Meet BeamAndGo: empowering Overseas Filipinos
Our portfolio company, BeamAndGo were part of Accelerating Asia’s flagship program for cohort 1. Here we interview BeamandGo Co-Founder Jonathon Chua on the team behind the magic and the startups product offerings. We should also add, the Accelerating Asia team are big fans of Jon’s regular investor updates and Dad jokes.
What products does BeamAndGo offer?
BeamAndGo is a payment and digital marketplace that empowers Overseas Filipinos (OFs) by giving them control over how their remittance money is spent by their families back home. The platform solves the problem of leakage and misuse of remitted funds.
Currently, over 7,100 redemption points throughout the Philippines accept BeamAndGo - supermarket, pharmacies, convenience stores, petrol stations, restaurants, rice and vegetable delivery, electronics, home appliances, and more. Some of our merchant partners include 7/11, Jollibee and Oppo.
BeamAndGo accepts credit cards and has payment partners – remittance centers, banks, digital wallets, kiosks - all over the world that accepts payments on behalf of the company.
Who are the people behind the magic?
That would be me, Jonathan and my Co-Founder Albert Christina Goa. I am the CEO and Albert takes care of our operations as COO.
We’re supported by our awesome management team with Justin Lee as our Head of Engineering, Jaquilyn Zacarias as Channel Manager and Edchel Mae Indino (Sales Manager).
There’s also a bunch of other staff and partners behind the scenes who really help us execute our vision to help 1 billion unbacked migrant workers regain control and trust in remittances.
Did you think you needed an accelerator?
Initially, we didn't think we needed one. We participated in another accelerator in 2018 and it was not right for us.
But after attending the Accelerating Asia roadshow event in Singapore and Manila and participating in the Selection Day, we realised how much we didn't know and saw immense value in being part of the accelerator.
What was the highlight of the Accelerating Asia program?
The highlight was the people we met - the Accelerating Asia team and the other founders in our cohort. Being a founder can be lonely. It was great to be around other founders who share similar ambitions, problems and tastes in hamburgers.
And having access to the Accelerating Asia team - Craig, Amra, Nesh, Rohana, Mark and Elena - was invaluable. We felt that Accelerating Asia was a safe space that we could let our guard down and discuss anything.
Another highlight was open house events. Unlike Albert, I dislike pitching. But being up on stage every week helped me prepare better, tell a compelling story, and understand the audience.
What types of mentors did you get access to and were they useful?
We had gaps in our operations and like most entrepreneurs, we didn't like accounting. Mentors David Ng and another accounting mentor turned that around. Our 4-year forecast model and projections were based on their masterclass and follow-up one-on-ones.
Neil Bearden's storytelling masterclass was great. I learned a lot in those 2+ hours and it changed how I pitched. Nesh was instrumental in how we looked at our marketing campaign and metrics.
Mike from Primal Video helped us with our direct marketing campaigns and funnel optimisation.
We also participated in PR, fund-raising, and marketing workshops where we met the related mentors. And yes, they were useful.
How did the Accelerating Asia team contribute to your growth or facilitate connections?
Accelerating Asia instilled discipline and focus. We became more numbers-driven, which proved to be the foundation for some of our course corrections. Our pitch got sharper and we are able to describe our business in 1 minute, in 3 minutes, and in an investor one-on-one meeting.
We continue to have productive relationships with the people we met on the San Francisco trip. This includes experts in technology, the Philippines Embassy in SF, and a merchant partner.
We are still tight with the other founders in our cohort: rooting for them when they take a stage; supporting them when they need help; sharing hamburger recommendations.
And there is a certain cachet with being part of Accelerating Asia. People know Accelerating Asia. When I talk to other founders, programs, investors, and VCs and they hear we were part of Accelerating Asia and I can sense their acknowledgment and we benefit from that little bit of increased credibility.