For the inaugural “AQELERATION: B2B Startups Disrupting Industries” program, QBO Innovation Hub and Microsoft picked three Philippine startups (Steer, Mayani, and Last Mile Incorporated) that will receive intensive training, dedicated mentorship, and a financial grant.

Steer is a no-code operations digitalization platform that helps companies transform the way they do business. Mayani is an agri-e-commerce and supply chain platform that connects smallholder farmers to buyers. While Last Mile Incorporated is a shared logistics platform ecosystem that aims to solve the challenges for businesses that operate their own logistics operations and those that rely on third-party providers.

The program provides support to ensure the three B2B tech startups scale and grow faster. The six-month program begins in September 2021.

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“Digital transformation has become a priority to ensure that businesses can continue to operate and adapt to changing conditions,” said Katrina Chan, executive director, QBO Innovation Hub. “With this acceleration program, Steer, Mayani, and Last Mile can build and improve on the support that they currently deliver to enterprise clients, leveraging on the unparalleled network and resources that QBO and Microsoft are able to provide.”

No-code solutions

Steer has been helping companies in multiple countries over the past 18 months digitalize processes in maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO). Steer’s flagship MRO automation suite offers clients in manufacturing, heavy equipment, and automotive industries a platform to implement their own custom mobile and web solutions in as fast as two weeks. The company has 30% MoM growth and has business partners across the Asia Pacific, Latin America, the United States, and the Middle East.

Mayani focuses on agri-marketing and supply chain fulfillment, where it consolidates the different farmers’ cooperatives’ crop production at scale and directly distributes their fresh produce and agri-products to commercial clients like Shell, Robinsons, WalterMart, Healthy Options, UCC Group, Cara Mia, and much more. Mayani envisions to fully unlock the $9 billion agriculture industry in the Philippines by digitizing the agri-supply chain and making it more efficient, equitable for farmers, and more dependable for buyers. Mayani currently covers over 200 commercial partner touchpoints and is growing at a 20% MoM.

B2B segment

Last Mile Inc. is a shared logistics innovation company that changes how businesses operate their deliveries. Their offering consists of a digital products ecosystem designed to address the core issues of business logistics operations. Last Mile Inc. currently has over 90 clients and is reports 10% MoM growth with its clients.

A total of 36 startups creating solutions in the B2B segment to digitize businesses in the Philippines applied for the program, and the three finalists were selected based on the following criteria: the size of the market opportunity, user base and growth to date, uniqueness and technology behind the solution, ability, and capacity of the team to execute, and plans for future growth.

“These three organizations represent key economic drivers and growth areas in the Philippines so the potential and motivation to scale their operations beyond their current capacity is both exciting and critical,” said Abid Zaidi, chief marketing and operations officer at Microsoft Philippines. “With the right support and empowerment, Filipino startups can have a broader and more lasting impact toward positive economic outcomes for the country and the world. We believe this fully and we’re grateful to find a common vision and dedication to this greater agenda in our partners at QBO Innovation Hub.”