Faced with poverty, outstanding bills and a pandemic, Harold Denn Burgos, also known as Harold Denn, designed and invented a vending machine that cleans helmets and expanded it into a national enterprise. 

It all began with a necessity.

“After I graduated senior high school, I didn’t study. I thought of applying for a call center job, but I didn’t go there,” he told DAILY TRIBUNE. “I was inspired to work under META — video production for monetized content. I became a breadwinner during Covid-19. But when my bills started piling up, I told myself: I need to start a business.”

Burgos, a daily commuter, was familiar with the struggle: Sweaty, odor-filled motorcycle helmets, or “amoy mandirigma.”

 “It’s true. The helmet smells bad,” he laughed. “Why is there no solution? The hairnet or shower cap is not effective. So I thought, why not have a machine to clean the helmet?”

That is how GoClean Helmet Cleaning Vendo was born.

From robotics geek to CEO

Harold is more than just another dreamer. He began building robots in junior high and earned a medal in a robotics competition.

 “I incorporated my robotics background with the vendo system,” he explains. 

Burgos collaborated with microbiologist and current chief operating officier Karen Romero to develop a process for disinfecting helmets safely that used farming practices and Ultra violet C (UVC) sterilization. 

But creating the machine was only half of the battle. Are you about to launch it? It was a rollercoaster ride.

“I waited for an internet sensation for five days just to get my proposal approved. He rejected me,” Burgos shared. “That was my last money. So I decided to just shoot a video and post it online. When I woke up, it had millions of views.”

GoClean exploded in popularity overnight. Orders poured in. Downpayments alone totaled half a million pesos in less than a day.

From one prototype to global talks

In just one year, GoClean has developed into GCVM Philippines, a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)-registered business with 30 technicians and a production capability of up to 60 units per day. The vendo machines are priced between P44,000 and P55,000 depending on the variant.

And Harold? He is not stopping in the Philippines. GoClean is already in talks with Ecuador, Malaysia and Indonesia. “We’re negotiating with Ecuador for more or less 100 units,” Burgos reveals. “My dream is for GoClean to go international.”

Still, the journey comes with pressure. 

“It’s a big challenge to maintain GoClean. The number one problem is rider awareness,” Burgos admitted. “Even if we’re featured on TV, if riders don’t know about it, the demand slows down. But every day, I look around, I see a problem, and I think of a solution. That’s what keeps me going.”

The Gen Z hustle

What makes Harold’s story different is his Gen Z mindset — resourceful, digital-first and driven by purpose. From using social media virality as his launchpad, to designing his own logos and marketing strategies, Harold embodies the (do-it-yourself) DIY spirit of his generation.

“When I have a business in mind, I make the logo first,” he smiled. “Blue,” because blue is attributed to cleanliness.”

For him, entrepreneurship is not about luxury; it is about survival, then service.

“That was my last shot. If even one person bought, at least I could pay my condo,” he said. Now, he’s running a company, employing dozens, and even reinvesting his earnings into a resort and new technologies.

From poverty to purpose

At the age of 22, Burgos went from being conned, broke and disregarded, to founding a firm that may soon serve passengers all over the world. 

For him, the secret is simple.

“Look around. Check the problems. Then become the solution. Money follows.”

And for those who trusted him in the beginning? “First of all, I want to thank those who trusted me,” he said. “Maybe people saw my potential, that I can help. Their downpayment was P22,000 and in one day, I earned half a million. That trust became my foundation.”

The bigger picture

GoClean is more than just a machine; it represents a movement. It demonstrates how Filipino youth, with tenacity and invention, can generate global answers.

“I don’t want to just sustain GoClean,” Burgos said. “My ultimate goal is that disinfected helmets and hygiene become the new normal.”

From poverty to patents, from a viral TikTok to international talks, Harold Denn is the Gen Z behind the vendo machine, demonstrating that with vision and determination, even the most unpleasant challenges can spawn million-peso solutions.