More Than a Birthday: Sigma's First Portfolio Gathering at Grand Hyatt Manila
From left to right: Stephen Chua, Patt Soyao, Chef Wolen Juan Superal, Andre Uy, Justin Francisco, Dar Cayabyab, Emil Eriksen, Roland Ros, Ronald Robins, Sharon Robins, Grant Cheng, Arnold Go, Roxanne Robins-Go, Marito De Jesus, Jr., Eric Uy, Wihl Zalatar, Anjo Hernando
Manila, Philippines, 2026 — What started as a birthday dinner turned into a milestone for Sigma Ventures — and a glimpse of what's to come.
On the evening of May 30 at the Speakeasy Room of Grand Hyatt Manila, the Sigma team gathered to celebrate General Partner Ronald Robins' birthday. But the evening quickly became something more: the first time that founders and executives from Sigma's portfolio companies had all been in the same room.
Around the table were the five Sigma General Partners — Ronald Robins, Grant Cheng, Andre Uy, Marito de Jesus Jr., and Stephen Chua — alongside founders and leadership from three portfolio companies: &You, SportsPlus PH, and Fincom. Joining them were guests from Sigma's wider network, including Chef Wolen Juan Superal of Baker's Champ, Dar Cayabyab of Mineski Philippines, and Roxanne Robins-Go with her husband Arnold Go. Roxanne, Ronald's sister, leads two of the Philippines' most established premium interiors businesses — Robins Design Gallery, the country's leading distributor of European tiles with showrooms across Makati, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, and Cagayan de Oro, and La Europa Ceramica, the official Philippine distributor of TOTO.
A Room Full of Builders
The gathering brought together a cross-section of industries — fintech, sports betting, digital media, hospitality, and premium design — united by a shared connection to Sigma. For the portfolio founders in the room, it was the first time many of them had met each other face to face.
&You was represented by founder Emil Eriksen and strategic adviser Roland Ros. From SportsPlus PH came General Manager Eric Uy and Finance Head Wihl Zalatar. Fincom was represented by its two co-founders: CEO Patt Soyao and COO Justin Francisco.
The Stanford Exercise
Ronald, drawing on an exercise he encountered during his time at the Stanford Endeavor Innovation & Growth Program, opened the floor with a simple but pointed prompt: What help do you need right now — and how can you help someone else in this room?
The exercise, designed to surface real needs and real offers rather than polite small talk, cut through quickly. By the end of the round, connections had already started forming — introductions offered, problems named, potential collaborations floated. It was the kind of conversation that rarely happens at industry events but tends to happen when the right people are in the same room with the right reason to be honest.
Which MCU Character Are You?
The evening's lighter moment came when the table was asked a second question: Which Marvel character best represents you?
The answers were revealing:
Ronald Robins (Sigma GP) — Thor (on paper: Wong). Ronald's first instinct was Thor — and nobody at the table argued. But sitting across from Emil Eriksen, who happens to be Scandinavian, Ronald did what only the most secure person in the room could do: he passed the hammer. "He's actually from Scandinavia," Ronald laughed, and slid the title across to Emil without ceremony. The room got the joke — and the subtext.
Grant Cheng (Sigma GP) — The Hulk. Measured, precise, and quietly formidable — until the numbers demand otherwise.
Andre Uy (Sigma GP, SportsPlus PH) — Spider-Man. Agile, relatable, finds a way when the odds are stacked.
Marito de Jesus Jr. (Sigma GP) — Hawkeye. No superpowers. Just precision, discipline, and the one you want on your team when it actually matters.
Stephen Chua (Sigma GP) — Doctor Strange. Operates across multiple dimensions simultaneously — media, digital marketing, sports, esports — and sees the long game before anyone else does. There's also a certain poetry to it: with Ronald playing Wong, the sorcerer and his most loyal operator ended up at the same table.
Emil Eriksen (&You) — Thor. Handed the hammer by Ronald himself — which, as the only Scandinavian at the table, he accepted with appropriate dignity.
Roland Ros (&You) — Professor X. The strategist. The one who sees the full board.
Eric Uy (SportsPlus PH) — Iron Man. The operator who engineers solutions under pressure and makes sure the platform never goes down.
Wihl Zalatar (SportsPlus PH) — Ant-Man. Finds outsized impact in places others overlook — which, for a finance head, is exactly the job description.
Patt Soyao (Fincom) — Nick Fury. The architect behind the scenes, assembling the right people, making sure everyone knows what mission they're on.
Justin Francisco (Fincom) — Black Panther. Leads with purpose, protects what matters, and brings an operator's discipline to every room he walks into.
The Beginning of Something Bigger
For Sigma, the evening marked more than a birthday. It was the first proof of concept for what the firm has always believed: that its portfolio companies are stronger together than apart. When founders in different industries share the same investors, the same values, and the same room — the potential for unexpected collaboration grows.
"This is exactly the kind of energy we want to build," said Ronald. "Not just investing in companies, but building a community around them."
It won't be the last gathering. More are planned for the rest of the year — each one designed to deepen the connections between Sigma's portfolio founders, its partners, and the broader network of executives and entrepreneurs who make up the Sigma ecosystem.
Sigma Ventures Holdings Corporation is a venture firm based at the 12th Floor, PSE Tower, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. Investment inquiries: hello@sigmaventures.com.ph
