Private Offices at One Ayala: The Strategic Edge for Startups and Expanding Teams

In business, your environment matters. For startups and expanding teams, where you choose to work can quietly shape everything, from how fast you hire to how confidently you meet with investors. And in a fast-moving, high-stakes market like the Philippines, every decision counts.

One Ayala, rising at the heart of Makati’s central business district, isn’t just another premium address. For early-stage and growing companies, it represents a strategic edge, one built on access, infrastructure, and the ability to scale without compromise.

Startups and scaling teams need more than just space—they need infrastructure, flexibility, and credibility. One Ayala offers premium private offices in Makati with scalable layouts, investor-friendly meeting rooms, and direct access to transit hubs. This article breaks down how One Ayala empowers growing businesses with the right environment to thrive.

Ask any founder or early employee what the early years of a company feel like, and you’ll hear the same themes: tight budgets, big goals, and constant change.

That’s exactly why traditional office leases often don’t work.

• The long-term commitment doesn’t align with short-term unpredictability.

• Shared spaces, while affordable, can be distracting, crowded, and unreliable.

• Remote setups can create collaboration gaps, especially when teams are growing fast.

Worse, many teams end up switching workspaces every few months not because the business is failing, but because the space couldn’t grow with them.

In the Philippines, especially Metro Manila, a central location isn’t just about convenience but a necessity.

Working in Makati means being minutes away from banks, law offices, tech hubs, government agencies, and hundreds of potential clients and hires. When you’re building a business, proximity can save hours every week—and build credibility with every handshake. In fact, Makati continues to be the top location choice for 37% of companies in Metro Manila looking to relocate or expand, according to Colliers Philippines (2024). Its dense concentration of high-value industries like finance, legal, tech, and professional services makes it a magnet for business activity and talent.

Within Makati, One Ayala stands out. It sits at the junction of MRT, major highways like EDSA and Ayala Avenue, and the airport loop, making it one of the most connected developments in the city. The integrated One Ayala Terminal hosts bus bays, UV Express, P2P, and direct access to the MRT-3, streamlining daily commutes for employees and clients alike. For founders juggling meetings, errands, and daily operations, that kind of access is a serious advantage—especially in a city where daily traffic congestion causes an average of 29 minutes and 31 seconds. (TomTom Traffic Index, 2023).

One Ayala is a comprehensive mixed-use development that seamlessly integrates retail, hospitality, transportation, and office spaces. For startups and expanding teams, One Ayala offers a variety of leasing options tailored to different business needs.

One Ayala East Tower

Also known as One Ayala Tower 1, the East Tower is a 22-story PEZA-accredited office building boasting a gross leasable area of 32,400 square meters. It houses prominent tenants like Microsoft Philippines, underscoring its appeal to global enterprises.

KMC occupies the 6th to 11th floors of the East Tower, operating over 10,664 square meters of flexible workspace. These floors are thoughtfully designed to support high-performing teams, featuring enterprise-grade infrastructure and PEZA accreditation. This setup is ideal for tech companies, professional service firms, and multinational businesses looking to establish a serious footprint in the Makati CBD.

One Ayala West Tower

Referred to as One Ayala Tower 2, the West Tower is a 29-story structure designed to accommodate BPOs and multinational corporations. Notably, it serves as the Makati office for Optum Global Solutions Philippines, highlighting its suitability for large-scale operations.

One Ayala South Tower

Situated along Courtyard Drive, the South Tower offers premium office spaces with floor areas ranging from approximately 2,800 to 3,000 square meters. Its PEZA accreditation and modern amenities make it an attractive option for businesses seeking flexibility and efficiency.

One Ayala Mall

Beyond its retail offerings, One Ayala Mall provides office spaces that combine convenience, visibility, and lifestyle perks. Situated within a high-traffic commercial zone, it offers immediate access to dining establishments, wellness facilities, and essential services—all under one roof. For businesses looking to situate themselves in a vibrant, high-footfall environment, One Ayala Mall offers a unique balance of professional presence and day-to-day practicality.

KMC also operates across the 5th and 6th floors of the mall, covering 2,329 square meters of premium office space. These boutique-style workspaces are designed for agility and client-facing operations, ideal for regional HQs, lean executive teams, and businesses that value both design and day-to-day practicality. With refined interiors and proximity to lifestyle amenities, this site is particularly suited for companies looking to create a strong, professional presence in a vibrant setting.

Many assume private offices are a luxury, that it is something to consider only after reaching Series A funding or scaling to a team of 50. But early-stage companies may benefit the most from having a dedicated, enclosed workspace. Especially in fast-paced startup environments, a private office isn't an expense—it's a strategic asset.

In the early stages of building a company, what teams need most is:

• Focus – Distractions from shared workspaces or noisy cafés can derail progress. A private office provides a quiet, controlled environment where teams can concentrate on product development, customer outreach, and operational planning.

• Stability – Constantly changing spaces or relying on remote setups can fragment workflows. A consistent physical base helps anchor your team and establish productive routines.

• Legitimacy – When meeting potential investors, clients, or partners, where you take the call—or host the meeting—matters. A dedicated office sends a message: this team is serious, structured, and here to stay.

A private office delivers all three.

For startups in the Philippines, where shared spaces can get crowded and remote work setups aren’t always reliable due to internet and infrastructure challenges, having a secure, dedicated workspace is a competitive advantage. A private office isn’tjust about four walls—it’s about creating an environment where your team can operate with clarity and confidence.

It becomes a space to protect your ideas, train your people, impress your prospects, and build the foundations of your culture. You can close deals on Zoom, host VCs and partners in person, and still have room to onboard your next hires—all without worrying about noise levels, unstable Wi-Fi connection, or meeting room bookings.

At One Ayala, access to private office space also means access to professional meeting rooms—fully equipped for client presentations, team huddles, and investor discussions. KMC offers smart, on-demand meeting spaces within its floors, complete with video conferencing tech and flexible layouts. For startups and expanding teams, this means no scrambling for space when the stakes are high, you’re always ready to meet, pitch, and plan in a space that reflects your professionalism.

Every growing team hits the same problem: success creates space issues.

You’ve just hired 10 new engineers, but you’re out of desks. You’ve launched a new business unit, but your lease won’t allow changes to your floor plan. You need more room—but moving to a new location would mean weeks of downtime, IT transitions, and worst of all—disruptions to your momentum.

This is where scalable private offices offer what most startups never realize they needed: a quiet superpower. These spaces are built for growth. You can scale within the same building, floor, or even within the same provider, minimizing disruption. Your address stays the same. Your culture stays intact. Your operations run continuously while your space evolves with you.

And it’s not just about the physical expansion, it’s about saving time, cost, and energy. With modular layouts, pre-installed IT infrastructure, and flexible terms, you're not rebuilding every time you grow—you're simply upgrading. For startups and scale-ups in the Philippines, that kind of seamless scalability can mean the difference between outgrowing your space or outgrowing your competition.

Startups thrive on speed but in the Philippines, infrastructure can make or break that momentum.

It’s not just the idea or the product that gets delayed, it’s the day-to-day. One power outage can knock out a pitch deck, crash a dev sprint, or leave your team scrambling for backup. A slow internet connection turns collaboration into chaos. And waiting for government paperwork or utilities in a poorly managed building? That can take weeks.

That’s why where you work matters just as much as what you’re working on. Private offices in premium-grade developments are designed to mitigate these risks.

You’ll find:

• Backup power to keep your operations running when the grid doesn’t.

• Business-grade internet with built-in redundancy for stability.

• 24/7 security and access control, so your team feels safe, even on a late product push.

• Immediate access to nearby services such as banks, notaries, clinics, and retail, for the small but critical moments of operational life.

In other words, it’s not just about square meters, it’s about readiness. It's about working in a space that’s built for performance, not just occupancy.

There’s something powerful about walking into a space that feels built for you. Not rented. Not borrowed. Yours.

That sense of belonging is often overlooked—but for early teams, it’s everything. It’s what anchors your company identity. It’s what signals to your employees that you’re not just getting by—you’re building something real. Something lasting.

Psychological ownership has tangible business benefits: it improves team cohesion, boosts productivity, and reinforces shared purpose. When a workspace reflects your brand, your mission, and your way of working, it becomes more than a place to clock in—it becomes a rallying point for your people.

And for clients, partners, and investors, a professional and well-designed environment signals that you're serious. You're stable. You're invested.

In a city where first impressions still matter, and where trust is often built in person, your space becomes part of your story.

Startups move fast. Scaling teams evolve daily. Your office space should move with you—not make you pause, replan, or rebuild.

Whether you’re a five-person team gearing up for product launch or a 40-person org eyeing your next market, where you work will shape how you work—and how far you go.

In Makati, One Ayala offers more than prestige. It offers possibility. And for many companies, that’s the real edge.

Explore KMC’s private office options at One Ayala and see how your business can scale with less stress and more structure.