Kumu was developed in 2017 then launched in February 2018 by Roland Ros, Rexy Dorado, Andrew Pineda, and Clare Ros, who are Filipino entrepreneurs that were based in the
United States and have worked in technology and social enterprises. The app's name was derived from the
Filipino word "
kamusta" (or
kumusta), meaning "How are you?", which is a common greeting among Filipinos. Aside from user created livestreams, Kumu also livestreams its own curated shows, mainly game shows such as
Game Ka Na Ba? and
Quiz Mo Ko. It has also partnered with various celebrities and brands to promote products through livestreaming. These include former actor and
Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, journalist
Ces Drilon, TV host
Boy Abunda, TV executive and actress
Charo Santos, Sydney Crespo, Ruby Ibarra,
Mica Javier, Apple Chiu, Brent Manalo, as well as
Star Magic Philippines, Cornerstone Entertainment Group, and
MOR Philippines. With the sudden popularity of
podcasting amid the
COVID-19 pandemic, Kumu added a podcasting feature in February 2020 to attract more users and content creators to use to app. The feature allows audio streamers to accommodate guests and co-hosts in ‘public’ and ‘friends only’ options; as well as ‘mute’, ‘kick’ or ‘block’ listeners. In April 2020, Kumu announced that it had secured around $5 million in Series A funding. Openspace Ventures, an early investor in
Indonesian
unicorn start-up Gojek, along with Kickstart Ventures,
ABS-CBN, Gobi-Core Philippine Fund, and returning investors Summit Media and Foxmont Capital Partners all participated in the funding round. In June 2021, Kumu announced that it had secured an undisclosed amount in Series B funding. Gentree Fund, Endeavor Catalyst Fund, alongside returning investors Summit Media, Kickstart Ventures, Foxmont Capital Partners, and Gobi-Core Philippine Fund all participated in the funding round. In July 2021, Kumu announced a partnership with
Wattpad to bring their stories into the Kumu app via live streaming, audio streaming, and social commerce. In August 2021, Kumu partnered again with
ABS-CBN to launch the tenth season of
reality TV show
Pinoy Big Brother: Kumunity Season 10. The tenth season will feature adult, teen, and celebrity editions. In October 2021, Kumu announced that it had secured an undisclosed amount in Series C funding, led by
General Atlantic with the participation of Openspace Ventures and SIG. This brought Kumu's total funding to over $100 million. In November 2021, Kumu partnered with
Eat Bulaga! to launch
Bida First: Isang Tawag Ka Lang!, a segment within the Eat Bulaga! program where viewers can win cash prizes by calling a phone number, in the app. In March 2022, Kumu partnered with
TV5 to launch
Top Class, a talent search reality TV show focused on looking for the next
Pinoy pop idol. In the same month, Kumu partnered with the
Premier Volleyball League to stream their games on the Kumu app. In September 2023, Kumu announced a partnership with Ikon Solutions to provide job opportunities for
Overseas Filipino Workers. ==Features==