Indonesia is well-known to be a country with a burgeoning startup economy. With plenty of unicorns under its belt, Indonesia's startup scene has been increasingly growing and attracting both local and international investors and venture capitalists. As such, plenty of incubators and accelerators have also begun popping up to advance the growth of startups - making it the best time to run your startup in Indonesia now!
With that said, in this article, we have compiled a comprehensive list of Indonesia's startup incubators and accelerators. They have been subdivided into applicability for startups in their 'ideation', 'launch', or 'growth' stages, so whichever stage you're in, you would be able to find a program that suits you!
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WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A STARTUP INCUBATOR AND AN ACCELERATOR?
If you've got a startup and are planning to expand your ventures, a startup incubator or accelerator is one of the surefire ways! If you're considering one, here are a few differences between the two that you ought to be aware of.
In an incubator program, you will be guided to "hatch" ideas regarding business concepts and business models up until the early prototypes, with the end goal to develop your Minimum Viable Product (MVP). As such, it is aimed at earlier-stage startups or solo entrepreneurs that are just starting out and working in preparation for accelerator programs where you will commercialize the previously validated idea.
In an accelerator program, you will go through an intensive program to "accelerate" your startup either for commercialization or expansion, depending on your current stage. The program usually offers plenty of mentoring and workshops meant to speed up your learning process to a few compact months. Usually, the program culminates in a Demo Day - an event where you'll get to pitch to investors and gain funding. It is the best opportunity to meet strategic business partners and investors through the accelerators' vast network.
In a nutshell, both of them facilitate startups with mentoring, workshops, funding, and sometimes coworking spaces, but they serve startups at different stages. Nevertheless, they will certainly help you through your startup journey and growth!
FULL LIST OF STARTUP INCUBATORS AND ACCELERATORS IN INDONESIA
Ideation Stage Startup Incubators in Indonesia
As the name suggests, the ideation stage is the stage at which you would brainstorm and generate ideas. Sounds easy, right? But it is actually a challenging task! You would need to go through countless ideas until you find one that is reasonable. To ease the process, an incubator would be helpful to refine your ideas. They'll guide you to think outside the box and explore new angles through a design thinking process, making sure your ideas actually answer real-world problems with achievable solutions.
Full list of ideation stage startup incubators in Indonesia:
Who is it for: Aspiring entrepreneurs with an idea and seeking cofounder / Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Gaming
Duration: 7 months
If you are passionate about gaming and have a brilliant idea for a new game, Indigo Game is the place for you. They are the first gaming incubator in Indonesia, supported by Telkom Indonesia, a giant telecommunications company. In this program, you'll learn all about the game development process and market with mentors from industry experts, who will also help you get feedback from real players so you could make the best game. Following the program, you have a chance of getting further investment of up to Rp 2,000,000,000 and a publishing deal.
Who is it for: Aspiring entrepreneurs with an idea and seeking cofounder
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Duration: 6 months
Tinc Incubator is a program run by Telkomsel, the largest telecommunication network in Indonesia. Their aim is to gather insights from the startup ecosystem to enhance their product lines, in exchange for startups getting the facilities and resources to help them grow. As such, they are looking for technologies that could complement their product offering within the digital innovation ecosystem. Within the program, you'll go through the prototyping process with the expected output of Minimum Viable Product (MVP).
Launch Stage Startup Incubators and Accelerators in Indonesia
An idea is just an idea - it will just sit there waiting for someone else to think it unless you take an action. This is when you should start thinking about launching! Once you've developed a Minimum Viable Product, you could approach a startup incubator or accelerator to help you plan for successful commercialization. They will guide you through the business model building and market testing process until you reach product-market fit!
Full list of launch stage startup incubators and accelerators in Indonesia:
Who is it for: Aspiring entrepreneurs with an idea and seeking cofounder / Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Clean Energy
Duration: -
New Energy Nexus Indonesia Smart Energy Incubation Program is aimed at clean energy ventures to execute their go-to-market strategy. They provide business advisory, support services, access to local and international networks, as well as connections to potential investors and business partners for startups based in Indonesia.
If you're not based in Indonesia, New Energy Nexus also has an Indonesia Landing Pad Program designed for international startups who aim to expand their business in Indonesia. They will introduce you to the Indonesian market, such as the culture, market trends, and regulations, so that you can effectively and successfully launch your renewable energy products in Indonesia.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Diversity & Inclusion
Duration: 7 weeks
Kumpul-X is looking for early-stage Indonesian startups that have the vision to give an impact within Diversity and Inclusion - which is about targeting underserved audiences in terms of gender, culture, ethnicity, geography and disability, and creating an enabling environment for these people. Within the program, you'll receive mentoring that covers 3 main topics: People & Product, Diversity & Inclusion, and Business Development. At the end of the program, you would have made a scalable and impactful product along with company branding, all ready for Demo Day where you'll meet potential partners and investors.
Who is it for: Aspiring entrepreneurs with an idea and seeking cofounder / Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Food
Duration: 14 weeks
Are you an F&B Business in Indonesia? If yes, this is the program for you! The Accelerice program provides the basic blueprints for your food startup to grow - from mentoring by F&B experts, to coworking space equipped with a physical kitchen, photography room, packaging material resource room, and even a minimart concept store for market testing and validation. Through this program, you are going to learn everything you need to know about the F&B industry - such as business analysis, marketing, production, financial management, packaging, food photography, and more! The program culminates in a Demo Day where you'll pitch your startup to businesses within the F&B ecosystem such as investors, retail stores, and food brands.
Who is it for: Aspiring entrepreneurs with an idea and seeking cofounder / Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: No
Focus: Health, Education, Economy, Environment (Female-specific)
Duration: 5 months
For all the Indonesian female entrepreneurs out there, this is the opportunity for you! The She Hacks program is a competition for all Indonesian women who have ideas revolving around tech-enabled education, economy, health, and environmental innovations. The competition winners will be awarded Rp 150.000.000 funding, a mentoring program, networks with relevant experts and regulators, collaboration opportunities and exposure! You can apply with just an idea or a Minimum Viable Product, as long as you are an Indonesian woman (located within or outside of Indonesia).
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Duration: 6 months
Skystar Ventures provide an entrepreneurship program for early-stage startups in various sectors, especially the ones disrupting the traditional markets, such as those in the Internet, mobile, social, education, and eCommerce sectors. Within the program, you will get practical education and mentorship from idea validation, Minimum Viable Product development, to business validation. Backed by Universitas Multimedia Nusantara and Kompas Gramedia Group, Indonesia's largest media group, they will provide you access to top-tier talents from the university and a diverse network of distribution channels, as well as potential funding from Skystar Capital, an early-stage venture capitalist that invests in technology startups across the Asia Pacific region.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Duration: 4 months
1000 Startup Digital is a government initiative to support and enhance the startup ecosystem in Indonesia, particularly in digital technologies. Aside from regular seminars, bootcamps, networking events, and hacksprints, they also run an incubator program to "hatch" startups. In this program, you'll brainstorm with experienced C-level startups and mentors to build a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) based on the evaluation of your business model, product development, and market segmentation to achieve a strong product-market fit. To apply, your startup should already have a product development roadmap, a prototype, and traction for at least 3 months up to 2 years.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Duration: 2 months
Organized by Binus University, Bootcamp is a training program for startups to refine their problem-solution model, review the target customers, and find product-market fit. Within the intensive 2 months program, you will learn topics such as product-market fit, data validation, HR planning, product and marketing planning, financial planning, and pitching.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Duration: 6 months
Another Binus University program, the Upcelerator is a mentorship program for selected startups to launch. Their curriculum is tailored to each startup's needs, but generally, it would cover topics regarding branding, marketing, sales, finance, investment, people management, and pitching. You could also get a pre-seed fund, legal advisory, and financial advisory, and after the program, your startup will still be monitored for 2 years.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Duration: 3-6 months
Tinc, standing for Telkomsel Corporate Accelerator, is a program for startups ready to enter the market and commercialize. The program entails a piloting stage where you'll implement your Minimum Viable Product on a small scale and validate your business model. Once your solutions and business model have been validated by the customers, then you will move on to the commercialization stage. To apply, you should have a running product for at least 6 months, at the pre-seed stage or above, have the potential to leverage Telkomsel products, and be headquartered in Indonesia. If you're not ready for commercialization yet, you can also join their Tinc Incubator program for earlier-stage startups!
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Duration: 3 months
GK Plug and Play is the Indonesian extension of Plug and Play, an innovation platform that organizes numerous industry-focused accelerator programs across 35 cities globally. They have a unique approach to accelerating startups; beginning by identifying focus areas based on their partners' key challenges, they source for suitable startups to join their intensive 3-months acceleration program that culminates in an Expo Day. You should check out their website periodically to see what focus areas are open for applications.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Duration: 6 months
Backed by BCA Group, the largest privately-owned financial services provider in Indonesia, SYNRGY is an accelerator program open for startups with innovative tech products at the Seed to Series A stage. Within the program, you'll receive a customized curriculum with 1-on-1 mentoring and tracking, webinars and workshops, access to BCA groups and their networks, corporate partnership opportunities, media coverage, and potential funding.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Duration: 3 months
Startup Studio is a government initiative by The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology in Indonesia to help early-stage startups prepare for scale-up. The program is focused on forming product-market fit, business model, and market implementation, along with branding and marketing strategy, user journey, and tech development. At the beginning of the program, you'll go through a Founder's Camp, where you'll brainstorm with other founders and experienced industry leaders to discuss the practical skills you need, followed by 11 weeks of intensive 1-on-1 coaching. To apply, you should have a proven 3-6 months traction with a validated idea, have gone through Bootstrap, Angel, Pre-seed, or Seed funding, have a legal entity, and has a full-time founder.
Who is it for: Aspiring entrepreneurs with an idea and seeking cofounder / Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: No
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Duration: 6 months
Antler is a well-known venture capitalist that invests in entrepreneurs globally. In Indonesia, they run an accelerator program for early-stage startups that are divided into 2 phases. Phase 1 is where you'll focus on building your co-founding team and validating your business idea. Selected startups will then move to Phase 2, where you'll build your Minimum Viable Product, gain traction, and prepare for funding. The program culminates in a Demo Day, where you'll pitch to local and international investors. What's great about the program is that they accept applications from individuals and teams, and for founders who need to relocate to Jakarta, they'll provide allowances during the first phase. They would also invest US$100,000 for a 10% equity stake in each company selected by their investment committee.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Social Enterprise
Duration: 4 months
Another initiative by Telkomsel, the largest telecommunications network in Indonesia, The NextDev Hub aims to nurture digital startups looking to make a social impact in Indonesia.
Their Academy program is the incubator that will grow the capability of digital startups in the areas of scalability, research and development, design, branding, business model, and product quality. To be part of the NextDev Academy, you need to first join their NextDev Talent Scouting program, a national-scale competition for early-stage digital startups.
Who is it for: Aspiring entrepreneurs with an idea and seeking cofounder / Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Social Enterprise
Duration: 6 months
Hyundai Start-up Challenge Indonesia is a challenge competition organized by Hyundai Motor Group in partnership with People and Peace Link (PPL), Merry Year Social Company (MYSC), Instellar, and Community of Chest Korea. They seek social enterprise startups in the environment, employment, electric vehicle, and healthcare sectors. Finalist startups will then join their accelerator program, where you'll receive interactive classes, 1-on-1 mentoring, factory visits, and networking opportunities with Hyundai Motors Group, Instellar, investors, and social ventures in Korea. Aside from that, top-performing teams would receive funding amounting to US$ 6,500 each for the top 15 finalists, and US$ 45,000 total for the top 3 finalists, as well as the opportunity to pitch their business in South Korea.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology
Duration: 6 months
INOTEK is a business incubator and accelerator program for tech startups serving the bottom-of-pyramid markets. Through their programs, you will receive funding to develop your technologies, business, and capacities, as well as administration and logistics facilities and a coworking space. You'll also receive guidance through mentoring and join networking activities, with the goal to raise funds from investors. To apply to the program, your technology innovations should already have a proven prototype or your business should already be running for at least 2 years, provide affordable solutions, give a positive impact on people's lives, and is eco-friendly.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology
Duration: 6 weeks
An initiative by NUS Enterprise in collaboration with Salim Group, BLOCK71 is an incubator program for early-stage tech startups to scale their technologies from lab to market within the Future of Food, Health & Wellbeing, Industry 4.0, Web 3.0, and Sustainable Environment sectors. If you join their program, you'll benefit from access to NUS university-based research capabilities and patented technologies, NUS Enterprise and Salim Group's Innovation Factory's Asia-wide network of venture capitalists, investors, and industry partners, a strong alumni community, and workspaces across Asia. Aside from that, you can also secure an introduction to investor networks and priority slots to meet venture capitalists. To join, you should be in the Pre-seed, Seed, Pre-Series A stage, have an incorporated business with a valid business ID, have existing customer traction, and addresses challenges and opportunities in Asia in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology
Duration: 6 months
A university initiative by Universitas Sebelas Maret, the UNS Innovation Hub, otherwise known as iHub, is focused on developing and incubating startups within the digital innovation ecosystem. They are committed to providing guidance for anyone seeking to launch their startup, starting from idea validation, product design, marketing strategy, and other business fundamentals. They have multiple programs aimed at various audiences, stages, and sectors; namely Bright for campus students, NRE for renewable energy, clean energy, chemical, dan digital solution sectors, PPI for research and development funding preparation, and P3SD for art and design sectors. You should check out their website to see which program would be most applicable to you!
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology
Duration: 3 months
Google for Startups is a virtual accelerator program for Seed to Series A Indonesian technology startups in the fintech, edutech, retail, logistics, or healthcare sectors. They provide mentoring from 20+ Google teams, technical project support, deep dives, and workshops focused on product design, customer acquisition, and founders’ leadership development. Other perks you get from the program are access and credits to Google's products and tools - all of which are equity-free!
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology
Duration: -
Startup4Industry is a government initiative by the Indonesian Ministry of Industry with the goal to accelerate startups as technological solution providers. They organize a competition focused on implementing technological solutions in the manufacturing and services industry, with funding awarded to 20 finalist startups amounting to Rp 800,000,000, and 5 best startups receiving Rp 100,000,000 for their project implementation. You'll also be included in their online database of service providers and gain opportunities to join expos within and outside of the country, which would definitely help you get connected and recognized within the industry you serve.
Growth Stage Startup Accelerators in Indonesia
Now that you're already a startup, your next milestone would be to scale up! In simplest terms, a scaleup is when you've reached product-market fit and have a distribution model that is scalable and profitable. This could involve expanding your business nationally or even globally. To do that, a startup accelerator can provide you with the funding and networks crucial for your development.
Full list of growth stage startup accelerators in Indonesia:
Who is it for: Aspiring entrepreneurs with an idea and seeking cofounder / Early startup with a team / Mature startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Duration: 4 months
Founder Institute is a renowned global accelerator program that supports the growth of entrepreneurs in various stages through highly-structured programs with unique milestones and sprints. Starting from their FI Core Program, founders at the idea and pre-seed stages will join either the 'Launch' track to focus on idea validation, building a co-founding team, and go-to-market strategy, or join the 'Growth' track to focus on gaining traction and preparing for investments. Once you've graduated from the FI Core Program, you'll join the Founders Lab where you'll gain access to additional advisory programs to help you achieve your next milestones. Finally, alumnis can join Venture Network, where you'll get featured on events and network with investors actively funding startups.
Who is it for: Mature startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Food (Sustainable)
Duration: 1 month
With the aim to accelerate the culinary economy development in Indonesia, Food Startup Indonesia is an annual program to match food startups with potential investors. Held by Bekraf, the Indonesian government institution responsible for the creative economy, the program entails mentoring by culinary industry experts and pitching opportunities on a Demo Day. To be eligible for entry, food startups have to be innovative and scalable, have a legal entity, obtain annual revenue of Rp 750,000,000, have a request, offer, and exit strategy, utilizes sustainable measures, and are looking for funding up to Rp 15,000,000,000 or a strategic partnership.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Duration: 6-18 months
Indigo Accelerator is a program focused on scaling up startups by providing expert guidance and exposing them to a bigger market. Their curriculum is customized to each startup and the program duration will vary according to the startups' progress. The startups who joined have an opportunity to receive an investment offer of up to Rp 2,000,000,000 in exchange for negotiable Convertible Notes (without interest). You will be given KPIs that will be monitored and evaluated to get the next funding series. To achieve the KPIs, you will also be supported with various facilities such as mentoring, networking events, and business collaboration with other startups and the Telkom Group entities. To join, startups need to show traction with a monthly gross profit of at least Rp 15,000,000.
Who is it for: Mature startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Duration: 3 months
As its name alluded, the ScaleUp Growth program is a growth accelerator for startups in Indonesia to scale to the next level. The program entails multiple 1-on-1 mentoring, in-depth panel discussions, and access to resources and industry leaders from Endeavor’s local and global network. At the end of the program, you should gain clarity on your business growth and direction at scale, as well as personal and professional growth as a leader and entrepreneur. To be eligible to apply, you should be a founder headquartered in Indonesia or Singapore with Indonesia as the main market, have been in operation for at least 2 years, and have raised $2,000,000,000 in equity funding or annual revenue.
Who is it for: Mature startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology
Duration: -
The IDX Incubator is a program by the Indonesia Stock Exchange that facilitates digital startups' path to Initial Public Offering (IPO). You will receive tailored training, intensive mentoring, guidance, and underwriters to help prepare you for an IPO. Unlock your company's value, gain unlimited funding access, and boost your media exposure by going public with IDX!
Closing Thoughts on Startup Incubators and Accelerators in Indonesia
The opportunity in Indonesia as a growing economy is vast and endless. There really is no better time than now to capitalize on such opportunities to build and grow your startup. However, within the massive and diverse Indonesian markets, there are plenty of competition, regulations, and challenges you'd need to navigate through to successfully emerge as a startup. Having an incubator or accelerator to support you through the process will be tremendously beneficial - as they would provide you with more than just the funding, but also the hard-to-obtain insights, resources, and networks you need to progress further in Indonesia. So, read through this article, do your research, and prepare your decks - get ready to apply to a startup incubator or accelerator and begin your exciting startup journey!