Bekraf Ambitious to Lower Startup Failure Rates Through the BEKUP Program

The high failure rate in the startup world, can actually be overcome by debriefing about company management. This point is highlighted by Bekraf through the BEKUP program, which is now in its third year.

FREEDOM is a pre-startup mentoring program from an idea to an MVP who is ready to go to the market or enter the incubator for further discussion. Local Halal and TarraSmart are the two first batch of Bekup participants who are still active today.

Bekraf Deputy for Infrastructure Hari Sungkari said that most startup founders in Indonesia only understand how to make products that start from technology. In fact, the essence of establishing a startup is managing the company, how leadership is needed.

"So far, startups have started from technology, even though they actually offer solutions to existing problems. For example, Gojek do. So in Bekup we teach it to pre-startups from those who are still in the form of ideas until they eventually become MVPs," said Hari, last week (7/12).

There are around 150 startups joining Bekup this year. Fewer than last year's participants, which were 200 startups. However, Hari saw that the participants this time were more qualified in terms of maturity.

There are 30 startups that have made it to the stage demo day, with a success percentage of 20% of the total participants. This percentage is considered higher than the startup fail rate which is called only 10% of survivors in the early stages.

demo days The event itself was held last week with a quite different feel on the Quicksilver Cruise Jakarta cruise ship.

"Bekup was born to bring down failure rate startup in the early stages. In that world, it is said that there are 10% [survivors], now it's 20% because we trained them to become entrepreneurs. Many of them don't know how to run a business, they only know how to make products."

Once registered, participants will take part in a series of Bekup activities. Starting from bootcamp 1, team consultation 1, bootcamp 2, team consultation 2, mid evaluation, series of activities routine evaluation journey 1-6, and final evaluation.

All the debriefing, he continued, was directed at the founders in order to create a strong and reliable startup so that it could offer innovation with three criteria. That is, according to the wishes of the user, business-friendly, and technically scalable.

In the final stage, 10 startups were selected who were given the opportunity to present their business in front of incubator partners, accelerators, investors, and other potential strategic partners.

The 10 startups are Sebuku (Balikpapan), Angkoters (Bandung), Lesku (Denpasar), Isportpreneur (Makassar), Campus Ngelab (Malang). Then, SalonQita (Medan), Muslimall (Padang), Freshtime (Semarang), Qubiclo (Tangerang), and Farming.id (Yogyakarta).

"With the BEKUP program, we hope to be able to help the development of startup players by providing training and work management through the activities we have held. We and our partners are very proud to be a part of realizing a better Indonesia," said Hari.