IN FOCUS
In today’s newsletter, we look at:
- Indonesia’s agritech sector faces funding drought
- Apple’s lawsuit settlement opens can of worms for personal data privacy
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Hi there,
Last October, I attended the GITEX Global 2024 conference in Dubai and noticed a lot of agritech players. I was surprised to learn that there are 130 agritech startups in the United Arab Emirates, which is mostly desert.
However, a large metropolis like Dubai can only maintain its lush lawns and gardens amid the scorching heat through the innovations made possible by modern technology.
In today’s Big Story, we look at the agritech landscape of another country, Indonesia, which is blessed with good conditions for farming. That said, things haven’t been going well for Indonesian agritech startups recently, with funding falling by over 4x in 2024 from a year earlier.
Several key players in the industry have gone through multiple rounds of layoffs or even shut shop completely. Another big blow came last month when aquatech unicorn eFishery suspended its co-founders amid an ongoing investigation into alleged financial irregularities.
My colleague Duc dives deep to uncover more about the future of Indonesia’s agritech landscape.
Meanwhile, in this week’s Hot Take, I discuss the threats that mobile apps pose with the collection of our personal data. But first, our Big Story.
– Collin
BIG STORY
Key players in Indonesia’s agritech map falter as funding falls

Image credit: Timmy Loen
Investment in Indonesia’s agritech sector has plummeted by 4x in 2024. EFishery’s troubles may worsen the dry spell in 2025.
HOT TAKE
DEEP READS
EMERGING NEWS
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