Indonesia’s Communication and Creative Industry People (MIKTI) with Indonesia’s Creative Economy Agency (Bekraf) stated a total of 1,019 startups made in Indonesia by 2018. Both institutions said Jakarta named into the list of cities with the competitive startup ecosystem in global.
Based on Genome’s Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2019, Jakarta-based startups labeled as “Late-Globalization Phase”, along with 8 other top-tier cities, such as Sydney, Paris, San Diego, and Sao Paulo. This category is only a row under the top startup ecosystem mostly placed in cities as Silicon Valley, New York, Beijing, Singapore, and London.
There are reasons why Genome put Jakarta on the list. One is for the government’s regulation of creating specific acceleration board for stock exchange for startup by Indonesia’s Stock Exchange (IDX) and the rise of incubator and accelerator program in Jakarta.
Head of MIKTI, Joddy Hernady said that this is Indonesia’s first time to include in improving global startup ecosystem. It should brief them of Indonesia’s position on the global map of the digital startup.
“That is why MIKTI provides our data to Genome and meet the current position,” he said.
MIKTI data shows the 529 startups based in Jabodetabek. It makes 52% of the whole country.
Several factors would create a better startup ecosystem in Jakarta. As Joddy speaks one of it is to enter the global market. His observation eyes very lack Indonesian-based startups to make it into the global market besides Gojek.
“We aim for more. The overseas exit is good, IPO cross-country is fine. That is the thing, for our startups to spread,” he added.
Talents are centralized in Jakarta
Bekraf’s Deputy of Infrastructure, Hari Santosa Sungkari explained the rich ecosystem of digital startups in Jakarta can’t be separated from universities in Jabodetabek.
The high concentration of universities around Jakarta has taken the wheel of the startup ecosystem.
“There are 389 universities and some incubators in Jabodetabek. Specifically placed from Jakarta to the west through BSD, there are some in Depok, but mostly in West Jakarta,” he said.
From the current situation, plans have made to build-up the digital startup ecosystem in Bandung, Yogyakarta, and Makassar. Joddy said those cities are as potential as Jakarta for many high-quality universities to drive the ecosystem.
MIKTI’s data says Yogyakarta and Bandung are two cities with most startup population after Jakarta. Such finest technology universities are everywhere as each benchmark.
In order for the ecosystem to not only grow in those three areas, MIKTI is to open online training for an easy way to monitor startup development throughout Indonesia.
“We are making the curriculum, there will be special courses for talent development and the business startup. The incubation will be online and we’re on development,” he said.
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Original article is in Indonesian, translated by Kristin Siagian
