by Nur Lemuel Castillo
At first thought, a minuscule spark could be negligible and could even be left unnoticed. But then again, it only takes a single spark to trigger the power that can light an entire community and those that remain in the dark.
As a developing nation, one problem that continues to exist in the Philippines is the inaccessibility and the expensive cost of electricity for Filipino households and industries. Having the highest electricity cost in the whole of Southeast Asia became a disadvantage for the Philippines as industries would rather relocate to other countries with lower electricity prices despite their raw materials coming from the Philippines.
Kislap: The Story of Exora Technologies Inc.'s Intellex Technology wins the GAWAD DAGITAB: Dakilang Ambag at Gabay sa Industriya sa Tulong ng Teknolohiya at Agham on 20 December 2021 at The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion, Taguig City
This problem is the main driving force of one Filipino startup company in creating a technology that could potentially change how Filipino industries experience and use electricity.
A first-of-its-kind technology in the country, Intellex offers an energy-saving platform to reduce electricity costs and give Filipino industries the power of choice for their energy needs.
Nominated as one of the most outstanding technologies funded by the Technology Innovation for Commercialization (TECHNiCOM) Program, Intellex was hailed as one of the winners for the GAWAD TECHNiCOM under the Gawad DAGITAB or Dakilang Ambag at Gabay sa Industriya sa Tulong ng Teknolohiya at Agham para sa Bayan.
The said award is given to the most promising TECHNiCOM-funded technology in recognition of its significant contribution to the Industry sector.
Intellex is a cloud-based data analytics platform for smart energy management and electricity cost reduction, a technology that aims to penetrate the energy industry that has long settled itself and established the norm on how power reaches the homes of every Filipino.
Fresh out of college, Mr. Sergius Angelo Santos, as its CEO, co-founded Exora Technologies Inc., with a clear vision in their mind–to make electricity more affordable and accessible for Filipinos.
However, the task is easier said than done. They had to prove their credibility despite their young age while facing seasoned corporate executives and convince them to trust them and their technology.
According to Mr. Santos, a common question they get whenever they pitch their technologies to company owners is if they are college students doing an undergraduate thesis—a stereotype they fought so hard to defeat.
But the Exora team did not falter. What they lack in age and experience, they compensated with expertise and talent that eventually brought them to where they are right now.
At present, Intellex has provided service to 32 industrial and commercial facilities with record electricity savings amounting to ₱70 million pesos and has forged partnerships with various solar power providers, energy audit companies, electrical subcontractors, and off-grid energy generation companies.
Moreover, the Exora team received various recognitions for Intellex, such as the Grand Prize for the 2021 Professional Category of the Alfredo M. Yap Intellectual Property Awards, Grand Prize for the Techsauce Competition 2018, Philippines, and Grand Prize for the Techtonic Competition 2018, Southeast Asia.
Mr. Santos, upon receiving the Gawad DAGITAB award, dedicated their win to all the people who trusted them in times that they are doubted and for those who gave them support as they took the leap of faith in making their vision a reality, with DOST-TAPI being one of them.
