The Surabaya City Government collaborated with Ozora Yatrapaktaja, Gobi Partners, and GK Plug and Play Indonesia to launch the Surabaya Startup Fest 1.0, aiming to break economic boundaries in the City of Heroes. The event attracted over 110 participants from various cities across East Java, showcasing the promising potential of Surabaya's startup ecosystem. Held alongside the Creative Community Day 2022 at Balai Pemuda Surabaya, the festival sought to identify and nurture local entrepreneurial talent.
Margaret Srijaya, Founding Partner of Ozora Yatrapaktaja, highlighted Surabaya’s untapped entrepreneurial potential, noting that many successful individuals relocate to Jakarta due to limited resources and ecosystem support in Surabaya. She expressed optimism about the collaboration between GK Plug and Play, Surabaya City Government, Ozora, and Gobi in establishing a robust startup ecosystem to accelerate local entrepreneurs' growth.
Andre Oentoro, another partner at Ozora, emphasized the lack of exposure for startups in Surabaya, compared to those in Jakarta, and the need to create a supportive ecosystem for local entrepreneurs. He expressed hope that in the next 3-5 years, startups from Surabaya could achieve unicorn status. Andre also pointed out that many startups in Surabaya struggle with confidence in pitching their ideas to investors, which this event aimed to address by fostering a more investor-friendly environment.
Surabaya Mayor Eri Cahyadi emphasized that Surabaya Startup Fest 1.0 could open new opportunities for young talents to innovate and contribute to the city’s economy. From hundreds of participants, the festival selected 10 outstanding startups, including Periksain.id, Seaping.id, Menno, and others, which will now have the opportunity to secure funding from investors to expand their ventures. This initiative underscores Surabaya’s commitment to developing its startup ecosystem and empowering local entrepreneurs.
Source: timesindonesia.co.id
