The future looks bright for a Mexico City-based startup that crowdsources independent contractors to complete tasks for retailers: it has just raised US $4.4 million in capital and plans to expand into other Latin American countries.
Zubale is the brainchild of Allison Campbell and Sebastian Monroy, two graduates of Harvard Business School. Via an online platform and mobile, the company links people looking for short-term work assignments with large corporations.
The jobs can range from conducting market research for a brand to stocking shelves, checking prices and building displays in retail stores.
Since its launch, Zubale contractors have completed 170,000 tasks for consumer brands and in the past year the company’s permanent workforce has quadrupled from 10 to 40 full-time employees.
Campbell told the technology news website TechCrunch that Zubale can save companies money by providing them with casual fit-for-purpose contractors, who have the option of being remunerated with mobile phone credit or digital vouchers that can be used to make purchases online.
She explained that many of the startup’s contractors choose to be paid that way because many Mexicans don’t have bank accounts.
“They love us,” Campbell said, explaining that people who complete tasks listed on Zubale can “increase their income by 40%.”
Contractors complete on average 20 tasks a week, she said, adding that many complete numerous jobs for one retailer which saves them from having to move from one location to another.
The company now has US $4.4 million in seed funding from both venture capital firms and private investors.
Campbell said Zubale eventually plans to enter countries such as Brazil, Peru and Chile. She explained that a lot of the company’s success is due to the buzz it has created on social media, adding that word of mouth has also helped Zubale to attract new contractors.
While there is scope for the company to offer a service that matches freelance labor for a wider variety of tasks, Zubale plans to continue to focus on meeting the needs of large retailers for the foreseeable future.
Source: TechCrunch (en)
