Cubeacon wants to be Indonesia’s pioneer in iBeacon technology

It’s a rare thing to hear about software-as-a-service (SaaS) ventures from Indonesia, and even more rare to hear about hardware innovation. But Cubeacon combines both. It focuses on customer loyalty management with a hardware component based on Apple’s iBeacon technology.

The startup may be so far ahead of the curve in Indonesia that its CEO Tiyo Avianto is focusing Cubeacon’s distribution in the Japanese market for the time being.

“We are still trying to find the perfect market in Indonesia,” he says. “This technology is fresh from the oven and needs more understanding.”

A new way to connect with customers

Cubeacon uses a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) sensor that was introduced by Apple under the name of iBeacon in 2013.

iBeacon sensors are made to be placed indoors, for instance inside a shop. These sensors can detect a customer’s position within the shop very precisely, and they can send offers or information relevant to that location directly to a customer’s phone (so long as they have Bluetooth turned on). Potentially, hundreds of sensor units can be installed across one location.

Along with its sensor units, which Cubeacon calls a Cubeacon Box, the company delivers customizable software which shop owners can configure depending on their context and requirements, for example to receive analytics and maps, and to deliver custom ads, or push notifications.

Innovation made in Indonesia

Avianto attempted to build a startup years ago, but admits it lasted only six months. “It was an ecommerce startup focused on selling electronic spare parts, with online guides on teardown and electronic hardware repair,” he explains.

However, this failure did not deter him from his passion for hardware. In early 2014, he joined the company Eyro Digital Teknologi as CEO, and set in motion the company’s pilot project, Cubeacon.

The hardware production only partly takes place in Indonesia. According to Avianto, The cases and packaging are manufactured by suppliers near Surabaya in East Java, and the PCB assembly is done in Shenzhen, China.