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With growing penetration of the digital economy and a long-awaited boost to the entrepreneurial ecosystem, Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Cambodia, and Vietnam among others, are undergoing a transformation to emerge as independent and radically competitive markets, equipped with latest startups to their western counterparts. These economies have much to offer a newbie entrepreneur: untested markets, pain points that need solving, and untapped market share.
The archipelago of Indonesia with a population of 250 Mn is exactly one such market – a mobile-first economy coupled with regional problems that have a potentially global scale.
Taking advantage of this, small entrepreneurs, as well as tech-savvy startups and capital enterprises, are all coming together to taste their share of business opportunities that Indonesia has to offer. This island nation’s e-market is reportedly valued at $130 Bn by 2020.
With retailers and industries coming onboard to accept the digitisation of this archipelago economy, it has also seen a very positive acceptance from the targeted customer base as well. A rapidly growing ecommerce market is proof that users are transgressing the barriers of language and coming onboard with the idea of putting their faith in truly mobile-based ecommerce platforms. It’s fair to say that homegrown startups have successfully established new consumer habits and expectations.
Thanks to globalisation, markets are crossing borders and connecting ecosystems with each other, the time is ripe to explore what our contemporaries have to offer. With this in mind, we are venturing into Indonesia and here is our pick of 18 emerging startups from across digital sectors and verticals that we believe will be major startups in the near future.
Global Rooms Limited
Founded In: 2015
Founder(s): Kaneswaran Avili, Dennis Melka
Sector: Travel & tourism
Headquarters: Jakarta
Funding: In September 2015, it raised an undisclosed amount in Seed funding. In November 2015, it raised $1.3 Mn from True Capital Partners and East Pacific Capital Pvt. Ltd. In April 2016, it raised $4.2 Mn from Convergence Ventures and Cyberagent Ventures.
The startup is focussed on transforming inconsistent budget hotels into a consistent customer experience. It provides budget hotels across many Southeast Asian countries. It partners with hotels and issues a standardised branding and service guidelines for the rooms sold via its platform through mobile/web.
Sevva
Founded In: 2016
Founder(s): Alex Ginting, Erik Hormein
Sector: Travel & tourism
Headquarters: Jakarta
Funding: It secured $5K in the first round from 1337 Ventures, Convergence Ventures, and Gobi Partners.
The startup functions as an online marketplace that allows its registered users to facilitate transactions on a rental basis with other users. It acts as a mediator/connector between people who need to rent and people who want to use items on a rental basis.
Orami
Founded In: 2016
Founder(s): Ferry Tenka, Shannon Kalayanamitr, Eka Himawan
Sector: Ecommerce & fashion
Headquarters: Jakarta
Funding: In February 2016, it raised $15 Mn led by SMDV. Other investors included Ardent Capital, Gobi Partners, and Velos Partners. It also raised an undisclosed amount in April 2016 in its Series B round.
It is an ecommerce company that claims to cater to all the household needs of an individual. It currently provides services in both Indonesia and Thailand in housing, kitchen, fashion, mother and child, furniture, and gadgets verticals among others.
Anakmuda.net
Founded In: 2016
Founder(s): Aryo Febrian Moedanton
Sectors: Media & entertainment
Headquarters: Jakarta
Funding: Has not raised funding yet.
It is a startup that focusses on empowering the Indonesian youth through creative, versatile, and informed ideas. It aims to grow and sustain revenue growth by enabling youth aged 14-30, to connect with knowledge/information, network, and capital via partnerships with strong powerhouses (government bodies, private corporations, NGOs) and individuals.
Snapcart
Founded In: 2015
Founder(s): Reynazran Royono, Laith Abu Rakty, Mayeth Condicion
Sector: Data analytics and apps
Headquarters: Jakarta
Funding: In March 2015, it raised an undisclosed amount in Seed funding from Ardent Capital and Reynazran Royono. It raised $1.6 Mn in January 2016 led by SPH Media Fund and Wavemaker Partners. Other investors in the round included Ardent Capital and SMDV.
Snapcart is a rewards-based app that incentivises consumers to take photos of their receipts in exchange for rewards. The insight is compiled and offered to brands and retailers, providing a more accurate measurement of consumer behaviour than many existing research methods.
Travelio
Founded In: 2015
Founder(s): Christina Suriadjaja, Christie Amanda, Hendry Rusli
Sectors: Hospitality & tourism
Headquarters: Jakarta
Funding: In March 2015, it raised an undisclosed amount in Angel funding from Surya Semesta Internusa. In August 2015, it raised $2 Mn led by Gobi Partners. Other investors were Anthill Ventures, Tian Gu, and Zhenzhen Su.
It is an online startup based out of Indonesia that provides short-term rental homes to its users. The types of accommodations range from apartments and villas, to houses and kost (which are shared houses).
Seekmi
Founded In: 2015
Founder(s): Wilson Yanaprasetya, Nayoko Wicaksono
Sectors: App-based software
Headquarters: Jakarta
Funding: In April 2015, it raised funding from Justin Kan. In June 2015, it raised an undisclosed amount in an Angel round from Emtek Group, Justin Kan, and Mari Pangestu. Following that, it raised undisclosed funding in Series A round led by CyberAgent Ventures. Existing investors and Balancop Ventures, Convergence Ventures, Groupara Inc, Kinara, and Ventek Ventures also took part in the round.
Seekmi is an online, web, and mobile app solution connecting local service providers with customers in Southeast Asia. It offers a hyperlocal platform that enables users to request home services in Indonesia.
Neliti
Founded In: 2015
Founder(s): Anton Lucanus, Surya Darma, and Patrick Jones
Sectors: Edtech
Headquarters: Jakarta
Funding: Hasn’t raised funding yet.
Open access research database Neliti, is a one-stop portal for Indonesia-related science research, spanning articles, studies, and raw data. Users can access all sorts of research publications and journals without any prior registration.
YesBoss
Founded In: 2015
Founder(s): Irzan Raditya, Wahyu Wrehasnaya, Muhammad Reynir Fauzan, Christian Franke
Sectors: Logistics and delivery
Headquarters: Jakarta
Funding: Undisclosed investment in a single round led by 500 Startups. Other investors included Convergence Ventures and IMJ Investment Partners PTE. Ltd.
YesBoss is a text-based virtual personal assistant using the human and artificial intelligence that provides hyperlocal and other solutions, ranging from food delivery service, hotel reservation, flight ticket booking, groceries shopping etc.
Porter
Founded In: 2015
Founder(s): Anthony Sadeli, Jessica Hendrawidjaja, Richard Cahyanto
Sectors: Ecommerce, Internet, delivery, logistics
Headquarters: Jakarta
Funding: Has not raised funding yet.
Porter is an integrated on-demand delivery service that connects local businesses to their online and offline customers. Porter’s logistics technology offers a low-cost solution for businesses for their last-mile fulfillment logistics needs.
Dello
Founded In: 2016
Sectors: Transportation & delivery services
Headquarters: Jakarta
Funding: It raised an undisclosed amount in Seed funding from Oxdream in September 2016.
Dello functions as a hyperlocal minimarket delivery service that claims to deliver the available goods from the mall within five minutes in a stipulated radius.
HappyFresh
Founded In: 2014
Founder(s): Tim Marbach, Benjamin Koellmann, Fajar Budiprasetyo, Kai Kux
Sectors: Mobile and ecommerce
Headquarters: Jakarta
Funding: In March 2015, it raised an undisclosed amount in Seed funding from MPGI Holdings Ltd, Ardent Capital, and Cherry Ventures. Following that, it raised $10 Mn in Series A led by Vertex Ventures. Other investors in the round were 500 Startups, Asia Venture Group, BEENEXT and existing investors. In August 2016, it raised an undisclosed amount in a Series B round led by Sameena Capital. Sinar Mas Digital Ventures and Vertex Ventures also took part in the round.
It is a logistics-based ecommerce startup that functions via an app. Users can order groceries and other perishable and non-perishable food items and the startup acts as a grocery delivery service with added charges.
Eragano
Founded In: 2015
Founder(s): Aris Hendrawan, Stephanie Jesselyn
Sectors: Agritech
Headquarters: Bandung
Funding: It raised an undisclosed amount in its Seed round of funding from East Ventures earlier this year.
Eragano aims to help improve farmers’ livelihood with an end-to-end solution in the form of a mobile app. Farmers can use the app to access information related to agriculture, get connected to microloan facilities, and even sell their products to hotels and restaurants through an online marketplace.
Fabelio
Founded In: 2014
Founder(s): Christian Sutardi, Krishnan Menon
Sectors: Ecommerce
Headquarters: Jakarta
Funding: In July 2015, it raised $500K in a Seed round led by 500 Startups. Other investors were IMJ Investment Partners, KK Fund, Roshni Mahatani, and Sandeep Tandon. In January 2016, it raised $2 Mn in Series A funding led by Venturra Capital. 500 Startups and IMJ Investment Partners also participated in the round. It raised another $1 Mn in June 2016.
It is a South Jakarta-based online furniture shop that aims to make high-quality furniture more accessible by ‘streamlining traditional supply chain and innovating conventional design-manufacturing process’. Apart from offering products developed by an in-house design team, Fabelio also partners with local ‘home and living’ brands. It provides an online marketplace, as well as project and supply management tools.
MatahariMall
Founded In: 2014
Founder(s): Hadi Wenas
Sectors: Ecommerce, retail & fashion
Headquarters: Jakarta
Funding: In February 2015, it raised $500 Mn in equity led by Lippo Group.
MatahariMall is an Indonesian ecommerce platform that covers the fashion, health and beauty, electronics, home, groceries, books, and entertainment categories. MatahariMall is the first online-to-offline ecommerce site in Southeast Asia. This means that people can place orders online, then go to a Matahari department store to pick up the goods later.
HaloDoc
Founded In: 2015
Founder(s): Jonathan Sudharta
Sectors: Healthcare
Headquarters: Jakarta
Funding: In September 2016, it raised $13 Mn in Series A funding led by Clermont Group. Other investors in the round were Bibli, Go-Jek, and NSI Ventures.
HaloDoc is a healthcare network platform that claims to connect users to a network of 18,600 licensed doctors, 1,000 certified partner pharmacies through its medical delivery service ‘ApotikAntar,’ and licensed medical laboratory services in Indonesia. Users can also communicate with these medical professionals via chat, video and voice call.
Tinggal
Founded In: 2015
Founder(s): Arjun Chopra
Sectors: Travel & tourism
Headquarters: Indonesia
Funding: It received $1 Mn in its Seed round of funding in March 2016 from investors including Mangrove Capital Partners, Prafulla Mathur, and Vikas Saxena.
Tinggal is an online marketplace that allows users to find quality hotels across Asia. It currently has partner properties in Jakarta, Bali, Bandung, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, and Medan. All Tinggal properties claim to offer Free WiFi and breakfast. Users can book a Tinggal using their mobile or computer or call on the 24×7 multilingual helpline for availing its services.
Baca
Founded In: 2015
Founder(s): Jimmy Sie
Sectors: News & media
Headquarters: Indonesia
Funding: In July 2016, it raised $20 Mn in funding in Series B round led by Bertelsmann Asia Investment Fund. Chenchao Zhuang and Crystal Stream Capital also participated in the round.
Baca is a news reader app for Indonesia. It claims to have 1 Mn daily active users in Indonesia. Each day the app collects between 20,000 to 25,000 articles from 500 publications. Baca analyses which news gets read by the app users, and serves them content based on those preferences.
[If you are a startup based out of Indonesia and want to get featured on Inc42, write to us at [email protected]]
This article is part of our series, In Focus: Indonesia Startup Ecosystem, to showcase a brand new ecosystem and its potential to the world!
