NOT all successful entrepreneurs started with a large sum of money. Some only had relentless work ethic, passion and focus.
Throughout his entrepreneurial journey in the tech-startup scene, Kristoffer Vincent Loremia, managing director at Tudlo Innovation Solutions Inc., was only armed with one thing: pure passion to create his own startup.
“Way back in 2012, I was given a chance to go to Silicon Valley. The whole place and ecosystem boiled my inner being to create my own startup. What motivated us to continue with this passion is the vision that everyone can now work anywhere,” said Loremia.
Prior to setting up Tudlo, Loremia and his business partner Mark Anthony Lapuz founded Kallfly, an on-demand virtual contact center that provided experienced call agents for customer support, customer survey, telemarketing, virtual assistants, appointment setting and lead generation for both small and medium businesses.
The duo worked together after Kallfly and built Tudlo, the company behind the disaster response mobile app called Batingaw, which was shortlisted at the GSMA Global Mobile Awards in 2018 under the World’s Best Mobile Innovation category supporting emergency or humanitarian situations.
Tudlo.co and KallFly.com.au are supported by Smart Communications Inc., Ideaspace Foundation, ITU World Telecom, JFDI-Asia, HotDesq-Advance Queensland and BlueStartups.
In 2016, the Tudlo team led the development of the mobile application for the Greater Horn of Africa region called React-Hoa or the Regional Early Warning/Action and Communication Tool-Horn of Africa.
Loremia, who is an information technology graduate of the University of San Carlos, recalled that he never expected he would come this far—realizing a dream to create relevant applications for the community.
“We wanted to succeed in order for us to give back what we have learned from our startup journey,” he said.
Loremia’s passion now has purpose and intention attached to it. His unique combination of leadership and technical skills led the group to create mobile applications that are now creating a positive impact on the community.
Loremia said the startup journey was never an easy path.
He recalled that an idea, no matter how brilliant it is, needs a team to realize it. More importantly, it needs deep-pocketed individuals to fund it until it makes its way to the market.
“We decided to create Kallfly to help people, especially single mothers who want to stay at their house and work at their own comfort,” said Loremia.
Batingaw, on the other hand, was created to address one of country’s needs for quick disaster response.
The Batingaw mobile app provides government agencies, organizations and individuals with immediate access to disaster warnings, advisories, location data and disaster mappings.
Besides running Kallfly and Tudlo, Loremia has also helped build applications for the United Nations Development Program, World Bank and Silicon Valley-based startups.
Loremia, who moved to Australia in 2018, promised to do more enterprise projects for Tudlo.
“We are still on a mission. Tudlo Innovation Solutions works on the premise and the philosophy that the mobile and web technology, when harnessed accordingly, creates a great impact in the society we are in by providing a safer, more secure and smarter society,” he said.
Just this year, the group launched Tudlo AAPS (Accelerated Application and Platform as a Service), which allows industries and stakeholders to connect, collaborate and communicate.
“Our footprint and flexibility in all sectors of society made us the go-to all-in-one platform,” he said.
What was your first job?
I was a PHP software developer in an outsourcing company. I declined an offer at NEC as I was passionate more on web software development.
Who inspired you to get into business?
Primarily, I was influenced by my family on my mother’s side, as most of them are in business. When I was on my second job, my passion to create my own business grew but I was already entrepreneurial growing up.
When did you realize this was what you were meant to do?
I was already so sure when I was in college that I would put up an information technology (IT) business. I was already trying to put up one and finally got a chance when we were given an opportunity by Ideaspace.
Why did you pick this type of business or industry?
IT is one of the few industries that does not need physical inventory of goods and services, which is one of the headaches in every operation. You can create things anywhere and anytime. It’s a fair playing field for everyone who has a dream. You only need a dream, passion, imagination and the internet.
Where did you get the training you needed to succeed?
First, at home, especially that my father really valued education. Second was in the university. My IT batchmates were honor students in high school, so there was intense competition.
Third was from my second job. We were taught not only the technical side of IT, but most importantly how to talk to and understand customers. Not only that, we were taught how to build a startup business.
How many times did you fail before you succeeded?
I would not say I am successful. I am still failing and will continue to make mistakes. I am happily enjoying the journey. It is others who can define you as successful. But as long as you are happy with what you are doing, and you really find it as your passion and purpose, then I may say you are already successful.