BRI Ventures Immediately Launches "Sembrani Kiqani" Managed Fund for D2C Startups

After last year launched Sembrani Nusantara Venture Fund focused on funding early-stage startups, BRI Ventures (BVI) will again present their investment vehicle, named "Sembrani Kiqani". Still with a mission to fund early stage startups, only focused on consumer brands targeting the sector direct-to-consumer (D2C).

In his opening remarks at the BRI Ventures Networking Day (23/11), BVI CEO Nicko Widjaja also mentioned the growing potential for the growth of the D2C sector in Indonesia, both in the fields of fashion, F&B, and beauty. According to him, this sector is able to become an industrial driver, especially in the midst of economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Marcel Lukman, owner of one of the leading retail groups 707company, also one of the Partners of Sembrani Kiqani also said, in addition to D2C, this managed fund is also targeted to target the industry. blockchain and its derivatives related to cryptocurrencies. BVI itself is planning to strengthen investment to develop the crypto ecosystem in the country.

Previously, through Sembrani Nusantara, BVI had invested in developers brand Thirsty drinks!, which is also their first portfolio outside of fintech. The funds disbursed reached 30 billion Rupiah for the startup's debut. Apart from that, local shoe product developers Broth also received an injection of funds in their series A round.

D2C Industry in Indonesia

Retail is an industry that contributes greatly to the national economy. However, the Covid-19 pandemic which has shaken the resilience of this industry has caused many businesses to have to change strategies and even give up on the situation. One strategy that is currently being widely used is to directly target consumers or direct-to-consumer (D2C).

According to the data compiled in the report "Driving Growth with D2C" by Ogilvy, Commercetolls, and Verticurl, owners of brand currently considered to have a D2C digital strategy to be able to win the market. The main goal is to build a more personal relationship with customers, so as to create an experience brand more effective and attractive as a value proposition. D2C provides invaluable ownership of customer data.

In Indonesia itself, there are already several startups that have adopted this D2C concept including Brodo and Saturdays (fashion), Kopi Kenangan, Fore Coffee, Lemonilo (F&B), Dropezy (grocery), as well as retail group startups hyperfast which becomes more focused venture builder. VCs such as East Ventures are also increasingly targeting this sector, including their two newest portfolios mohjo and Casual.

Investment in industry blockchain

In early 2010, perhaps not many people understood the concept of blockchain and its utility in the technology industry. Nowadays, discussions regarding crypto assets are run on the platform blockchain increasingly heard both in the real world and on social media. Even so, the crypto ecosystem in Indonesia is still premature and requires in-depth education.

In an effort to develop the crypto ecosystem in Indonesia, BRI Ventures, in collaboration with Tokocrypto, is planning a new initiative called the Tokocrypto Sembrani Blockchain Accelerator (TSBA). This first blockchain project is targeted to launch soon in 2022.

Apart from crypto assets, products that are also popular with the public, especially among technology enthusiasts, are NFTs. As a unique digital asset, all types of media can be minted or tokenized and converted into NFTs. This product itself has been present in various industries, starting from digital art, real estate market virtual, to collectibles, games, and much more.

Hype NFT makes people flock to make this platform an alternative investment commodity, especially supported by presence secondary market on multiple platforms marketplace popular. However, NFTs are still a very new market, so you need to be extra careful.

Several NFT marketplace platforms that are already operating in Indonesia include ShopMall, Collectibleand Digital Paras.