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Glenn Kaonang · · 4 min readBukalapak leaps into edtech, but not without skeptics
As Bukalapak phases out physical product sales on its marketplace, the company is focusing on a different vertical: edtech.
Launched on November 14, 2024, Edukarier is an upskilling platform by Bukalapak that offers online training courses like classes for aspiring government workers as well as intro courses to become an ecommerce seller.
Photo credit: Bukalapak
The Edukarier homepage also lists its partners, which include edtech startups Ruangguru and Pintar.
It’s a curious pivot for Bukalapak. Edtech has had its struggles in Indonesia, though some firms are finding opportunities in catering to the country’s workforce instead of school-age students.
Still, edtech and ecommerce have different DNAs. Can its new focus truly bring Bukalapak back to its feet?
Lifelong learning, not K-12
Bukalapak’s journey in the sector began in 2022 when it acquired edtech firm Bolu.id for US$1 million. Bolu.id specializes in online training that empowers MSMEs – think programs on digital marketing strategies and ecommerce skills.
But the company’s last online course was released in August 2024.
Edukarier is instead a spin-off of Voucher Belajar, a feature on government program Kartu Prakerja. A nationwide initiative, the program subsidized online and offline training that aligns with current labor market needs.
For Voucher Belajar, Bukalapak partnered with Kartu Prakerja to allow program participants to shop for courses on Bukalapak’s platform, says Dimas Bayu Permana, the company’s head of media and communications.
Like Bukalapak, Edukarier acts as a marketplace, but for edtech courses. The platform does not currently offer its own modules – all of the programs available are provided by certified training institutions.
Permana tells Tech in Asia Indonesia that Edukarier has grown in the short time since its launch, though he did not disclose specific metrics.
It’s unclear whether Bukalapak will integrate Bolu.id into Edukarier – doing so would make the former a training provider as well. Regardless, Bukalapak’s edtech initiatives signal a concentration on lifelong learning as opposed to K-12 education.
The Prakerja effect
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The firm aims to replace physical goods with lifelong learning. But the government has paused a related subsidy program.
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