tech startups or risk being left behind in the growing digital economy.