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Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Informatics, in partnership with the Nexticorn Foundation, is gearing up for the NextHub Global Summit 2024, an event themed “Defrost the Tech Winter” that promises to be a pivotal moment for Indonesia’s startup ecosystem. The summit is set to become a major catalyst in nurturing a vibrant, resilient, and sustainable national startup ecosystem.
Minister of Communication and Information, Budi Arie Setiadi, emphasised the summit’s significance during a press conference at the Ministry’s Media Center in Central Jakarta. He described the event as potentially “the biggest startup matchmaking event in the region”, with a vision to foster a startup environment that is agile, resilient, sovereign, and sustainable.
“This agenda represents a substantial effort to build a thriving national startup ecosystem,” Setiadi noted.
The NextHub Global Summit 2024 will host a diverse array of participants, including 140 startups, 120 venture capital firms, and 20 global enterprises from regions such as Asia, America, and Europe. This gathering aims to facilitate critical connections between startups and potential investors while providing a platform for discussing key opportunities and challenges in the digital startup landscape across Southeast Asia.
In addition to the primary summit activities, the Ministry of Communication and Informatics is collaborating with Techsauce Media to organise a global conference. This conference will focus on exploring the various challenges and opportunities faced by digital startups in the region, fostering cross-border cooperation to address global tech issues.
Minister Setiadi highlighted the importance of this collaboration, stating that it would enhance international cooperation and mutual support in navigating the complexities of the current tech climate.
Rudiantara, Chairman of the Nexticorn Foundation, highlighted the importance of this partnership in overcoming the current “tech-winter” and supporting the growth of Indonesian startups. He described the collaboration as a form of “gotong royong”, a term reflecting mutual cooperation and collective effort. Rudiantara emphasised that this initiative is crucial for addressing the challenges faced by the startup ecosystem amidst global uncertainties.
Since their collaboration began in 2022, the Ministry of Communication and Information and Nexticorn have been working together to advance Indonesia’s digital startup ecosystem. Their efforts have included organising matchmaking events to connect startups with international venture capital and investors.
Nexticorn focuses on supporting later-stage startups to achieve unicorn status, while the Ministry of Communication and Information works on nurturing early- to mid-stage startups. This dual approach aims to bolster the overall startup landscape, with the goal of increasing the number of unicorns in Indonesia.
Despite having 22 unicorns in 2023, there have been no new unicorns in 2024 to date. Rudiantara expressed the ambition to reverse this trend by expanding support for startups at various stages of development.
“Our goal is to enhance the number of unicorns and strengthen the ecosystem across all stages—early, mid, and later,” he explained.
The NextHub Global Summit 2024 will bring together stakeholders from various segments of the startup ecosystem, providing a platform for networking, collaboration, and growth. The event aims to showcase Indonesia’s burgeoning startup scene and foster greater international engagement.
The press conference was attended by Hokky Situngkir, Director General of Informatics Applications, Bonifasius Wahyu Pudjianto, Director of Digital Economy and Sugiharto, Special Staff to the Minister of Communication and Information. Their presence underscored the government’s commitment to supporting the development of Indonesia’s digital startup ecosystem through strategic partnerships and global collaborations.
The NextHub Global Summit 2024 represents a significant step forward in Indonesia’s efforts to build a resilient and dynamic startup ecosystem. Through strategic collaborations and international engagement, the summit aims to position Indonesia as a leading hub for innovation and growth in the digital startup sector.