Lista PH is a tech startup that aims to help small businesses, freelancers, and individuals nationwide by giving them the digital tools to manage their business and collect PHP 75 million in receivables via smartphones.
Since its launch in September, Lista has helped collect over PHP 75 million in receivables of Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) or an average of PHP 3,800 paid per user all over the Philippines.
By using the Lista PH app, Filipinos are given a free and secure way to manage finances including debt tracking, transaction records, and issuing invoices.
“Helping Philippine MSMEs was an advocacy close to my heart. Growing up, I saw the challenges my family endured in running a sari-sari store (community store). I spent almost a year just talking to various MSMEs in the province and trying different ideas to help them grow. And that’s when I realized that the first thing to do to really help them grow is through digitization and replacing pen and paper with easy-to-use tech,”
Lista PH co-founder Aaron Villegas.
As the pandemic struck last year, digitization of business processes proved to be pivotal in ensuring the continuity of business operations. MSMEs were among the most affected during the prolonged quarantines with 74% of MSMEs halted operations due to the lockdowns according to the Department of Trade and Industry.
After a survey conducted by Lista PH where they asked among 300 microentrepreneurs how they do their record-keeping, it showed:
- 26% are not able to track all their income and expenses
- 64% said that they use traditional and manual methods to monitor income, expenses, and customer debts like writing on notebooks
- only 3% use digital tools such as Microsoft Excel
Digital tools can help fill the gap and allow them to record and track their transactions and growth. Lista PH aims to help MSMEs digitize their business and provide a free and secure way of easily managing their finances.
“MSMEs are the backbone of the Philippine economy and it’s time we stop leaving them behind. Through this app, we want to revolutionize the way MSMEs operate and provide them with a reliable digital partner for small businesses in the country.”
Lista PH Co-founder Khriz Lim
Lista PH’s roster of local and regional investors include former Grab Philippines president and co-founder Brian Cu, Monde Nissin Family Ventures Willy Arifin, Jupiter Bank Chief Executive Officer Jitendra Gupta, Pinelabs Chief Executive Officer Amrish Rau, CRED founder Kunal Shah, Google Asia Pacific Senior Execs Aurelien Pichon, and Alap Bharadwaj and other prominent angel investors.
The tech startup is also backed by Saison Capital Bank in Japan, East Ventures, and 1982 Ventures, which are venture capital firms that fund promising early fintech startups in Southeast Asia.
“Lista is empowering millions of MSME businesses in the Philippines to move from pen and paper to digital. The book-keeping app space in the Philippines is wide open and Aaron and Khriz are the right founders to capture the opportunity. Lista’s product and strong traction have put them in pole position to win the market.”
Herston Powers, Managing Partner and Co-founder at 1982 Ventures
For more information about the Lista PH app, click here.
Started his freelancing adventure in 2018 and began doing freelance Audio Engineering work and then started freelance writing a few years later.
Currently he writes for Gadget Pilipinas and Grit.PH.
He is also a musician, foody, gamer, and PC enthusiast.
