As AI technology becomes more popular, various startups in Southeast Asia (SEA) are exploring different use cases for its implementation. Many of them are helping small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to embrace this technology, including Ridge.

“Analytics, not just AI, is inaccessible for SMEs in the Philippines, many of which were forced to go digital due to the pandemic. Unfortunately, not many can take advantage of their data asset as building data capabilities is costly and time-consuming,” explains Ridge Co-Founder and CEO Jason Dolorso in an email to e27.

“Ridge aims to democratise analytics and AI by streamlining the process from data ingestion and processing to actionable business insights and AI model integration. This challenges the current status quo of hiring data consultants to build an organisation’s data capabilities by building an analytics platform that businesses can use out-of-the-box.”

Ridge focuses on the Food & Beverage (F&B) sector by empowering restaurant owners to use AI-driven insights for operational efficiency, enhancing menu optimisation and promotions, and ultimately driving profit maximisation.

“Initially, we collaborate closely with our proof-of-concept clients to gather insights into their main pain points while identifying their data preprocessing and transformation requirements,” Dolorso explains the process of product development.

“Next is to find key data points important for restaurants. These shared points become the basis of our product, making sure our analytics and AI features benefit the businesses we serve.”

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Ridge said that it is currently working with restaurant chains all over the Philippines. It plans to roll out its prototype by September so that the company can receive feedback and add new features based on it.

“As of now, we are directly approaching chain F&Bs as our early adopters. Eventually, we plan to expand through strategic partnerships, including collaborations with Point-of-Sale (POS) providers,” says Dolorso.

Despite having a start with the F&B industry, Ridge would not stop there. It plans to scale its technology to other verticals such as e-commerce, retail, pharmaceuticals, and fintech. According to the company, while these companies may have different markets, KPIs and use cases, they require the same infrastructure, technology and implementation.

“The grander vision of Ridge is to democratise analytics and AI throughout the country. As we progress, we foresee Ridge as an analytics platform adopted by businesses spanning diverse industries, enabling them to make informed, data-driven decisions,” says Dolorso.

“Where businesses can be ‘powered by Ridge’ – equating to optimised processes, best-in-class products, and guaranteed customer satisfaction.”

Behind the technology

The Philippines-based Ridge was co-founded by three seasoned talents in the field of data and AI. Each of the co-founders holds a master’s degree in data science and brings a diverse range of expertise to the table.

Dolorso has a background in before transitioning to data science and data governance. CTO Dennis Diego has a background in software development, while Chief Growth Officer (CGO) Cedric Corro is a data science and educator.

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“Although we’re just starting out, we’ve already engaged with renowned names in the F&B sector. Additionally, we’ve been incubated with Archipelago Labs. This partnership has provided us with invaluable support, resources, and guidance to bring Ridge to life. We successfully concluded our demo day on August 12. This event provided us with the platform to introduce Ridge to potential investors and partners, a noteworthy milestone in our early journey,” Dolorso says.

Ridge is currently bootstrapping its business, though the company is open to fundraising in the future, primarily seeking strategic partners to help it maximise its existing technology.

“Our main goal for this year is to test and refine Ridge alongside our early adopters. Paving the way for our beta launch, followed by the full go-live scheduled for the next year,” Dolorso closes.

“We’re closing our final list of PoC clients that will be able to use Ridge at no cost while having our team as de facto data consultants during this phase.”

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Image Credit: Ridge

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