Kwentong Kumunizen: Spiking Numbers and Building Bridges

Volleyball star Tots Carlos connects with friends and fans on Kumu, and wins more than just trophies.

Some might be astonished to learn how popular volleyball is in the Philippines when it’s often overshadowed by other sports in most conversations. They would be even more shocked to hear just how fierce the fandom is, spurred by a longing to connect with players and get to know them. But, when armed with that knowledge, it comes as no surprise at all that players from the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) regularly stream on Kumu to do exactly those things.

Cheerful and unassuming, 24-year old opposite hitter Diana Mae “Tots” Carlos actually discovered Kumu long before PVL entered a partnership with the social entertainment app. What started as cheering her friends on from the sidelines of their stream, she soon began to guest and host streams herself, talking about the ins and outs of her sport.

Kumu is 4 U and You and You: The Philippines’ Leading Social App Celebrates Four Years with Stars and Fans Alike

Now in its fourth year, social entertainment app Kumu marked the occasion with a bang at the Samsung Hall in SM Aura Premier, in partnership with Globe and Sunsilk; with media partners Spot.ph, Candy Magazine, Pep.ph, One Music PH, When in Manila, and Geektalk PH; and wardrobe sponsors Dave Ocampo, Designers Circle Philippines, and Mabuhay PH. Kumu gathered roughly 1,000 guests, comprising the biggest streamers, the most active users, and a huge roster of the talents that had their dreams of stardom—however unorthodox—through the app.

Seven Of The Country’s Best P-pop Groups Sign with Kumu

The social media platform is now the biggest stage to witness the best performances from this rising new genre.

Filipinos are known to be well-versed in making unique spins on trends, whether it’s food, art, or—perhaps most especially—music and dance. When the Korean wave, or Hallyu, took the world by storm around the mid 2000s, social media played a part in propelling it to the top of Billboard charts and the hearts of the global youth. Come 2021, social entertainment platform Kumu started growing its music presence through singing contests and music label partnerships. Once Filipinos solidified its homegrown variant of the global Kpop genre—more commonly known as P-pop—Kumu was already poised to be its virtual home.

Kumu and Wattpad Partner to Adapt Filipino Hit Kiss Master as a Fan-Driven Streaming Series

Kiss Master fans will have a chance to guide the 8-part series adaptation of Jamille Fumah’s Wattpad hit

The branded entertainment partnership follows a series of successful collaborations between Wattpad and Kumu  

Kumu and Wattpad are tapping into the power of fandom! Kumu, the leading social entertainment platform in the Philippines, and Wattpad, the global entertainment company and leading web novel platform, today announced a partnership to adapt Jamille Fumah’s (@JFStories) Wattpad hit Kiss Master as an 8-episode series for multi-platform distribution. What’s even more exciting is that through the power of real-time engagement via Kumu’s interactive livestreams, fans will have the ability to influence the project’s casting, storyline, and more. 

With 7.7 million reads (and counting), Kiss Master follows young heroine Sussie five years after Arkanghel Wolfgang broke her heart. The playful bad boy, once head over heels for Sussie, has since turned into a cold and arrogant billionaire CEO. Now separated not only by their social status but also personal issues that could separate them for good, their worlds seem even further apart. But when Arkanghel reappears in her life and attempts to mend their broken ties, will Sussie ever be able to forgive her first kiss?

Kumu partners with The House of Collab to evolve online reality shows for Gen Z content creators and their fans

This season, step inside an exciting partnership between The House of Collab (THOC) and kumu to experience the most interactive online reality show yet! 

As the home of social media superstars, THOC brings together different content creators of unique personalities and backgrounds under one roof to live together, collaborate, and create exciting content for your viewing pleasure. Now, with kumu as an official collaborator, old and new fans have the opportunity to engage with their favorite content creators through different live stream segments on the platform.

A New Star Is Born: Shanne Gulle, Kumu’s Sing For The Stars First Grand Champion

A gentle-spoken young woman with a powerhouse singing voice launches into her music career in the aftermath of Kumu’s first virtual singing contest.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a better word to describe Shanne’s hard-won victory than the word “Deserved”. Hailing all the way from General Santos City, in the southern part of the Philippine archipelago, Shanne sang her way to the finish. Winning was no easy feat, but she had what it takes: talent, dedication, and the courage to take a leap of faith. And let’s not forget the final piece of the puzzle: the technology to reach the farthest corners of the globe, which is where Kumu comes in handy.

The Trajectory To Victory 

If you want to reach the stars, you have to break the stratosphere, which is a need answered by having the best technology can offer. Kumu’s Sing For The Stars was the vehicle aspiring singers and musicians rode to see how high they can reach. Hundreds of aspirants joined the country’s first ever virtual singing contest and called upon their supporters to fuel the journey via the giving of virtual gifts. And much like an actual rocket launch with parts disengaging along the way, there were eliminations that narrowed down the contestant number from 100 down to 30, to 15, and finally, the top 3.

Hang out with the Smart Barkada LIVE on Facebook and Kumu on May 27

Join the Smart Barkada as they share their passions and stories this Thursday

Here’s your chance to interact with your favorite Barkada at the ‘Smart Barkada Hangout’ live on Kumu and Smart’s official Facebook account on May 27, Thursday at 8 p.m.

Catch Donny and Hannah Pangilinan, Jayda Avanzado, Michael Pacquiao, AC Bonifacio, and Inigo Pascual as they share their passions and stories on how they cultivate their love for music, dance, and inspire others to do the same. The Hangout will also feature collab performances that you shouldn't miss!

Join in the fun of The Hangout by engaging with the Smart Barkada live - send in your questions, comments, and share your experiences in real-time.

Mediatech startup Kumu raises US$5m Series A funding round from Openspace Ventures & PH Conglomerates

Investors include Kickstart Ventures, ABS-CBN, Gobi-Core Philippine Fund, Summit Media, and Foxmont Capital Partners.

Kumu Holdings Pte. Ltd., the firm that owns the technology behind Philippine live streaming app Kumu, has announced that it has raised approximately US$5m in a Series A funding round to roll out new features and scale up its operations. 

Laugh out loud together in a distance via TFC’s “Stand Up for Laughs on Kumu”

Catch the stand-up comedy sets of Orca, Yuki, Ramon Cabochan, and Alex Calleja on the live streaming app Kumu

Any outbreak such as the COVID-19 pandemic causes stress to both children and adults, as stated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). One way to cope with stress, which both CDC and World Health Organization (WHO) recommend—is to take a break from watching, listening or reading news stories about the pandemic.

So, to help you take a break and laugh-off your worries even for some time, stand-up comedians Orca, Yuki, Ramon Cabochan, and Alex Calleja come together for TFC’s “Stand Up for Laughs on Kumu”.

“Stand Up for Laughs on Kumu” is a live stream stand-up comedy show featuring four stand-up comedians who will share their stories and experiences abroad that are relatable to the overseas Filipinos.