André Barrence talks about being one of the Google Campus Startups
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Since 2016 the Google Campus Sao Paulo promotes an innovative action project. With it, the Campus monitors pre-selected companies for a period of six months and helps them in an entrepreneurial way. The Campus General Manager, Andrew Barrence, talked a little with the showmetech about it.
The program Google Campuses is primarily focused on supporting so-called startups. Newcomers in their respective markets that are close to a new stage of development. O Google Campuses works precisely by helping these companies to grow in the best possible way.
What is the Google Campus program like?
Initially, a selection is made so that a smaller number of startups are chosen. As a result, the selected companies undergo a six-month training period. During this time, a team prepared by the Campus works directly with the entrepreneurs of the companies.
In this logic, startups work with a focus on the main challenges of their projects. As well as a clarification of its objectives. Finally, all results are closely monitored by the Google Campuses São Paulo, to evaluate the joint work and the project as a whole.
In addition, the chosen startups have access to exclusive materials and content. Among them we can mention specific connections with investors, opportunity to talk to mentors. As well as access to a complete network of experts from the Google Campuses.
With annual classes, the Google Campuses already had a class started in August 2016, another in mid-2017 and now, another one is starting in 2018. Altogether, according to André Barrence himself, there were 15 startups in the first class, 12 in the second where 5 remained from 2016, and 10 of the current third class. There are already more than 30 startups undergoing the program.
Startups as a focus
The selection of startups is one of the crucial points for the program of the Google Campuses. According to the director, André Barrence, the choice is already made aiming at those that have existing products and with some kind of interesting attraction. "It's a process that we've been refining with each round.“, says the director.
He told Showmetech that currently the profile of the chosen startups is much more of those that are already driven to their goal. As a result, companies are usually at a favorable stage for growth, perhaps lacking resources to do so.
It would be the movetake the next leap” for her growth as a startup. Generally "companies already have a lot of customers, but they need to make a bigger leap in user bases and revenues“, says Andrew.
About the focus of Google Campuses, the director explains that he is focused on “find companies that are on the verge of taking a leap in their growth and, at the same time, combine our resources to contribute in some way to their growth".
Examples of success
In the conversation with André Berrence, some startups were cited as an example of the program's success. Most of them participated in the Primer app launch, released this year. This application is intended to teach entrepreneurship classes and companies participated voluntarily in this project.
Check out some of the companies that have had great success with the program:
coupon
This is a company focused on the connection between advertisers and the final public. Its work is basically a service to promote services through discount coupons that offer certain savings to users. The startup participated in the first two classes of the program.
According to Andre Berrence, during the period that the company was in Google Campuses, she has grown a lot in his service. From a base of 500 users it has grown to an incredible 3 million users. In addition, it expanded from its initial sector linked to restaurants to various areas, such as fashion, for example.
IDwall
This is a startup focused on creating a platform that automates the decision-making process of companies. This process is now done by an automated data collection method by artificial intelligence. As a result, the company's technology can be applied in several different areas.
Even though she doesn't have direct contact with the final audience, the company has grown amazingly in the program. Initially with three members and two months of existence, André tells us that his team grew to 40 members in the second class of Google Campuses.
GUPY
Here we have a platform aimed at medium and large companies. Its magic is to automate the process of Recruiting, facilitating the selection of ideal people in a unique way. This happens through methods of capturing recommendations from candidates, always based on methods of People Analytics and Artificial Intelligence.
Member of the second class of Google Campuses, they arrived at Google already with a good team. However, André tells us that they greatly increased their strength during the period they were there. They basically tripled the number of customers they had in the period they were a startup.
originalmy
This startup of the second class basically does the entire document validation process using blockchain. As a result, they are involved in authenticating digital documents, preserving intellectual property, and other purposes.
André tells us that the company is very good at dealing with technology. However, they entered the program without much idea of which market their technology would best serve. During the period they were in Google Campuses greatly improved their product and work focus, gaining a lot of space in the market. They are currently on the Seoul Campus, in South Korea, to promote their work, which has crossed the country's borders.
Hondana
Finally, we have the company that transforms information into tools for teams. Focused on team performance, the company uses a B2B chatbot. This is so that companies maintain constant and easy communication with their commercial teams. In addition, elements such as employee training and measurement of results are all done via smartphone.
According to the director of Google Campuses São Paulo, in six months of the program, the startup increased its revenue 10 times. From a monthly recurring revenue of just over 10 thousand reais, the company managed to reach the incredible milestone of more than 100 thousand reais per month. That's in a growth of just six months' duration.
