Indonesian edtech firm raises $3m to help workers break ‘middle-income trap’

Pintar team / Photo credit: Pintar

Amid the tech winter and recent troubles in the Indonesian edtech industry, there are still startups in the sector that are thriving.

Pintar, for instance, recently secured US$3 million in a pre-series A funding round led by Havez Capital, an investment firm headed by Imelda Harsono, who also serves as the vice president of Indonesian industrial gas company Samator Group.

SIG Venture Capital also participated in the fundraise.

Formerly known as HarukaEdu, Pintar focuses on workforce development with solutions such as training, credentialing, and jobs placement. This sets it apart from most edtech startups in Indonesia, which primarily focus on K-12 education.

“Our mission is to empower labor,” said Pintar CEO Ray Pulungan in a statement. He added that the company aims to enhance the skills of workers to “break through the infamous middle-income trap.”

Pintar said that it currently serves over 2 million users. Its platform is also used by private companies like minimarket chain Indomaret for recruitment and training, as well as state-owned company Krakatau Steel for talent development and compliance refreshers.

In addition to enterprises, Pintar has also partnered with Indonesia’s Ministry of Education and the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Before rebranding as Pintar in 2022, HarukaEdu had raised funding up to the series C stage with a total disclosed amount of US$2.2 million.

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