Key takeaways
- Hireable has been awarded a ₱1 million equity-free grant as one of seven grantees in Quezon City's Startup QC Cohort 4.
- The recognition came at Cohort 4 Demo Day, where seven of nine finalists received grants in the Human Resource Tech category.
- Hireable was selected alongside startups in clean energy, health, property, and enterprise software, reflecting Startup QC's focus on socially attuned innovation.
- Founded by Juliana Carisle Matias with Ramillano Arnaiz Jr. as Chief Product Designer, Hireable matches Filipino professionals to global companies on fit, not cost.
- The grant strengthens Hireable's runway into its 2027 launch, funding product development, compliance work, and waitlist activation.
- Hireable's pre-launch pipeline already includes more than 1,000 Filipino professionals and 500 US business prospects.
A grant, a mission, and a milestone, at a glance
On November 14, 2025, the Quezon City Government announced the seven grantees of Startup QC Cohort 4. Out of nine finalists, Hireable, an AI-powered hiring platform connecting global companies with Filipino professionals, was selected as one of seven startups awarded a ₱1 million equity-free grant, alongside Briyo, Kazam On-Demand Services, Laro, Agap.ai, Soolok, and Xamun.AI (Quezon City Government, BusinessWorld).
For Hireable, a startup only months away from public launch, the recognition validates something the team has been working toward quietly for years: proving that the future of work for Filipino professionals does not have to be built on cost arbitrage. It can be built on compatibility, structure, and fair access to global opportunity. Cohort 4 marks Hireable's first major public milestone ahead of its 2027 launch.
What is Startup QC?
The Startup QC Program is Quezon City's flagship innovation initiative, launched under the leadership of Mayor Joy Belmonte and delivered in partnership with startup accelerator Launchgarage. The program empowers early-stage startups through equity-free funding, mentorship, capacity-building, and access to a growing innovation network across the city (Insider PH, The Independent Investor).
Cohort 4's grantees were selected to reflect the diverse and evolving needs of Filipino communities, spanning clean energy, human resources, sports and recreation, health innovation, property technology, and enterprise software.
"Innovation is not just about technology. It is about empathy, service, and equity. Through Startup QC, we are proving that governance and innovation can work hand in hand, that a local government can be both visionary and inclusive." — Mayor Joy Belmonte, Quezon City
The city is also finalising the Business Investment and Trade Incentives for Startups (BITIS) Ordinance, which will provide fiscal incentives for local entrepreneurs. The Local Economic Development and Investment Promotions Office (LEDIPO) will lead its rollout under the Invest with QC campaign (Metro News Central, Journal Online).
The Demo Day process
The path to a Startup QC Cohort 4 grant is not a simple pitch. Applicants entered through a competitive selection process that reviewed innovation, scalability, social relevance, and founder capability. Finalists then progressed through capacity-building, mentorship, and preparation before facing the Demo Day panel of investors, policymakers, and industry leaders (Radar).
Nine finalists ultimately advanced to Demo Day. Seven were awarded grants. Hireable was among them.
The 2025 Cohort 4 grantees:
| Startup | Category | What they build |
|---|---|---|
| Briyo | Sustainable Energy | Modular bamboo-based wind and hydro turbines for off-grid communities. |
| Hireable | Human Resource Tech | AI-powered hiring and KPI matching platform for Filipino professionals. |
| Kazam On-Demand | Human Resource Tech | Flexible online marketplace for part-time household help. |
| Laro | Sports & Recreation | Sports and recreation booking and community app. |
| Agap.ai | Health Tech | AI-powered developmental screening tool for parents. |
| Soolok | Property Tech | Streamlines foreclosure data and home acquisition within 45 days. |
| Xamun.AI | Information Tech | AI platform that converts business requirements into applications in weeks. |
Each Cohort 4 grantee reflects Startup QC's focus on scalable, socially attuned innovation aligned with the evolving needs of Filipino communities.
About Hireable
Hireable is an AI-powered hiring platform that connects companies worldwide with Filipino professionals. Unlike traditional freelance marketplaces or staffing agencies, Hireable matches candidates and clients on work style, communication preferences, and role expectations before any engagement begins. Every match then runs through a structured 30/60/90-day work trial, so both sides know the fit is real before they commit.
The platform was designed around a specific problem the founder had lived through personally. Filipino remote workers are among the most in-demand professionals on the global talent market, but the systems around them have not caught up. Freelance marketplaces optimise for the lowest cost. Traditional BPOs lock talent into shared-pool contracts. Employer-of-record providers solve for payroll but not for fit. Hireable was built to fix the fit problem, not the cost problem.
Behind Hireable: Juliana Carisle Matias
Hireable is founded and led by Juliana Carisle Matias, a Filipina marketing operator and entrepreneur with nearly a decade of experience building brands, teams, and content systems for companies across the US, UK, Australia, and Southeast Asia.
In 2021, Juliana founded Carisle Media, a marketing agency that has since grown from a one-woman consultancy into a full-scale operation of 11 full-time team members serving clients globally. Her work has spanned more than 60 companies across SaaS, finance, and marketing sectors, and her personal content has generated over 25 million views and a community of more than 130,000 followers who trust her because she has done the work she talks about.
Hireable is the operating system Juliana wished had existed when she started. It is built to give Filipino talent global pay and local legitimacy, and to give companies worldwide a way to hire for fit instead of geography.
Founder profile: Juliana Carisle Matias, Founder & CEO of Hireable and Founder of Carisle Media.
→ Nearly a decade in marketing across 60+ SaaS, finance, and marketing companies worldwide. → Founded Carisle Media in 2021, now a full-scale marketing agency with 11 full-time team members serving clients globally. → 25M+ views and 130,000+ followers across social platforms. → Nominated as one of 20 women entrepreneurs across Asia and Africa for the 2026 Grow Movement Women Seed Capital Pitch, in partnership with Linklaters.
Chief Product Designer: Ramillano Arnaiz Jr.
Leading product design at Hireable is Ramillano Arnaiz Jr., the platform's Chief Product Designer. His work shapes how the compatibility model actually feels for the two sides Hireable serves: the Filipino professional and the global business. From the onboarding quiz that captures work style, to the trial workflow that surfaces real performance, to the interfaces that make matching feel human rather than mechanical, Ramillano's design leadership is central to the product Hireable will launch in 2027.
What the grant enables
The ₱1 million equity-free grant from Quezon City strengthens Hireable's runway into its 2027 launch phase. The funding will support product development sprints, compliance work under the recently passed Freelance Workers Protection Act (HB 6718), waitlist activation, and platform infrastructure ahead of launch. Hireable's current pre-launch pipeline includes over 1,000 Filipino professionals and 500 US business prospects on the waitlist.
The bigger picture
The Startup QC Cohort 4 recognition sits inside a larger story. Over 1.5 million Filipino professionals already work remotely for global clients. Millions more are ready. The Philippine BPO and outsourcing sector generates roughly $38.5 billion annually and holds around 15% of global BPO market share. And yet the platforms that mediate this work are still largely built around the wrong problem.
Hireable's ambition is straightforward. Build the platform where a Filipino professional can earn global income without leaving their family, where a US, UK, or Australian company can hire for fit without navigating a maze of incompatible providers, and where the system finally works for both sides.
The bottom line
To Mayor Joy Belmonte, the Quezon City Government, LEDIPO, Launchgarage, and the entire Startup QC panel: thank you for the confidence and the platform. To every Filipino professional and every founder rooting for us, this recognition belongs to you as much as to us.
The grant is a milestone, not a finish line. It sharpens the runway toward a 2027 launch and reinforces a simple conviction: that Filipino talent deserves a hiring system built on capability and fit, not geography or price.
How Hireable is building the future of remote work
Hireable is a compatibility-matched hiring platform connecting companies worldwide with Filipino professionals through structured 30/60/90-day work trials. Every match is scored on work style, communication, and role expectations, then validated through a real trial period before the full commitment kicks in. Founded by Juliana Carisle Matias with Ramillano Arnaiz Jr. leading product design, Hireable is building the operating system for a borderless future of work. The platform launches in 2027.
FAQ
What is Startup QC Cohort 4?
Startup QC is Quezon City's flagship innovation program, run in partnership with accelerator Launchgarage. Cohort 4 is its fourth batch of early-stage startups, seven of which received ₱1 million equity-free grants at Demo Day in 2025.
How much is the grant, and does Hireable give up equity?
The grant is ₱1 million and is fully equity-free, meaning Hireable receives the funding without giving up any ownership in the company.
What does Hireable do?
Hireable is an AI-powered hiring platform that connects global companies with Filipino professionals. It matches candidates and clients on work style, communication, and role expectations, then validates each match through a structured 30/60/90-day work trial before a full commitment.
Who founded Hireable?
Hireable was founded and is led by Juliana Carisle Matias, founder of the marketing agency Carisle Media. Ramillano Arnaiz Jr. serves as Chief Product Designer.
What will Hireable do with the grant?
The funding supports product development, compliance work under the Freelance Workers Protection Act (HB 6718), waitlist activation, and platform infrastructure ahead of the 2027 launch.
When does Hireable launch?
Hireable is scheduled to launch publicly in 2027. Its pre-launch pipeline already includes more than 1,000 Filipino professionals and 500 US business prospects on the waitlist.
Hireable, the platform behind this publication, is preparing for its 2027 launch with compatibility-matched Philippine remote hiring and structured 30/60/90-day trials built into the model. Waitlist members get early access. Click the "Join the waitlist" button above.
