Indonesia Government Asked Unicorns to Work with New Startups

The Minister of Research and Technology (Menristek) / Head of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Bambang Brodjonegoro, requested that Indonesian unicorns and decacorns collaborate with new startups to boost their success. Thus, it can help the government to reach its goal.

Bambang said that to encourage the realization of Joko Widodo and Ma’ruf Amin’s government to produce more national startups in the future. “Because I believe that those who have a good idea are just lacking in capital or exposure to investors,” he said.

He shared this thought during the launch of the University of Washington Alumni Association at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Jakarta some time ago. According to him, as long as they (large and small companies) meet, there is the exposure that could be good both for both.

Furthermore, if the idea owned by small companies is really solid, big companies should be interested as well. This can be part of their research and development as well. Eventually, it can help the government’s effort to have more startups to be successful.

Bambang Hoped Unicorn Startups Start to Focus on Research and Development

Bambang expected that technology-based startups under the Ministry of Research and Technology can get the opportunity to the exposure too. Meanwhile, he also hoped those big startups especially those unicorns or decacorns to start focusing on strengthening their research and development.

“We also expect big companies, big startups, and unicorns to start putting forward strong RnD (research and development). Therefore, with a strong RnD they will continue to compete globally and be able to keep Indonesia as one the leaders in the digital field,” he hoped.

To support the growth of new startups, he said, the Indonesian government could function as a facilitator to bring together large companies with new startups. With this facilitation, it is hoped that large companies can guide new startups or small companies.

Large companies can also see promising business prospects and competitive ideas from new startups. As a result, they could begin to invest capital for research and development as well as business sustainability. According to him, large companies can benefit the idea from small startups.

“Instead of continuing to search for what they might not have found, why they don’t take an idea that is already available (from a small company)?” he said. Indonesia currently has four unicorn startups including Tokopedia, Bukalapak, OVO, and Traveloka. And Gojek is one step ahead to become a decacorn.

Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment Showed Off Indonesian Unicorns

Meanwhile, In front of officials from various countries, the Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment, Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, said that Indonesia was among the top 10 countries with the highest number of unicorn startups in the world, although the number is still far behind China and the United States.

“Indonesia is still far behind China which has 206 unicorns or the United States that has 203. Currently, Indonesia has four, but I am optimistic that this number can continue to increase,” he said when opening Archipelagic and Island States (AIS) 2019 Startup and Business Summit held in Manado.

Aside from these four unicorn startups, there is also a startup with a decacorn status, Gojek. Furthermore, Luhut told that the Minister of Maldives, Ahmed Salih, said that he was interested and might invite Indonesian digital pioneers to go to his country and do the same thing they did in Indonesia.

“We have a startup like Aruna that can map the situation of fisheries at sea. Maybe you can try for your country,” Luhut said. For information, the AIS was initiated by the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment together with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).