Last June 8, 2021, during the virtual opening of the call for the 2nd cycle of the PCIEERD Startup Grant Fund Program, Ms. Rusell Pili, Chief of the Research Information and Technology Transfer Division (RITTD) of DOST-PCIEERD, formally announced the first cohort of startups who will be receiving a financial spport under the Startup Grant Program of the Department.
Out of more than 50 startup proposals, only 14 teams proceeded to the final round and were granted the technical panel approval.
Among the three (3) startups in Mindanao approved for the grant is OBXS Technologies—the team behind GEOPINDOT, an offline mobile application for local disaster and emergency reporting. GEOPINDOT is the only technology that falls under the priority sector of Digital Tools for Public Service in the pioneering cohort of the program.The startup company is founded by Arnel Arreglado, Jolito Rico, and Fewee Arreglado, who are part of the Cohort 1 of the ISKO Program of the UP Mindanao Growing and Developing Enterprises (UPGRADE).
The team graduated from the program last May 27, 2021, and the grant is very timely to support their full operation as a business.The UP Mindanao community is proud and humbled by this significant milestone of OBXS Technologies.
