THE REAL STORY OF iMIC: From Accidental Entrepreneurship to a Synergistic Future

In the world of start-ups, one business philosophy is repeated so often that it feels like a law: focus is everything. Entrepreneurs preach it. Investors demand it. Steve Jobs embodied it. And for most start-ups, it is true: relentless focus can be the difference between growth and collapse.

Yet for 14 years, iMIC lived on the opposite side of that belief.

From the outside, the company appeared to be doing “too many things.”

And to investors, that was enough reason to pass us over.

What they never saw was the story behind it—

a story that began not with strategy, but with heart, bravery, and the desire to protect people who depended on a business that was about to disappear.

From Corporate Success to Accidental Entrepreneurship

The founder was not a traditional entrepreneur.

He came from a corporate background where he had successfully grown Bisazza in the Philippines, leading it to impressive heights in just five years. But behind the scenes, Bisazza had long planned to pull out from the Philippine market and consolidate operations in China.

From 2002 onwards, six Asia-Pacific Directors came to Manila one after another, each carrying the same instruction:

“Study the Philippine branch and prepare to close it.”

Each time, after reviewing the operations, they returned to headquarters with the same conclusion:

“The Philippines is too strategic to shut down.”

But by 2011, the mandate became final.

Faced with the closure of a business he helped build, the founder made a decision that would define the next decades of his life:

he took a gamble and acquired the Philippine operations.

With no investors, no safety net, and only his personal savings and family properties as collateral, he took over the business—not out of ambition, but to preserve the jobs of local employees who had given years to the company.

This was not entrepreneurship born from opportunity.

This was entrepreneurship born from responsibility.

When Focus Is Not Enough

iMIC began with a simple hope: to continue the success achieved under Bisazza.

But the business landscape had shifted dramatically.

Chinese mosaic tiles flooded the market at 10% of Bisazza’s price.

Marketing funds dried up.

Customers’ buying habits changed.

Dealers embraced cheaper alternatives.

The founder quickly realized that focus alone cannot save a business when the entire terrain changes beneath your feet.

To survive, iMIC had to evolve.

The Pivot Years: From Mosaic to Ecosystem

In its first year, iMIC diversified into modular cabinets through iMIC Kitchensquare.

Two years later, it moved into construction and fit-out services.

Soon after, it built hotels and resorts under the Hotel Atienza (Hotel A) brand—including Hotel Rupert A, Casa Herminia, and The Waves at Socorro.

Each step was not a distraction.

Each step was a lifeline.

If iMIC had insisted on staying focused on a shrinking tile market, it would have closed early.

Instead, it adapted—and survived.

The challenges were brutal:

banks pursuing the company,

labor disputes at DOLE,

regulatory pressures,

operational struggles.

But through every crisis, the company learned, adapted, and evolved.

What Emerged: A Synergistic Company 20 Years in the Making

Looking back, we never imagined iMIC would become what it is today—

a rare, vertically integrated ecosystem of:

construction and fit-out

modular cabinetry

mosaic art

building material distribution

PreFab housing

property development

hospitality and operations

What started as a desperate attempt to survive became a strong foundation for a new kind of business.

This evolution is what eventually shaped iMIC Synergy, a platform that connects landowners, contractors, suppliers, and investors through a unified collaborative framework.

Ironically, the global company that sparked our journey—Bisazza—has since shrunk drastically in Asia.

Many of its once-strong regional offices have closed.

Yet in the Philippines, the brand continues to live on through iMIC Mosaic Art, woven into a larger, more resilient ecosystem.

Today, iMIC Stands Ready for Investors and the Future

iMIC is no longer a scattered start-up searching for identity.

It is a company forged in adversity, strengthened by constant reinvention, and aligned with the rapid technological changes ahead, including the evolution of AI.

Our story is not one of perfect focus.

It is a story of grit, agility, reinvention, and long-term resilience.

And now, after two decades of real-world experience and 14 years of survival and reinvention, iMIC stands ready to present a synergistic business model to real investors—one built on hard-earned lessons, complementary strengths, and the unwavering belief that every challenge carries the seed of transformation.