Indonesia: Who are the new kids in startup town?

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Hi readers,

A few days ago, we officially announced the relaunch of Tech in Asia’s mobile app.

This was so exciting because during the Tech in Asia Conference two years ago, a lot of people came up to me and asked why the app isn’t working anymore. Mind you, that was my first year as an employee at TIA – I didn’t even know that we had an app!

Now that I have tried our new mobile app, I could see what our readers were raving about. It really makes reading and tracking news so much easier.

Currently, the app is available to our Premium Core subscribers only, so do try it out and let us know what you think!

OK,#loveyourown sesh over: Let’s go back to our usual programming! Here’s what we’re looking at today:

• The Indonesian startups that are making waves while solving everyday problems
• Oyo and Microsoft’s plan to create the “next-gen” travel and hospitality experience
• Other newsy highlights such as Xendit’s impending entry into the unicorn club and Byju’s fast-tracked IPO plans

PREMIUM SUMMARY

Ecommerce aggregators, financial API, and an app that connects people with obesity and diabetes to dieticians

These young companies in Indonesia recently raised funds to address big problems, and we think they’re pretty cool:

• Hey, big spender: Ecommerce aggregators – companies that acquire ecommerce brands and then scale them up – seem to be trending in Asia. Yesterday, we reported about Singapore-based Rainforest’s US$20 million fundraise. And today, we have another that secured financing: Indonesia’s Hypefast, which was founded last year and already claims to be profitable.
• Money on my mind: Unsurprisingly, there are a lot of fintech startups on the list. But here’s one that stood out: Ayoconnect is a financial application programming interface (API) platform that allows digital platforms to collaborate with banks and other financial institutions. It works with firms such as Bank Rakyat Indonesia, Bank Mandiri, Dana, and Bukalapak.
• An apple a day: As reported previously, telehealth isn’t developing as quickly as other internet industries in Indonesia. But that doesn’t seem to faze Sirka: The healthtech startup helps people with obesity and diabetes change their eating habits by connecting them to dietitians for meal plan recommendations.

Read more: 50 rising startups in Indonesia

STARTUP SPOTLIGHT

Oyo and Microsoft’s plan to create the “next-gen” travel and hospitality experience