For overseas e-commerce platform: Cebuano-founded startup seeks 750,000 dollar pre-seed

CEBU, Philippines — Cebuano-founded startup SariKo is seeking $750,000 in pre-seed funding to scale an e-commerce platform for overseas communities, betting on what it estimates to be an $840 billion global market driven by migrant consumer spending.

The Ho Chi Minh City-based company is raising capital through a Simple Agreement for Future Equity (SAFE) with a $10 million valuation cap and a 20 percent discount, according to founder and Chief Executive Officer Poppet Celdran.

Celdran, who is one of the pioneers in developing eCommerce platforms in Cebu, such as Padala.com, BestofCebu “pasalubong” delivery platform, said proceeds will fund 18 months of operations through October 2027, including product engineering, market expansion, seller acquisition and regulatory compliance.

SariKo, which soft-launched on April 18, 2026 has onboarded 19 sellers without paid marketing. The company plans its full commercial rollout on June 21 to coincide with the 128th Philippine Independence Day celebration in Ho Chi Minh City, in partnership with the Filipino community organization Samahan ng mga Pilipino (SAPI).

“The traction we have built before a single marketing peso was spent tells us the demand is real,” Celdran said in a statement. “Now we are raising the capital to build the infrastructure that serves it properly.”

The startup positions itself as the first platform under Pangea, a planned global network of commerce marketplaces for overseas communities that aims to expand city by city worldwide. SariKo estimates its market opportunity at $840 billion, based on 280 million overseas consumers spending an average of $3,000 annually on community-based commerce.

The company’s business model combines transaction commissions, subscription services, featured listings and advertising with a licensing structure aimed at accelerating international expansion.

Under its “City License” model, global Pinoy communities or associations, local entrepreneurs and community organizations can pay a flat $25,000 fee plus tiered gross merchandise value royalties to operate localized SariKo platforms in their own cities.

The structure is designed to reduce the company’s operational burden while allowing third-party operators to replicate the marketplace model independently.

According to Celdran, SariKo plans to allocate 55 percent of the fresh capital toward engineering and product development, 25 percent toward go-to-market initiatives and seller acquisition, and 20 percent toward legal and operational requirements.

Celdran previously founded wellness startup Zen Wellness, which was named among the Top 50 startups at Vietnam’s Startup Wheel competition in 2022. His artificial intelligence venture BridgeAI was also included in the ITEC 2025 Top 50 Startups list.

The company’s advisory board includes Rico Mariano, who provides trade and regulatory guidance; Beth C. Candol, who oversees community engagement; and Tin Anadilla, a founding investor in the platform.

Alongside the institutional raise, SariKo is also seeking an additional $50,000 through a parallel “Founders Circle” offering aimed at diaspora and community investors under the same SAFE terms. — (FREEMAN)