Kalibrr gets $100,000 funding from Kickstart Ventures

Kalibrr, a startup providing an online learning platform for prospective BPO employees, has received funding from Kickstart Ventures to the tune of US$100,000.

We earlier featured Kalibrr as one of the Philippine startups aiming to make a difference by helping improve the local BPO scene. In gist, Kalibrr provides a training platform through which prospective and current BPO employees can improve their skills.

Kickstart Ventures, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Globe Telecom, has just announced an investment of US$100,000 (or PhP 4.1 million) with the aim of helping Kalibrr help Filipinos find jobs. Kalibrr aims to bridge the global skills gap through online learning, and actually plans to go beyond the Philippines in its advocacy.

“The biggest risk to doing business in the Philippines isn’t natural disasters or corruption – it’s the ability to find enough skilled talent to fill our vacancies,” says Kalibrr co-founder and CEO Paul Rivera, citing his experience as a BPO company founder prior to his venture into Kalibrr.

Meanwhile, Kickstart Ventures president Minette Navarette says Kalibrr is the sort of startup the venture fund is keen on investing in: transformative, ambitious and execution-oriented.

L-R: Christian Besler, Dan Siazon, Minette Navarrete, Paul Rivera, Dexter Ligot-Gordon, David Elefant (Credits: Kalibrr)

Read on for the full press release.

Press Release

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Kickstart Ventures Inc. Invests in Startup Online Learning Platform Kalibrr

Business incubation company Kickstart Ventures Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Globe Telecom, has invested US100,000 or more than Php4 million, in Kalibrr, a startup online learning platform designed to help users qualify for and land jobs.

Co-founded in January 2012 by UC Berkeley graduates Paul Rivera and Dexter Ligot-Gordon, Kalibrr is composed of talents from the Philippines and around the world. The company aims to create economic opportunities through learning and employment. And it’s starting by helping Filipinos get jobs in the local business process outsourcing (BPO) industry.

One of the fastest growing industries in the Philippines, the BPO sector is projected by the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP) to employ 1.3 million people and earn $25 billion in 2016. According to BPAP, BPO jobs – which offer higher salaries than many jobs in other industries – can help to strengthen the Philippine middle class.

However, despite the availability of thousands of BPO jobs and many companies’ leniency with qualifications, the industry only has a 5 percent hiring rate. Kalibrr CEO Paul Rivera, who previously founded a BPO company in the Philippines, says, “The biggest risk to doing business in the Philippines isn’t natural disasters or corruption – it’s the ability to find enough skilled talent to fill our vacancies.”

Kalibrr aims to help to close this skills gap. Kalibrr partners with companies to identify critical skill needs and creates a series of assessment tools and curricula that help users qualify for a job. Once users complete the online program, Kalibrr refers them to its partner companies for a job interview. For users, the service is absolutely free. Companies pay a fixed fee for every candidate they hire through Kalibrr.

At present, Kalibrr is focused on getting users in Metro Manila call center jobs. The company has already successfully helped users start their careers with some of the country’s top BPO companies. It plans to cater to companies in other industries, and expand to other provinces in the Philippines and abroad.

Kickstart Ventures views this partnership as a step in line with its mission to cultivate a new generation of technoprepreneurs in the Philippines. For Kickstart President Minette Navarrete, “Kalibrr represents the kind of startup that we want to invest in: a transformational idea, an ambitious plan, and a strong drive to execute in-market. Paul and Dexter have assembled a great team, and we’re thrilled to join their drive to innovate in the education-to-employment space.”

Kalibrr CEO Paul Rivera says, “Through this investment, we aim to disrupt the way people prepare for and qualify for work globally. We are a Filipino brand with a global vision.”

To learn more about Kalibrr, visit www.kalibrr.com or www.facebook.com/kalibrr. For more information on Kickstart Ventures, visit www.kickstart.ph.

About Kalibrr
Kalibrr is an online learning platform designed to help jobseekers get real jobs, starting with the call center industry. Composed of a global team of top talent, the company aims to create economic opportunities through learning and employment. Visit www.kalibrr.com to learn more.

About Kickstart
Kickstart Ventures Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of leading telecommunications company Globe Telecom, Inc. Kickstart helps support and develop a dynamic community of technopreneurs in the Philippines. We help startup founders build innovative businesses by providing funding, facilities, mentorship and market access. www.kickstart.ph

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