PASAY CITY — The new Evolve partnership between Alibaba Global Initiatives and homegrown systems builder Gencys Group is designed to professionalize the country's e-commerce sector and move established sellers toward large-scale, sustainable enterprises, Gencys Group Chief Executive Officer Hernani Razon told NET25.
In an interview on the sidelines of the program's launch at China Blue by Jereme Leung in Conrad Manila, Razon said Evolve is a leadership, artificial intelligence, and e-commerce training program built around a first-ever tie-up between Gencys and Alibaba Global Initiatives, the global education arm of the world's largest e-commerce ecosystem. The organizers billed the collaboration as a first-of-its-kind partnership between the two groups.
Alibaba Global Initiatives has run entrepreneur education in the Philippines since 2021 through its Netpreneur Training program, later the Netpreneur Masterclass, working with partners such as QBO Innovation Hub, Gobi Partners, and JCI Manila. The Gencys tie-up marks a new local partner for the Alibaba arm rather than its first program in the country.
Razon told NET25 that Evolve is envisioned as a movement that delivers world-class insights, leadership frameworks, and practical strategies drawn from the evolution of one of the world's most successful digital commerce systems. He described the partnership as an education-first collaboration rather than a profit-driven venture, noting that Alibaba Global Initiatives is focused on entrepreneur education and supply chain knowledge.
In the interview, Razon said the initiative is anchored on a mission to transform lives, prioritizing the teaching and sharing of operational know-how, documented procedures, and measurable targets across the e-commerce sector.
"We want to put the essence of entrepreneurship back into the industry," Razon said, framing Evolve as a response to a market that has long focused on quick profit rather than sustainable enterprise building.
A one-stop ecosystem
Razon told NET25 that Evolve is part of a broader one-stop enterprise solution that spans manufacturing to fulfillment, finance, operations, and both local and international logistics, layered with education and technology. The model is built to integrate the work of multiple departments and partner agencies under standardized systems, he said, reducing the operational confusion that often stalls growing businesses.
Razon said the program targets medium to large e-commerce enterprises rather than first-time sellers. Participants, he explained, are expected to have at least three years in business, an established e-commerce presence, and revenue in the range of three million pesos monthly.
Asked about the role of technology, Razon said the venture maintains its own artificial intelligence laboratory, with the capability to develop and launch mobile applications for the iOS and Android platforms in as little as two months. He stressed, however, that human oversight remains essential, cautioning that overreliance on AI without sufficient human intervention can compromise quality.
According to Razon, the company has scaled its workforce alongside its technology, growing from roughly 240 staff before its AI expansion to about 400.
Ambitious targets
Razon set out an ambitious three-year roadmap for the partnership. Evolve aims to reach 1,000 micro, small, and medium enterprises within three years, with a goal of guiding around 20 enterprises toward eight-digit monthly revenue.
The Gencys chief executive said the program will move participants through a phased process that begins with education before the broader ecosystem of tools, logistics, marketing optimization, and AI is plugged in. Documentation, standard operating procedures, and key performance indicators form the foundation of that approach.
Razon emphasized generosity and knowledge-sharing as core principles, saying the partnership seeks to change the scarcity mentality that has held back parts of the local industry.
Razon told NET25 the Evolve partnership marks a deepening of Alibaba Global Initiatives' presence in the Philippines, building on earlier entrepreneur training programs in the country, and positions Gencys Group as a central player in efforts to professionalize and scale the local e-commerce sector.
