Eskuad, a startup with Portland ties that’s built a mobile-first data platform for businesses with employees in field operations, has raised $1.65 million to help it scale.
The funding round was led by Outlander VC, a New York-based generalist firm that invests across sectors. Other investors in the round include: Mis Inversiones, a Chilean Family office; Behind Genius Ventures; C2 Ventures; and mentors from Techstars, Start-up Chile, and Tampa Bay Wave participating as angels. The funding also includes a $100,000 grant from Google for Startups the company received last year.
“This is an exciting milestone for the company and will fuel our aspirations for operations and investment projects over the next two years during a time when the environment is complex,” said Eskuad CEO and Founder Max Echeverria. “We feel responsible for achieving our goals and providing the best experience possible to our current and future users.”
Eskuad, which was a member of the inaugural cohort of the Roux Institute Techstars Accelerator in Portland, offers a no-code productivity and compliance field data platform that works regardless of internet service. The platform decrease operational costs and improves field worker experiences across traditional industries, including maritime, construction, and agriculture.
Originally launched in Chile, where Echeverria hails from, the company entered the U.S. market to expand its customer base and provide innovative solution to companies eager to adopt the technology and transform how they approach field operations. It was the prevalence of the maritime, construction, and agriculture sectors in Maine that led Echeverria to apply for and attend the former Techstars accelerator in Portland. After the program ended at the end of 2021, Echeverria announced he was moving the company to Maine.
Today, the company is co-headquartered in Maine and Atlanta, though the majority of its customers are still located in Chile, Echeverria tells MSI. He is currently based in Atlanta, which is where many Chilean companies have their U.S. headquarters and is equidistant between Chile and Portland, with direct flights to both, he says. The company still has employees based in Maine.
Besides attending the Techstars accelerator, the company has also participated in several other accelerator programs, including Google for Startups’ Founders Academy and Latino Founders Fund, and Tampa Bay Wave.
With the new funds, Echeverria said the company will invest in its existing and future community of users, adapt AI technology to provide faster and more significant value, and expand its service to more field workers in the United States.
“The founders of Eskuad are passionate about the space they are building in and are an exceptional example of founder/market fit,” said Blaine Davis, partner at Outlander VC. “They have felt the problem firsthand and set out to make impactful changes in their business. They are providing tangible value to hundreds of field workers today, and we see that scaling to hundreds of thousands in the near future.”
