Should Indonesian founders be taking their cues from Silicon Valley? (#StartupAsia preview)

Compared to sophisticated tech markets like China, Japan, and the US, Indonesia’s tech ecosystem is still considered by some to be like an adolescent in need of guidance and mentoring. Sonita Lontoh, founder of the Silicon Valley Asia Technology Alliance, a non-profit organization that brings Indonesian founders to startup boot camps in the US, thinks the archipelago needs a stronger network of advisors and financiers before it will see more meaningful exit scenarios.

See: Cracking the code: what makes a sticky website? (#StartupAsia preview)

As the managing partner of QuestVC, one of China’s leading venture capital firms, James Tan is also in the unique position to look at Indonesia with a critical eye. Because China is the world’s largest emerging market, Tan’s insights on how Indonesia can reach similar growth could be more valuable now than ever to Jakarta’s founders.

On the other hand, Takeshi Ebihara, a Japanese native and the founding general partner of Rebright Partners venture capital firm, believes Jakarta’s startup scene is ripe for the picking. Over the past seven years, Ebihara has invested in several local firms including BukaLapak, Adskom, IndoTrading, and most recently MBDC Media. He has gone on record, saying “Here in Indonesia the microeconomics and politics are well managed […] The growth momentum here is great, even totally different from China or India.”

See also: Behind the scenes of Christian Sugiono’s MBDC Media

We will interview Sonita Lontoh, James Tan, and Takeshi Ebihara on stage at Startup Asia Jakarta 2014 as part of a panel discussion on what the Indonesian tech ecosystem can learn from the US, China, and Japan. You don’t wanna miss it!

Join us at Startup Asia Jakarta 2014 on November 26 and 27. This is where you can sign up.

Editing by Mary-Anne Lee, image from brionv