Jakarta. Tech giant Google is taking seven Indonesian startups to Silicon Valley for its newest accelerator program later this month in another reflection of growing interest among global tech players in Southeast Asia’s largest economy.
The Mountainview, California-based company announced its latest Launchpad Accelerator program last month, unraveling a six-month course that will offer mentorship, training, support and equity-free funding to mobile startups from India, Brazil and Indonesia.
Participants will first receive training at Google headquarter, all expenses paid, according to Google Developers’ official website.
“From health care and transportation to agribusiness and dating, Indonesian developers are creating solutions for an underserved market that holds massive potential given its huge population, young demographic and a geography that stretches more than 4,000 kilometers over 17,000 islands,” Google said.
“The potential of Southeast Asia’s largest nation, with a per capita [gross domestic product] of around $3,500, has caught the attention of numerous major investors, and the momentum behind the startup scene is growing at an unprecedented rate.”
Some of the homegrown startups that will travel to California between Jan. 17 - 31 for the first step of the program include personal budgeting app Jojonomics, dating app Setipe, online learning site HarukaEdu and fishery app eFishery. Kakatu, a parental control app, news app Kurio and Kerjabilitas, an online job listing for the disabled, are also included in the group.
Setipe founder Razi Thalib said the opportunity will allow him to further develop his skills in design, technology and marketing.
“We [at Setipe] have to admit that Indonesians still lack those three factors when compared to other countries,” he said on Saturday. “This is a good opportunity because we will receive mentorship from experts at Google.”
The move was welcomed by Indonesia’s Communications and Information Technology Minister Rudiantara, who recently cited that Indonesia would need 200 technopreneurs annually in order to expand the domestic tech ecosystem.
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