GoBear, Asia’s first and only metasearch engine in insurance and financial products officially launches its presence in the Philippine market in July 2006. Armed with ambitious goal of “disrupting a traditionally convoluted and opaque industry, and make it much more navigable for consumers,” GoBear initially established a foothold in Singapore in 2015, leading the way in democratizing financial shopping experience with its unbiased and personalized comparison process.
Founded on the simple premise that a consumer should find freedom and ease in choosing complex financial products like insurance, credit cards and loans, GoBear attracted over 2 million users in its first year of operations alone.
“The unique and powerful proposition of GoBear is our unbiased metasearch nature. This search experience has given users unprecedented transparency in financial products comparison, which is new to Asia,” says Andre Hesselink, the of GoBear CEO and Founder who originally hails from the Netherlands. GoBear’s user-oriented platform neither aggregates nor sells products. GoBear simply offers consumers a free and transparent comparison process based on their financial needs, and not influenced by service providers’ advertising. The result is a user-friendly and informed experience that saves consumers both time and money. Hesselink adds that “compared to a year ago, insurers on GoBear are motivated to adjust their premiums and provide better coverage. This is a testament to GoBear’s gamechanging role in giving the consumer a strong voice. GoBear has placed the decision power into the consumer’s hands – letting their life planning needs shape the future of the insurance and financial industry.“
More GoBear Event Photos here
Today, GoBear is also in Thailand and Malaysia prior to its establishment in the country.
In the Philippines, GoBear is headed by Country Manager Rommel Torres and brings with him his extensive experience as a Payment Executive at goSwiff, a leading provider of mobile payment platforms and mobile solutions based in Singapore. GoBear in the Philippines currently offers travel insurance, credit cards and personal loans, with plans to bring in car insurance, car loans, home loans and health insurance.
Apart from the Philippines, it is also set to launch its presence in Hong Kong and Vietnam within this year.
For more information about GoBear, please visit www.gobear.com.ph
MEET THE PEOPLE BEHIND GoBear
Andre Hesselink: CEO & Founder
Driven by a strong belief that companies need to place consumers first, Andre Hesselink has made it his business and sole mission to help consumers, by disrupting traditionally organised industries, and revolutionising the way they are structured. After getting a taste for entrepreneurship at the age of 23 and learning the nuances of running his own business, Hesselink has spent his career identifying and solving business and consumer challenges across different sectors.
Originally from the Netherlands, Hesselink’s initial success came by way of the travel and aviation industry, when he became one of the pioneers in the online travel business, setting up the online travel agency Vliegwinkel.nl in 1995.
Further success came by way of Travix, another online travel solution that commanded 50% of market share across the Netherlands in just five years, expanding quickly across Europe.
Moving to Singapore in 2011 to set up the Asian branch of Travix, Hesselink encountered many difficulties and hurdles when trying to purchase a car insurance plan through the traditional route. Always keen to find a solution, Hesselink conceived the idea of a totally transparent online search platform to compare insurance, which led to the launch of GoBear in 2015.
GoBear is Asia’s first and only metasearch engine for insurance and financial products. Hesselink’s proposition for GoBear is that a consumer should find freedom and ease in choosing complex financial products like insurance, credit cards and loans. Headquartered in Singapore, GoBear has established presence in Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, and will continue its expansion to Hong Kong and Vietnam in 2016.
Rommel Torres: Country Director, Philippines
Driven by his desire to help people gain financial literacy, Rommel joined GoBear to show consumers the power of choice. He believes that when consumers are left with little to no options, they are forced to make decisions quicker than having too many to handle. His goal is to constantly innovate, making insurance and financial products comparison better, faster and wiser for consumers.
Before taking the position of Country Director of GoBear Philippines, Rommel also acquired his extensive experience as a Payment Executive at goSwiff — a leading provider of
mobile payment platforms and mobile solutions based in Singapore. He served as a Systems Engineer, Solutions Architect, and eventually took the role of Country Manager. He was in charge of the overall mPOS solution marketing and execution for banking, and other acquirers.
About GoBear
GoBear is Asia’s first and only metasearch engine in insurance and financial products. It was founded based on the simple premise that a consumer should find freedom and ease in choosing complex financial products like insurance, credit cards, and loans. Headquartered in Singapore since early 2015, GoBear has established presence in Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, and will continue to expand across Southeast Asia in 2016.
