Sinar Mas Sets Up BSD Innovation Labs Completing Its Digital Ecosystem

Sinar Mas Land, GK Plug and Play, and Digitaraya partnered up to create the accelerator program named BSD Innovation Labs. It's to be focused on supporting startups in property technology (proptech) industry.

Sinar Mas Land is getting closer to achieve a fully digital ecosystem in the independent city, Bumi Serpong Damai (BSD), Tangerang, Banten. Irwan Harahap as the Project Leader for Digital Hub at Sinar Mas Land said the BSD Innovation Lab is to take the role of startup accelerator that considered lacking in BSD.

"We're to complete this ecosystem with the accelerator program due to most of the accelerators only exist in Jakarta, and we're to focus on proptech first," Harahap said at the Green Office Park, BSD.

He said the accelerator program is to start working by corporate partner requests. When there's a company in need for a solution, Plug and Play will find the right startup, next, Digitaraya will provide help to develop solutions from selected startups.

If the solution works, BSD Innovation Labs will set the meeting with related investors to consider a demo day.

"As the founder, we have a privilege to chip in earlier than others," he added.

However, not all startups are within our coverage, only those which focuses on the property industry and the series A+ from any country. He also mentioned that they're not here to take a risk with early stages due to all issues come from the big corporates.

"Therefore, we're not to invest in the early-stage startups. Imagine the big companies such as Unilever and Sinar Mas Land to work with the minors," he emphasized.

Although it has been launched, BSD Innovation Labs is yet to make a move. The program is to function on February or March 2020. The related parties will have each responsibility on this.

Let's say Sinar Mas in charge to provide space around Green Office Park, Plug and Play is to train and facilitate startups with investors, and Digitaraya to provide mentoring in terms of business and technology, supported by Google.

BSD Innovation Labs has added to BSD's digital ecosystem through the Digital Hub. Digital Hub is a 26 acres lot dedicated to the tech-business from startups to the multi-national companies.

The Rp7 trillion project has been delayed for some time, but it's to be done in 2021. When it's finished, Sinar Mas will move all the digital businesses in BSD here, including the Innovation Labs.

One thing based the BSD Innovation Labs is a great potential in the property technology sector. Proptech, smart city, and connected home is projected to rise within the next few years.

As we all know, BSD has been a home for some technology entities, particularly in the human resource industry, such as Apple Academy, Binar Academy, Purwadhika Startup & Coding School, Creative Nest, NXL E-Sport Center, Sale Stock, 99.co, Orami, vOffice, Go Work, Grab Innovation Lab, Sirclo, Amikom, Geeks Farm Dimension Data, HP, Cohive, and Qlue. Sinar Mas also mentioned two more academies to join their ecosystem.

On the other side, Digitaraya has been involved in two accelerator programs within the past two days. Yesterday, with Gojek, Digitaraya just announced their accelerator program called Gojek Xcelerate.

"Talking about Digital Hub, the long term objective is for job vacancy. There are talents, when ready, they can create a new startup, or getting hired by tech-company, or whether the company has issues, they can come to the accelerator. It'll create many job opportunities, income, talents, academy, such as Silicon Valley," he said.

–Original article is in Indonesian, translated by Kristin Siagian