Mobile app HeyKuya acts as personal assistant

MANILA, Philippines - A personal assistant is making rounds in Metro Manila and providing services ranging from food deliveries to travel bookings, through a simple text message.

HeyKuya, the latest company built by Machine Ventures, offers anyone in the metro to have their own virtual Kuya through “HeyKuya!: Text One, Then Done.”

 “We started HeyKuya to help save people time in the fast paced city life of Metro Manila. We want to socially contribute to the society and we want to help the Philippines to be an even more productive nation,” HeyKuya co-founder Shahab Shabibi said.

There are currently no membership fees and HeyKuya only charges for what an individual orders. “Every day, we help people across our city to book tables at restaurants, reserve movie tickets, or even provide directions if they are lost and don’t have access to the Internet, all for free,” HeyKuya marketing manager Nathania Chua added.

Despite the wide use of mobile devices in the Philippines, Shabibi said many Filipinos are still not Internet-savvy and areas with WiFi connection cannot easily be found.

 “This is where HeyKuya takes over by connecting through text messages, an affordable and reliable form of communication,” he said.

HeyKuya is the latest innovation from Machine Ventures, an end-to-end company builder that transforms ideas into companies. Machine Ventures is backed by several of the region’s prominent entrepreneurs who have launched startups across the globe such as Subir Lohani, managing director of Carmudi Philippines.