How CDOBITES helped shape homegrown tech companies from Northern Mindanao
Ventauso.com was presented during Demo Day, with copyright attribution to CDOBITES in 2023.
Cagayan de Oro City is no longer just known as a gateway city in Northern Mindanao. It is also becoming a growing startup hub where local founders are building technology companies that solve real business, education, and financial problems.
One of the strongest forces behind this growth is CDOBITES, the startup incubator and technology business incubation ecosystem based in Cagayan de Oro. CDOBITES supports entrepreneurs through mentorship, incubation, startup programs, investor exposure, and ecosystem-building activities. It is also connected with USTP and supported by DOST-PCIEERD, helping local startups become more investable and market-ready.
Below are some of the most notable and successful Cagayan de Oro startups connected to the CDOBITES ecosystem.
1. Hyperstacks Inc.
Industry: Fintech โข Digital Transformation โข Financial Technology
Website: hyperstacksinc.com
Hyperstacks Inc. is one of the strongest tech companies to come out of Cagayan de Oro. The company focuses on financial technology and digital transformation solutions for financial institutions.
Based on its official website, Hyperstacks has a presence in Cagayan de Oro and Bonifacio Global City, showing how a homegrown Mindanao startup can expand into the national business market.
Hyperstacks is also recognized as a CDOBITES incubatee and part of the accelerator ecosystem supported by MindSET Innovation. CDOBITES has highlighted Hyperstacks as a CDO-born fintech company that secured US$500,000, or around โฑ30 million, to support real-time payment systems and financial technology growth.
2. KaHero
Industry: POS System โข Retail Technology โข MSME Solutions
Website: kahero.co
KaHero is a smart point-of-sale system designed for small and medium businesses. It helps business owners manage sales, track transactions, reduce errors, and operate more efficiently both online and offline.
KaHero is especially relevant for Philippine MSMEs because many small businesses still need simple, affordable, and easy-to-use digital tools. Instead of building only for large enterprises, KaHero focuses on practical business owners such as retailers, food businesses, and service-based MSMEs.
CDOBITES has also featured KaHero in its startup content and programs, including a feature on Mrs. Melody Paurillo and the KaHero startup journey.
Why KaHero is successful
KaHero is successful because it solves a clear and common problem: helping small businesses digitize sales operations without making the process complicated. Its product is easy to understand, easy to sell, and directly useful to MSMEs.
3. WELA School Systems
Industry: EdTech โข School Management System โข Digital Education
Website: wela.online
WELA School Systems is one of the most recognized education technology startups from Cagayan de Oro. It provides web-based school systems that help schools manage academic records, reports, communication, and other digital education needs.
DOST describes WELA as a homegrown Cagayan de Oro tech startup making waves in the education technology sector. It was also named the 4th fastest-growing company in the Philippines in the 2025 Growth Champions list by the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Statista.
WELA is also a graduate incubatee of CDOBITES, a USTP-based Technology Business Incubator. DOST noted that WELA received a โฑ3 million research startup grant from DOST-PCIEERD in 2019 and continued to grow with support from DOST Region X.
Earlier reports also identified WELA as part of the first batch of CDOBITES incubatees and one of the CDO startups featured during Philippine Startup Week.
Why CDOBITES Matters to Cagayan de Oroโs Startup Growth
Website: cdobites.com
CDOBITES plays an important role because it gives local founders access to structure, mentorship, programs, and investor-readiness support. It helps transform ideas into businesses that can serve real markets.
The incubator has been recognized for contributing to the local startup community and regional innovation ecosystem. USTP also described CDOBITES as having programs that help startups test ideas, receive mentorship, launch companies, and present to investors and potential partners.
This kind of support is important because many promising founders outside Metro Manila lack access to investors, mentors, and commercialization networks. CDOBITES helps reduce that gap for Cagayan de Oro and Northern Mindanao startups.