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The startup world is full of pivots. It’s no wonder since companies always try to adapt to new opportunities and challenges.
Just a few weeks ago, we had a story about how autonomous vehicle company TuSimple had pivoted into the video gaming and AI-generated content market and rebranded itself as CreateAI.
Today’s premium story features another significant pivot. Indonesia’s Bukalapak, which rose to prominence as an ecommerce unicorn, has recently announced its plans to phase out physical product sales on its marketplace. It’s also making its foray into a new space: edtech.
It may seem like a bit of a leap, but there’s a method to what may look like madness.
Today we look at:
- Bukalapak’s edtech play
- A potential Grab-GoTo merger
- Other newsy highlights such as China’s antitrust investigations into Google and India’s first AI frontier research lab
Premium summary
Bukalapak’s edtech foray
Image credit: Timmy Loen
In November 2024, Bukalapak launched Edukarier. It’s an upskilling platform that offers online training programs for aspiring government workers as well as intro courses for those who wish to become ecommerce sellers.
- The context: Edukarier aims to capitalize on the growing demand for upskilling in Indonesia. It targets a market that lacks a dominant player, unlike those in the K-12 sector. This represents a potential opportunity for Bukalapak as well as a significant strategic shift.
- Question mark: The success of Edukarier is linked to the Kartu Prakerja program, a nationwide initiative that subsidizes online and offline training aligned with current labor market needs. However, the program is on hold, creating uncertainty for Bukalapak’s edtech ambitions.
- Remains to be seen: Experts are divided on Bukalapak’s prospects in the edtech space. Some of them cite waning interest in online training and a limited market, while others point to the company’s financial resources and the instilled habit of upskilling as potential advantages.
Read more: Bukalapak leaps into edtech, but not without skeptics
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