Cases of pollution-linked respiratory diseases in Jakarta rose from 50,000 before Covid-19 to 200,000 in August, according to the Indonesian Health Ministry.

The air pollution crisis, however, could encourage the growth of startups addressing the issue, such as air monitoring devices and CO2 converters, as well as those in related sectors like waste management and ride-sharing.

Nafas, an air monitoring device provider, recorded a 400% increase in users within two weeks in August, while B2B biotech firm Databiota’s users rose 30% over the past two months.