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The journey of Nurture to Scale took a major step forward as 35 outstanding entrepreneurs were selected to join the program, officially announced in early November 2021.

The excitement culminated on Friday, 12 November 2021, when British Embassy Jakarta, UK-Indonesia Tech Hub, and Endeavor Indonesia came together to launch the program at the Bogor Creative Center—a fitting venue to spark collaboration and innovation.

The event was graced by esteemed guests, including:

• UK Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss MP
• Her Majesty’s Ambassador Owen Jenkins, British Ambassador to Indonesia and Timor Leste
• Governor Ridwan Kamil of West Java
• Mayor Bima Arya of Bogor

Bringing together creative practitioners from British Council Indonesia, four tech entrepreneurs from Nurture to Scale, and members of the media, the launch set the stage for an inspiring journey ahead.

Adhering to strict Covid-19 health protocols, the event ensured the safety of all attendees with masks, disinfectants, air purifiers in every room, and antigen swab tests for event crew and relevant participants.

[Image courtesy of Antaranews.com]

The program’s launch was heralded by an initial press release, effectively introducing the initiative to the public and setting the stage for its subsequent activities.

UK & Indonesia Announce 35 Companies from 8 Provinces to Join Nurture to Scale, a Scaleup Programme for Indonesian Startups

• 35 technology/tech-enabled businesses from 8 provinces in Indonesia were selected for an 8-week programme of mentoring and workshops, led by successful founders.
• UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss officially launched the program live at Bogor Creative Center on Friday, 12 November 2021 alongside HMA Owen Jenkins, British Ambassador to Indonesia and Timor-Leste.
• Jakarta ranks third after Mumbai and Copenhagen out of one hundred cities worldwide on the list of “emerging start-up ecosystems”. 

UK – Indonesia Tech Hub and Endeavor teamed up to launch a scale-up programme for start-ups in Indonesia called Nurture to Scale. The programme aims to nurture the start-up entrepreneurs in Indonesia by providing access to resources, knowledge, successful founders, key industry leaders and mentors – all in order to scale-up their business.

As Southeast Asia’s largest and fastest growing digital economy with 185 million internet users nationwide, Indonesia sees Millenials and Generation Z consumers becoming the main drivers for growth in country’s digital economy. Indonesia’s dynamic and innovative technology start-up sector is also increasingly becoming a hotbed for investments: as its decacorns and unicorns continue to attract the attention of global technology giants and venture capitalists.

According to the annual Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER) 2021, Jakarta ranks third after Mumbai and Copenhagen out of one hundred cities worldwide on the list of “emerging start-up ecosystems”. Jakarta’s ranking is the highest in the Southeast Asia region, such as Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok, and Manila.

Yet, a gap in scaling existing start-ups to reach their global scale potential is visibly present. Through the Nurture to Scale programme, the mission is to fill that gap with knowledge and opportunities which can broaden the presence of these start-ups and make them world-ready – to expand and go global, as part of their long-term business goals.

From a total of 99 applicants from 23 locations across Indonesia, 35 startups representing 8 provinces and 13 cities were selected to attend and complete Nurture to Scale’s 8-week programme of workshops and mentoring sessions guided by leading business leaders. The 8 provinces include Aceh, DKI Jakarta, Banten, West Java, Central Java, DI Yogyakarta, East Java and North Sulawesi.

Participants will join a high-impact community of like-minded people, and together gain clarity on: business growth & direction at scale; and how to increase personal & professional growth as a leader & entrepreneur. Participants will be able to discuss their business with experts from Endeavor unrivalled quality mentors, UK – Indonesia Tech Hub and the wider Endeavor network of business leaders and investors.

The Nurture to Scale programme is targeted at local start-ups with technology/tech-enabled businesses based in Indonesia. Businesses should have surpassed the idea stage, be product-ready and have established sufficient market traction. Priority will be given to women-led start-ups and start-ups in health-tech, COVID-response, disaster-response tech, SME-focused, climate change, humanitarian response, and women education/ empowerment business.

Owen Jenkins, British Ambassador to Indonesia and Timor Leste said:

“This is an exciting & challenging time to be alive, as ever changing technology trends demand us to upskill. I am delighted to witness Indonesia’s dynamic & rapidly growing start up scene, which the UK is actively supporting.

UK – Indonesia Tech Hub is only able to have an impactful role in supporting the growth & inclusivity of the Indonesian digital ecosystem because we first seek to understand both the hurdles faced by under-represented groups to set up & grow their businesses, and then the challenges young start-ups face as they develop. We can then support under-represented groups and start-ups to overcome their challenges through curated capacity building programmes in digital literacy for tech players, women and underrepresented groups.

This all aligns with our objective to stimulate the local digital economy in Indonesia; so high-end digital skills can drive job creation and sustainable growth. This exciting programme will benefit all participants and the wider Indonesian economy. Collaborations like these spark innovation, forge new partnerships, and strengthen the bonds between the UK and Indonesia.”

Endeavor Indonesia Managing Director Wayah Wiroto stated that this programme was formed as a support for the creation of a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem in Indonesia. “The rankings in GSER 2021 showcases the strengths in ecosystems with the highest potential to become global top performers. Having a good support system is one of the supporting aspects. Endeavor hopes to provide continuous support and help to accelerate the growth of 35 startups in the Nurture to Scale programme. By having 8 provinces and 13 cities represented, we hope this programme can give a great contribution to the development of the entrepreneurship ecosystem throughout Indonesia,” he expressed.

Aslan Saputra, CEO & Founder Gumugu (Banda Aceh) said,

“The start-up ecosystem in Aceh is still very small and is still in the introduction phase, although some have gone national. When Nurture to Scale programme was opened, I was very excited and hoped that many start-ups from Aceh could join a program like this so that later it could be adopted and implemented in Aceh to support the growth of the start-up ecosystem here. By joining this programme, I hope to develop myself as a leader, turbocharge my business growth and expand the impact of Gumugu as a paperless ecosystem solution through the Endeavor network and the UK-Indonesia Tech Hub.”

Information about the program is available at www.nurturetoscale.org, Instagram account at instagram.com/nurturetoscale or contact indonesia@endeavor.org

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Nurture to Scale Information

Timeline

• 13 October – Open application
• 19 October  – Programme highlight and opening webinar with title “Scaling Up Your Startups: The High-Impact Way” (see video below)

• 27 October: Close application
• 01 November: Announcement of the selected 35 participants (link here)
• 05 November: Program Kick-off
• Workshops and group mentoring sessions
  • 05 November – Topic: Leadership
  • 12 November – Topic: Unit Economics
  • 19 November – Topic: Product Innovation
  • 26 November – Topic: Financial Strategy
  • 03 December – Topic: Market & Community Building
  • 10 December – Topic: Culture Building
  • 07 January – Topic: Sector Networking
  • 14 January – Topic: Pitching
• 21 January – Pitching Day and Closing Ceremony

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