JAKARTA - The Ministry of Industry said it hopes that the economic partnership between Indonesia and South Korea can contribute to the development of Southeast Asia’s startup ecosystem.
“We want to jointly initiate cooperation between Indonesian and South Korean startups and unicorns,” said Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita in an official statement, Thursday (28/11).
According to Mr Kartasasmita, this is the right moment for Southeast Asian and South Korean startups too dominate the global startup landscape. According to TechCrunch data, there are currently 10 unicorns, or startups with a valuation of at least US$ 1 billion, in Southeast Asia and four of them are from Indonesia, namely Gojek, Tokopedia, Traveloka, and Bukalapak.
“They are the startups with the most capital and are the most competitive,” said Mr Kartasasmita.
As part of the delegation that accompanied President Joko Widodo and First Lady Iriana Joko Widodo on a visit to South Korea, Mr Kartasasmita attended the 2019 ASEAN-Republic of Korea (ROK) Startup Expo. The event, Mr Kartasasmita said, connected relevant stakeholders and contributed to expanding the network of startups and investors.
“We appreciate the 2019 ASEAN-ROK Startup Expo. We hope the event served as a forum to share information, experience, and best practises in formulating regulations,” said Mr Kartasasmita. (MS)