A Look Into a Local Miami Startup
There are many great aspects of interning at 500 Startups Miami, but one of them is getting to meet founders of amazing, innovative startups. I love co-working spaces and accelerator atmospheres because you get an opportunity to connect with others in the ecosystem.
One person that I’ve met is Damian Estrada, founder of Mandatum. Mandatum is “the Consumer’s Revolution,” a planning extension that uses Data Analytics and AI to improve consumers’ negotiation power. Essentially, you download the chrome extension and use it as you shop on Amazon and similar marketplaces. The extension shows you price history of the item, makes predictions on how price will fluctuate (giving you security as to whether or not it is a good time to buy), and helps you plan your spending.
One of the most interesting things about Mandatum, as a tech startup, is that it has a social cause. Damian is very knowledgeable about climate change, how manufacturing and shipping effects the environment, and consumer habits. He shared resources with me that showed consumers willingness to change their spending habits to benefit the environment, which is one of the reasons he created Mandatum. Mandatum allows consumers to better negotiate their price as they buy directly from the source instead of a third-party, eliminating a need for large inventory and “middlemen.” Also, a portion of the money they end up spending on the product will directly benefit a non-profit of their choosing.
My conversation with Damian was interesting and insightful, as he allowed space for me to challenge him. He is passionate about consumers’ making more informed spending decisions and planning out large purchases like laptops, appliances, etc. But, I was curious on how this would be successful in a culture with one-day shipping and Amazon Prime. Our current culture in society is that consumers want what is fast, efficient, and least-demanding from them. But, aside from Mandatum saving consumers’ money and providing them a sense of security, he believes that with climate change becoming more imminent, people will have no choice but to change their habits.
Mandatum is set to officially launch in the next few weeks, but you can download the extension now at https://www.mandatum.co/plannerextension. I’ve used it and enjoyed how accessible and user-friendly the software is. I am curious to see how more startups will begin to incorporate social causes into their missions.
