National University of Singapore (NUS) Enterprise has partnered with Indonesian conglomerate Salim Group to launch startup incubator BLOCK71 in Jakarta.
The Jakarta facility, modelled and named after the unique BLOCK71 startup hub in Singapore, is sort of twice as large at over 1,500 square metres. It is situated in Kuningan, where most of Jakarta’s tech community lives.
The incubator, which can house 24 corporations, goals to support the event of entrepreneurship and innovation in each Singapore and Indonesia and leverage the collective experience and resources of NUS Enterprise and Salim Group.
Salim Group, a partner of NUS Enterprise in BLOCK71 Jakarta, is an Indonesian conglomerate with diversified operations across sectors including food, retail, telecommunications and hospitality.
NUS Enterprise Chief Executive Officer Lily Chan said: Strait Times “Block71 Jakarta is open to all startups and entrepreneurs who want to explore the Indonesian market. We especially encourage companies that are developing innovative technology solutions with the potential to scale globally to apply.”
According to a press release, the ability is already home to around 20 startups, half of that are from Singapore. Examples of startups operating at the ability include Carro, Viddsee, Circles.Life, HelloBill, pslove company and 8villages.
One such Singaporean start-up, pslove, is already in talks with a well-established Indonesian company to introduce its products – heating patches that relieve back, neck and menstrual pain – to the Indonesian market.
“Indonesia is so different to Singapore that having the support and community here really helped us overcome the initial struggles, such as the different cultures and nuances we had to deal with,” said Ms Tan Peck Ying, 29, founding father of pslove.
Axton Salim, CEO of Salim Group, said: completely satisfied“We started this initiative because we want to support entrepreneurs and encourage new investments in Indonesia,” he said.
Singapore’s Minister for Trade and Industry Lim Hng Kiang and Indonesia’s Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita presided over the opening ceremony in Jakarta.
Renting a desk will cost around 80 Singapore dollars per thirty days.
BLOCK71 Jakarta is the fourth BLOCK71 on the planet. The other three are situated in Singapore (opened in 2011), San Francisco (2015) and Suzhou.
