SWC also-ran makes it to Echelon Singapore

A TEAM of young multi-national entrepreneurs who competed but failed in Startup Weekend Cebu-2 in 2012 will carry the Philippine colors at the Echelon 2014 tech conference in Singapore this June.

This was proudly revealed by TechTalks.ph founder Tina Amper during the joint press launch of Startup Weekend Cebu (SWC)-4 and 1st Startup Weekend Bohol last April 11 at the Golden Hub.

Amper said the group, then known as Team Candy during SWC-2, earned the right to represent the country in Singapore when it ruled over the rest of the 11-team field in the Echelon 2014 Philippines Satellite competition on April 4 at the Meridian International College in Taguig City.

"I am very proud of these guys," said Amper, mother of Startup Weekend Cebu. "Their perseverance paid off. They did not land in the Top 3 at SWC-2, yet they never lose hope. They believe in their startup and now they're earning from it."

Team Candy won the ticket to Singapore for its novel mobile rewards platform, which the group initially pitched at the 2nd Startup Weekend Cebu in November 2012 but failed to get the nods of the judges.

Believing in the viability of its product, the team – currently composed of Filipino, Indian, and Japanese nationals -- went on to pursue its startup and launched Candy (can-dy.ph) a few months after SWC-2.

At the time of SWC-2, Team Candy was basically just an all-Japanese tandem skippered by Yosuke Fukada until a number of fellow believers, including Indian national Arnab Gupta, jumped in to form the group’s present lineup.

Now officially registered as YOYO Holdings PTE Ltd., the group has already captured a nationwide market of 75,000 users within eight months upon launching the platform. Following the success of Candy in the country, YOYO expanded its services to Thailand and Indonesia where it gained 30,000 users in a month.

Candy is a platform that offers free mobile airtime or prepaid load credit for calls, text, and internet browsing in exchange for doing some micros tasks, such as filling out surveys, making reviews of a product or brand, or downloading apps, among others.

YOYO, on the other hand, gets its revenues from advertisers on Candy, which is a good avenue for ads since netizens will be frequently visiting the site to avail of the free load credits it's offering.

At the Echelon 2014 tech conference in Singapore, Amper said YOYO will have the rare opportunity to interact and receive valuable insights from the business leaders in the tech startup industry.

The largest tech confab in Asia is also the best venue for YOYO to attract investors or forge partnerships with established companies for its expansion plans.

Meanwhile, the fourth edition of Startup Weekend Cebu is scheduled to take place on June 6-8 at the University of Cebu - Banilad campus, whereas the first-ever Startup Weekend Bohol will be held on May 23-25 at the University of Bohol in Tagbilaran City.