BLOCK71 expands in Indonesia
BLOCK71 is an ecosystem builder and global connector which catalyses and aggregates the start-up community
BLOCK71 by NUS Enterprise was officially launched in Yogyakarta and Bandung on 25 October, bringing the total number of centres in Indonesia to three, after BLOCK71 Jakarta was launched in July 2017. The new locations, established in partnership with Salim Group, form part of a growing global network linking existing initiatives BLOCK71 San Francisco, BLOCK 71 Suzhou and the original BLOCK71 Singapore to cultivate a vibrant and sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The launch of BLOCK71 Yogyakarta was officiated by Mr Baey Yam Keng, Senior Parliamentary Secretary of Singapore’s Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth; while the launch of BLOCK71 Bandung was officiated by Mr Anil Kumar Nayar, Singapore’s Ambassador to the Republic of Indonesia.
“NUS is delighted to deepen our engagement with the Salim Group through the launch of two new BLOCK71 locations in Yogyakarta and Bandung. Our expansion in Indonesia is in tandem with the growth and vibrancy of the local entrepreneurial scene. Collectively, NUS’ three BLOCK71 locations in Indonesia will facilitate greater information exchange, strengthen connectivity and promote growth between the start-up ecosystems in Singapore and Indonesia. These BLOCK71 locations will open doors for start-ups from Singapore and the BLOCK71 family to grow their presence in Indonesia and facilitate access to international markets for local start-ups,” said NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye.
Mr Axton Salim, Executive Director of Salim Group said, “We are delighted to partner with NUS Enterprise yet again to expand the BLOCK71 footprint in Indonesia. We are passionate about supporting entrepreneurs as well as galvanising the local community, and we hope our initiatives will encourage more young people to develop a keen interest in the digital and technology arenas and become entrepreneurs.”
From left: Mr Nayar, Dr Chan and Mr Salim at BLOCK71 Bandung
CEO of NUS Enterprise Dr Lily Chan added that start-ups, both in Singapore and beyond, can leverage the new BLOCK71 locations to gain more insights into the Indonesian market and expand their networks into a new tech community.
Start-ups at the two new locations, which are strategically situated in key Indonesian cities and in close proximity to local universities, will have access to incubation support, entrepreneurial initiatives such as business competitions and conferences, opportunities to pilot new ideas or technologies in the Indonesian market and abroad, and BLOCK71’s global network of resources and contacts to kick-start their entrepreneurial journey.
Entrepreneurship-related programmes will also provide collaboration and networking opportunities for student and entrepreneur communities from Singapore and institutes of higher learning in Indonesia, as well as development opportunities to support the growth of digital and technology talents.
The first batch of start-ups will take up residence in BLOCK71 Yogyakarta and BLOCK71 Bandung in November.
See press release.
BLOCK71 Yogyakarta is situated in a contemporary area across from the popular Galeria Mall
