Smart Announces Initial Funding of 93 Billion Rupiah Led by Sequoia India and General Catalyst

Smart is platform job marketplace targeting blue-collar workers. Today (19/5) announced that it has secured seed funding led by Sequoia Capital India and General Catalyst. The investment value that can be recorded is $6,3 million or the equivalent of 93 billion Rupiah.

The startup was founded by Nelly Nurmalasari, Henry Hendrawan, and Ghirish Pokardas. Nelly and Henry were previously known as senior executives at Traveloka, particularly in the financial products and technology division. Meanwhile, Ghirish previously worked as a senior executive at KKR who also focused on financial services.

Nelly herself was also part of the program's first cohort mentoring Sequoia Spark --- specifically designed by Sequoia for potential aspiring female entrepreneurs in Southeast Asia and India.

With this funding, Pintarnya will accelerate business growth by recruiting teams in the areas of development, product, design, marketing, operations, and business in Jakarta.

The background of his Clever establishment

Di blue collar segment, to find a job usually someone will rely on information spread by word of mouth. Channel online The existing ones also provide a lot of vacancies information, it's just that many are not verified --- not even a few that lead to fraud against job seekers.

However, on the other hand, employers also have a serious gap in reaching potential workers. They need a reliable platform to identify, verify, and employ workers. This was told by Nelly (CEO). The problem is experienced directly.

"I used to hire beauty salon staff through a classifieds platform online or references to other workers. It is very difficult to screen and verify candidates and their work experience quickly. On the other hand, I also realized that for job seekers, it is very annoying to find and apply for jobs, and then they become victims of fraud in the process," said Nelly.

He continued, "The smarts aim to overcome these challenges for both sides. Then, 80% of the population has smartphone, so it's a good time to launch a digital platform. The behavioral changes triggered by the recent COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of Open Finance in Indonesia are also providing impetus to our mission."

Smart Solutions

Smart to provide service via website and apps mobile devices. For now, their services can only be used effectively for users in Greater Jakarta and Bandung.

In how it works, once a job seeker registers and creates a profile, Smart will use the information provided to recommend relevant job opportunities. This includes considering various parameters including but not limited to job requirements, location and skills. This approach is considered to be able to provide access not only to verified and curated prospects.

After that, Pintarnya will work closely with employer partners to qualify and recruit relevant blue-collar workers.

"The mission of Pintar is not only to help workers find jobs. With a digital identity and verified employment history, we will open access to better financial services for them by partnering with financial institutions, enabling blue-collar workers to achieve their dreams for a better life. worth it," Henry added.

Although the details are not elaborated, with a data-based mechanism and utilizing the Open Finance platform, Pintarnya is also committed to providing formal financial services for these workers. The goal is to improve their welfare, by fighting for financial literacy and inclusion.

Platform potential job marketplace blue collar

It is also undeniable that the potential economic value of blue-collar workers is very large, but very complex and fragmented. In Indonesia, 60 million blue-collar workers account for more than 70% of paid workers and contribute 20% of GDP.

This was also conveyed by Alex Tran from General Catalyst. He said, “Indonesia has one of the youngest populations in the world, which is a rarity and a potential demographic bonus if people are given the opportunity to be productive and financially stable. This is a huge challenge and opportunity that technology can solve.”

Alex continued, “We are excited to be able to support the team at Pintarnya as they embark on a mission to help blue-collar workers adapt to employers, build community and improve skills. We are also excited about the opportunity fintech which can emerge from here. Work leads to income leads to access to financial services, so we think it makes sense that one platform should have this whole relationship."

A number of platforms for blue-collar workers have also emerged previously. Call it AdaKerja, Side, MyRobin, Lumina, until the newest one is Atma. Atma also recently announced funding pre seed to support his debut worth $5 million --- they come with a different approach, namely with community empowerment.