An event dedicated to introducing young, tech startups to users and potential investors was held in Senayan City, South Jakarta, on Feb. 24-26.
n event dedicated to introduce young, tech startups to users and potential investors has been held in Senayan City, South Jakarta, on Feb. 24-26.
Approximately 50 startups participated in the Local Startup Fest 2017 organized by local.co.id and StartupLokal Community. Themed “Tech for All”, the event featured various service innovations, such as advertising, electronics, fashion, security, legal, craftsmanship, IT, publications and economics, as well as exhibition, talk shows and recruitment pitches.
Anindita Wiranti, project manager of local.co.id, said the event aimed to introduce startups to the general public. “It is a very light event; we want to educate the general public who might still be unfamiliar with startups,” she said on Sunday.
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Among the participants was Shortir, a five-month-old news aggregator site that summarizes news in 60 words. Twenty-three-year-old Faris Muhammad Hanif, CEO of Shortir, told The Jakarta Post that he participated in the exhibition to enter the startup community and meet influential figures, such as investors, government officials as well as potential partners within the industry. “I met with many figures who liked [my startup idea]. There’s a certain satisfaction when these figures say they are interested in our idea,” he said, adding that he had also managed to gain about 50-100 new app users throughout the festival.
Meanwhile Rahmat Dwi Putranto, CEO of LegalGo Indonesia, a legal service marketplace website, said that he had managed to further validate the business market, launched just two months ago, which focuses on providing legal services in agreements, business establishment, intellectual property and private investigation. “We got quite good exposure during this event, between meeting new users and potential investors,” he said.
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The event reportedly attracted thousands of visitors during the four-day run, which included Brian West, a Canadian who plans to open an education-themed startup in Indonesia. West stated that he came to the event to make connections with startups in the country. Among the businesses showcased at the festival, he named a microfinance startup as one that may help with his plan.
Another visitor, Yohanes, owner of North Jakarta-based co-working space Hub2U, also revealed his intention of seeking a potential partner at the event. “I hope there will be more events like this for startups to gather information and make connections,” he said. (kes)
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