Digital Tech Startup Squadzip Closes Successful Seed Funding from Kickstart Ventures and Plug and Play

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Squadzip, a mobile-first software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform for productivity and collaboration that applies the ease of use and familiarity of popular social media platforms to a sales and project management context, received an undisclosed amount of funding from corporate venture capital firm Kickstart Ventures and Silicon Valley-based seed-stage investor and innovation platform Plug and Play Tech Center.

Squadzip is the first co-investment between Kickstart Ventures and Plug and Play Tech Center. This also marks the first investment of Plug and Play Tech Center in the Philippines.

Squadzip was inspired by CEO and co-founder Roman Mercado’s own frustrations in using productivity solutions while he was working in enterprise sales for medical, banking, and digital media industries.

In his corporate life, Mercado saw many corporations sink huge amounts of money into enterprise solutions, the implementation of which meant high upfront fees, hardware cost, complex user trainings, and time delays. These solutions ranged from the free to typically expensive legacy enterprise platforms. The situation prompted Mercado to tap colleague and now CTO and co-founder Joaquin Barandino to help build Squadzip, a productivity tool for businesses that allows teams to communicate in real-time and share data without having to endure lengthy forms.

Government Moves To Ensure Benefits Of Continued Power Supply

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The Government, through the Inter-Agency Task Force on Securing Energy Facilities (IATFSEF), reinforces efforts for Mindanaoans to enjoy the benefits of reliable and continuous supply of electricity.

The IATFSEF fast-tracks resolution of the right-of-way (ROW) issues to strengthen collaboration among national agencies and law enforcers to facilitate restoration of transmission tower no. 25, which remains isolated since the rehabilitation crew is being denied access by the claimants/landowners. The situation has impeded Agus Hydroelectric Plant Units 1 & 2 from supplying about 80 megawatts of cheaper power to Mindanao consumers and providing reliable power supply reducing, if not eliminating, rotating brownouts.

Apart from the provision of inexpensive power from hydro, the IATFSEF is exhausting all means to immediately return the benefits of host communities from the sale of the electricity from Agus 1 & 2. Under the Energy Regulations 1-94, host communities of Power generating facilities are granted a share of P0.01/kWh of electricity sales to be used for projects that will uplift the living conditions of the communities.

If the transmission tower remains unrepaired, this will result in unutilized electric power generated from Agus 1 & 2, depriving people in affected areas of their entitlement to undertake potential projects; such as, electrification, livelihood, health benefits (i.e., ambulance, clinic equipment), social infrastructures (i.e., roads, sports court), and reforestation, among others.

Goto Monster: Inside That Hole-In-The-Wall is a Gastronomic Giant

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I used to help out my uncle in his Goto business when I stayed for awhile in Pasig at my "Mama" who is my grandmother's youngest sister so I sort of have an idea how its run and managed. It was a time when I stopped my college days because of financial problems due to the separation of my parents. I could even still remember how I ask customers what they like to put in their "lugaw," "goto," or "arroz caldo."

Until now, I couldn't still remember the differences of the three varieties of the same porridge-based delicacy that is best eaten either on it's own or with "tokwa't baboy" or what we know as tofu and fried pork together with a mixture of soy sauce, vinegar and some sugar together with chopped onions. Though the porridge can be eaten with very little added ingredients, we have a choice whether to put hard-boiled eggs or the "tuwalya" or a particular kind of pork meat part called trife into our porridge. Some would put chicken or pork meat or even the chicken feet which is a favorite of many Filipinos.

I like mine with chicken, hard boiled eggs and the "tokwa't baboy" as a regular side dish. Sometimes I would eat it along with "lumpia" or spring rolls, while others can choose puto or rice cakes but I guess that's a better match for the "dinuguan" or pork blood stew.

I know that this kind of business is very profitable which is why they have popularized the term "tubong lugaw" because you can do things to the "goto" to maximize your earnings.However, it sacrifices the quality by masquerading the "goto" with spices or condiments like soy sauce and pepper. But the owners of Goto Monster says she makes sure the food they serve are top quality and not the usual type of servings that are only meant to increase profit earnings.