Google for Startups Latino Founders Fund selected Eskuad as one 50 startups to support. (photo/Google)

Google yesterday selected Eskuad, a Portland-based startup that’s built a mobile-first data platform for businesses that have employees in field operations, as one of 50 startups it will support, both financially and otherwise, via its Google for Startups Latino Founders Fund.

Eskuad, which was a member of the inaugural cohort of the Roux Institute Techstars Accelerator in Portland, will receive a non-dilutive $100,000 cash award from the fund, as well as hands-on support and mentorship from Google employees across the company, $100,000 in Google Cloud credits, and access to founder-therapy sessions they may need for emotional or professional support.

“Max is building a great company in Eskuad,” said Danny Navarro from Google for Startups, referring to Max Echeverria, Eskuad’s founder and CEO. “We love their approach and think there are so many groups in the field that can benefit from their platform. We’re thrilled to have them as a recipient of the Latino Founders Fund.”

After graduating from the Roux Institute Techstars Accelerator in December 2021, Echeverria decided to relocate the company from his native Chile to Portland.

“This is an outstanding milestone within our strategy to grow the company in America,” Echeverria said. “We started bootstrapping in the south of Chile, and at first nobody believed us. Being backed by Techstars, and now Google, is a dream came true. It creates opportunities for us to grow the company in the direction we wanted, and opens doors we didn’t know existed. Overall, the support from experts and employees at Google will help us work better and faster.”

The company now has six employees in Chile and three contractors in the United States, including two in Portland, according to Echeverria. It has also raised $90,000 via an ongoing crowdfunding campaign on WeFunder.

Google for Startups announced the $5 million investment in the 50 Latino-founded startups on July 11 at the UnidosUS Annual Conference in San Antonio.

This is Google’s first Latino Founders Fund. It was developed to provide hands-on support and non-dilutive cash awards to Latino founders across the country. Selection was based on the strength of the founder’s application, startup size, readiness for funding, demonstrated traction, reach and impact, and whether Google could uniquely support them aside from the capital. Eligible startups also must have raised less than $3 million in funding in total.