📡 National AI Center, Sirclo’s Silent Shake-Up, Climate-tech Heats Up 🔥
Dear subscribers,
We’re back with fresh insights from Indonesia’s tech and startup scene. This week, we spotlight key funding rounds in enterprise software and AI credit scoring, a quiet ownership shake-up at Sirclo, and Oracle’s strategic cloud move into Indonesia. On the policy side, Indonesia officially launched its National AI Center with support from Cisco and Nvidia—another milestone in accelerating digital transformation.
We’re also tracking the steady rise of Paylater usage among young consumers and Malaysia’s surging digital investments that may signal shifting investor appetite in the region.
Finally, we take a closer look at climate-tech: a sector now drawing renewed funding interest, especially in waste management.
Let’s dive into the stories.
Best regards,
DailySocial Team
🚨 What’s New
#1 Rising Paylater Boom Brings Growth—and Regulatory Scrutiny
The Paylater sector in Indonesia continues its sharp ascent, with total outstanding loans reaching Rp 21.89 trillion (approx. US$1.3 billion) as of May 2025, according to the Financial Services Authority (OJK). The growth is largely driven by younger demographics—particularly Gen Z and millennials—who are increasingly relying on flexible credit to support daily consumption. While this trend signals strong market demand and digital finance adoption, it also raises regulatory concerns around consumer protection, credit risk management, and potential over-indebtedness among vulnerable users. [Read More]
#1 Funding Highlights from Indonesia's Startup Ecosystem
Sirsak secured pre-seed funding from Openspace Ventures and The Radical Fund. The startup helps manage cloud resources more efficiently for engineering teams, an increasingly relevant space as digital infrastructure scales up across Southeast Asia. [Read More]
Sxored, a Jakarta-based credit analytics startup powered by AI, landed funding from East Ventures. The company targets better credit scoring in an underserved lending market, especially beyond tier-1 cities. [Read More]
Sirclo saw a major secondary transaction. SMDV and East Ventures increased their stakes after buying out five existing investors, signaling internal reshuffling and consolidation. SMDV now owns 28% of the company. [Alternatives.pe]
#3 Oracle Joins the Cloud Race in Indonesia
Oracle is reportedly advancing its plans to establish cloud services in Indonesia, marking a strategic push into Southeast Asia’s largest digital economy. Following in the footsteps of AWS and Microsoft, this move underscores growing enterprise demand for scalable, secure, and locally hosted cloud infrastructure. As digital transformation accelerates across sectors—from finance to manufacturing—Indonesia is emerging as a critical battleground for global cloud providers seeking regional dominance. [Read More]
#4 Indonesia Launches National AI Center with Global Tech Backing
Indonesia officially launched its National AI Center this week, supported by global tech leaders Cisco, IOH (Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison) and Nvidia. The center is designed to accelerate AI adoption in key sectors such as healthcare, education, and public services by offering infrastructure access, regulatory sandboxing, and talent development programs. This initiative marks a major step in institutionalizing AI governance and innovation, while also positioning Indonesia to compete in the global AI race. [Read More]
👏 What’s Exciting
#1 Malaysia’s Digital Surge Sends Signals Across the Region
Malaysia recorded a 125% year-on-year jump in digital investments in Q2 2025, totaling US$6.19 billion. The sharp rise highlights strong investor confidence in the country’s tech ecosystem and broader Southeast Asian digital growth. For Indonesia, this development could serve as both a wake-up call and a strategic opportunity—spurring greater competitiveness in attracting capital, or paving the way for cross-border collaborations in emerging sectors like AI, cloud, and green technology. [Read More]
🚀 What’s Next: Climate-Tech Momentum Builds in Indonesia
🌱 A Surge in Early-Stage Climate-Tech Deals
In the past two weeks, Indonesia’s climate-tech space has seen two early-stage funding deals in the waste management sector—highlighting growing investor interest in tech-driven sustainability solutions such as recycling infrastructure and emissions monitoring platforms. With increasing regulatory attention and tightening ESG mandates, climate-tech is fast emerging as one of the most promising verticals in the country’s innovation landscape.
📊 Market Potential & Evolving Models
Indonesia’s urban waste output is expected to exceed 70 million tons by 2030, creating massive pressure on infrastructure.
Startups are emerging with B2B SaaS tools for waste tracking, circular economy platforms, and carbon footprint monitoring solutions.
Many are operating under blended financing structures, combining grants, VC funding, and carbon credits to scale.
This diversity in approach reflects a maturing market that is no longer purely dependent on government or donor-driven initiatives.
Green sector including circular economy, electric vehicle, sustainability startups
⚠️ Challenges Ahead—and Collaboration Needed
Despite the momentum, the sector faces structural barriers:
Fragmented waste regulations across regions
Limited digital infrastructure and real-time data
Low adoption among traditional waste operators
To overcome these, stakeholders are calling for regulatory sandbox programs, capacity building, and stronger PPP (public-private partnerships) to ensure sustainable and scalable impact.