Echo

1. To employ communities though low barrier jobs that can be completed though an on-demand mobile platform.

2. Echo provides an on-demand job platform that breaks up complicated projects into location-based tasks that can be completed by users within communities via an app in exchange for a reward paid to the user via the apps wallet.

3. In South Africa, Secret Agent uses the platform to power a workforce of 40 000 users to complete jobs for brands in exchange for rewards. These users are mostly low-income or unemployed and use the app to earn additional income for food, transport and education.

Echo can provide any company, in any location, with a gig-economy style platform to create jobs for their community. 

Our aim is to help companies solve internal problems by outsourcing small tasks and jobs to people within their communities who can benefit by earning an additional income by completing these tasks and jobs. 

A good example is how Secret Agent uses the platform to provide brands with retail insights from the point of sale by leveraging a national workforce of 40 000 consumers who can earn rewards by taking photos and answering questionnaires at stores where the brands stock products.

The app shows the closest jobs, the reward and what is required. The users can then visit the store and submit the completed job, the reward is then paid into their wallet. 

We can provide the same solution in multiple countries, ideally targeting users who are in the low income sector who need a barrier free way to earn an additional income.

Echo can be used with any brand and their communities, but the communities we target are mostly in the unemployed and low income sector who can use the platform to earn an additional income.

Many users need help buying food, paying rent or tuition. 

Each task usually has a reward attached for the user to complete the task. This is paid into their mobile wallet on approval, which can be paid out to their bank account.

The echo platform works in the following way. 

1. Create surveys, tasks or checklists and set the reward

2. Link locations where the above should be completed

3. Assign teams or communities who will have access to the tasks

4. Collect responses and review

5. Users are paid each time a task is approved

There is a website portal for brands to manage and IOS/Android apps for users who wish to complete tasks.

Our solution performs best at scale by being able to break up a large task into thousands of small tasks that are rapidly completed by large communities vs the traditional way of using small internal teams to tackle a large amount of tasks. 

The platform also saves many logistical hours for companies who often have a full time resource to plan and manage team tasks and data collection. 

From an economy angle, the self-managed nature of the platform allows community members to complete jobs when it suits them and earn extra income in a very simple and time efficient manner. 

Our platform currently handles 1000-3000 jobs per month and can grow to 100's of 1000's of jobs per month.

We would like brands to change the way they manage certain fieldwork areas as they are currently slow and contribute to their carbon footprint. By using our system they will complete their larger tasks faster, cheaper and with a smaller footprint, while helping employ individuals who need an additional income.

Currently - 40 000 users

1 year - 100 000 users

5 years - 500 000 users

Our goals for the next year:

To grow internationally and expand our software as a service module. 

To increase our user base to 100 000 users and more than double our current number of jobs in the system. 

Goals for the next 5 years:

To provide a widget for brands to add to their apps and platforms that can instantly provide them access to a workforce that they can use throughout their business. 

To provide 1 million jobs to disadvantaged individuals throughout the world.

Our biggest areas for improvement are sales and development. This is what we would use the funds to accelerate, as we are currently building and promoting the platform on a shoestring budget. 

Over the next 5 years we hope to find a strategic partner that has an international footprint who can help us fill our jobs pipeline with international tasks that our mobile community can access. 

We are currently reinvesting all revenue into development and sales and are currently looking for an investment partner to accelerate growth. 

We have interest from companies in the USA, UK and Australia who would like to use the platform to manage jobs with their communities. 

We will be rolling out pilots over the next month. 

2 full time staff

3 contract staff

5 partner company resources

The team has a background in market research, digital product development and marketing. 

Before echo, the management team had a vast amount of experience in external field worker management solutions and is able to apply the knowledge to build a more efficient job creation tool.

Most clients are within the retail, hospitality and FMCG spaces. 

We provide them with insights and visibility from their points of interest by employing thousands of individuals to complete tasks at their locations. 

We charge a few per task/job completed. This ranges from $1-$20 depending on who is completing the task. 

e.g. We give one of the largest fast food companies customer experience feedback by sending in individuals to visit their branches and experience the service

e.g. We provide retail brands with improved visibility in their stores by having users send back photos and information from stores all over the country.

We need to increase the number of tasks completed via our system on a monthly basis. We are currently cashflow positive, but require a large increase in tasks to increase revenue. 

Each brand or client we load on the system increases this number.

The funds can be used to accelerate marketing and development. We can fast track features that are on our wish list and also increase sales and marketing efforts to ultimately win more clients and create more jobs. 

The exposure and potential partner networks will also be a huge benefit to us. 

Mostly brands, agencies and companies looking to crowdsource tasks through an additional community workforce.