UI Works Accelerator Program Introduced the Best Startups to Investors

University of Indonesia (UI) has just held the highlight of the UI Works Accelerator Program and the University of Indonesia’s Research & Innovation Products Exhibition at the Financial Hall, Jakarta. This program invited several selected startup companies to be introduced to investors.

The UI Works Accelerator Program itself has been running a series of training programs for the startup business acceleration that lasts for three months. This activity becomes the following agenda of the incubation program that has been run at UI.

According to the Director of Business Units Management and Development as well as the person in charge and initiator of the program, Nia Ayu Ismaniati Noerhadi, this program aims to make the UI create a startup ecosystem. Thus, it can accommodate entrepreneurial developments that are currently developing rapidly.

“Startups are usually difficult to get capital since investors want to invest their money in businesses that are already running and showing visible results,” Nia said. She considered startup also has a high risk. Even if there are investors who want to invest, that is to help the startup develop.

UI Collaborated with Code Margonda for the First Batch

Nia also said that startups typically need ‘angel investors’ who invest their capital to support them. In essence, startups will have the potential to develop. Meanwhile, for the first batch of this program, UI collaborated with Code Margonda which has experience in fostering startups.

The participants of this first batch consisted of 15 best startups out of 86 registrants from all over Indonesia. These fifteen selected startups are divided into 3 categories: Engineering / Science, Digital Platform, and Consumer Product. Each category has several startups to participate in.

In the Engineering / Science category, there are Nano Turbo, Synergy Nanotect, and Healthy ATM. Then, on Digital Platform categories, there are Awan.io, Kodi, Pintaar, Skydu, Westbike Messenger, Assist.id, Cotton House, and Infishta. Meanwhile, the Consumer Product category consisted of Tumbu, Kopi Tuli, Belimbing Island, and Giajeng.

These selected startups got guidance from leading mentors of various industries such as Gojek, Plug and Play, Google Indonesia, Kejora Ventures, Binar Academy, Mandiri Capital, and Kitabisa.com. Moreover, they also gained legal advisory from Assegaf, Hamzah & Partners, and others.

Furthermore, these selected startups are also curated intensively so that they are ready to present to the invited investors. This program is then expected to be able to stimulate and inspire startups in Indonesia. As a result, they are better prepared to enter the industrial world.

Research Results from UI Were Exhibited in This Event Too

On this occasion, research results from UI that were commercially ready to enter the industrial world were also exhibited. In this case, the research results generally had entered the TRL (Technology Readiness Level) stage of above 7. The results can be on technology-based and digital platforms or creative industries.

Besides, it was hoped that this program can continue so that the relationship between academics, startups, industry, and government as policymakers may increase. Among the participants, there is startup Kopi Tuli which attracted interest since it was developed by people with disabilities.

“We build this company to accommodate people with disabilities like us. They usually find it difficult to get jobs because of their disabilities,” the founder of Kopi Tuli, Putri Sampaghita Trisnawinny Santoso, said. Using sign language, Putri and her two partners, Mohammad Adhika and Tri Erwinsyah Putra, founded Kopi Tuli.

“Coffee was chosen because it is a communication medium. Usually, people have coffee to communicate with others,” she said. Putri also hoped that Kopi Tuli can bridge sign language communication and build interaction spaces as well as provide employment opportunities for people with disabilities.