Filipino entrepreneur named to Forbes 30 Under 30

LOS ANGELES – Philippine-born next gen VC David Ongchoco has been named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for North America.

Ongchoco is the cofounder of Comma Capital, a pre-seed and seed-stage venture capital fund that invests in operators-turned-founders.

Next gen VC David Ongchoco has been named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for North America. CONTRIBUTED

Together with his co-founder Adarsh Bhatt, Ongchoco has backed more than 50 startups including Airplane, Nitra, Dukkantek, Freshpaint and Rillavoice.

Through their 500-plus strong community, The Comma Collective, they help with sourcing, diligence and portfolio support, and host monthly events and programs in New York and San Francisco.

Ongchoco started Comma Capital with his partner almost fresh out of college after completing a double major in Computer Science and Cognitive Science at the University of Pennsylvania.

It was at Penn where Ongchoco became hooked on the world of early-stage startups and investing while serving as an investment partner of the First Round Capital-backed student pre-seed venture capital firm Dorm Room Fund.

He was also the founder of YouthHack, a multinational nonprofit spanning 10 countries that helps high school and university students learn more about startups, technology and entrepreneurship.

During the early days of Comma, Ongchoco also held key operating roles at fintech startup Rutter and NASDAQ-listed data analytics company Amplitude.

Kendall Jenner was featured on the digital cover of the issue, which she has shared on her Instagram to announce her inclusion in the high-profile Forbes 30 Under 30 list. From kendalljenner/Instagram

He helped SeventySix Capital Managing Partner Wayne Kimmel author a book about building genuine relationships in business. He also worked on numerous startups and projects, including SkillStackers, ThirdEye, AskPery and BlockCrunch.

Jack of all trades

“I’m a jack of all trades operator, investor, entrepreneur, builder and storyteller, Ongchoco said in his blog. “Having grown up in the Philippines before coming to the US for college, I’m a big believer in the fact that talent is universal but opportunity is not, and I hope to open up more opportunities for people around the globe through my work.”

Ongchoco has  written about startup founders and investors for various publications, including the HuffPost & Inc. Magazine. He is a former student correspondent of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

The list of notable industry leaders included Kendall Jenner, the model and media personality-turned-entrepreneur.

Jenner launched her tequila brand, 818, in 2021 and quickly built a name for herself in the industry. According to Forbes, the 28-year-old model made about $25 million in sales in 2022 alone.

The star was featured on the digital cover of the issue, which she has shared on her Instagram to announce her inclusion in the high-profile Forbes 30 Under 30 list.