Sharing the Experience of the Online Accelerator Program in the Midst of a Pandemic

Prior to the pandemic, most of the accelerator program activities, bootcampand demo day done directly in the office or coworking space. The accelerator program funds all activities and brings in relevant mentors to help the students entrepreneur develop their business.

However, when the pandemic came, these activities switched online and relied on tools as video conference. This option becomes attractive, not only helping the organizers to cut expenses, but also providing flexibility to the participants.

DailySocial, for example, last April launched an activity DSLaunchpad. An online startup incubation program. This program passed 107 startups, with a preference for startups domiciled outside the capital area.

DailySocial CEO Rama Mamuaya directly organized this program. He said, "We see an imbalance between technology and startup education events and programs between DKI Jakarta and other provinces. The main goal of the DSLaunchpad program is to prove that the opportunity to become a startup founder is available to all Indonesians without exception."

In its implementation, DSLaunchpad collaborates with various mentors from well-known startups and venture capital companies. Kevin Aluwi (Co-CEO Gojek), Fajrin Rasyid (Co-Founder of Bukalapak), Izak Jenie (CEO of Jas Kapital), Dyota Marsudi (Executive Director of Vertex Ventures), Dondy Bappedyanto (CEO of Biznet Gio), and Andy Zain (Managing Partner of Kejora Ventures) are some of the mentors involved .

This effort to "level the playing field" has had interesting results. Many startup founders outside the capital are taking part, some even have the opportunity pitching and get funding from investors without meeting face to face. Relying on an internet connection, their opportunities to introduce innovation become more open.

Equal opportunity

During the pandemic, several accelerator programs continued to consistently carry out their activities. GK Plug and Play and Gojek Xcelerate continue to run the program with online and offline knowledge provision.

According to GK Plug and Play Director Aaron Nio, virtual pitching or virtual events makes it easier to expand your network, because it is more practical - you can mobile devices and easy to access.

"And even though excitement what is presented at each virtual event is different from face-to-face, for people who have many activities and move dynamically, virtual events "more ideal without reducing the quality of communication," said Aaron.

According to Nalagenetics Co-Founder Levana Sani, one of the participants in the GK Plug and Play acceleration program, GK Plug and Play's decision to virtual pitching and demo day is a wise decision.

"[..] With a good organization, opportunities should be equal for all participating beginners [participants]," said Levana.

Menurut Gojek Xcelerate Lead Yoanita Simanjuntak, online implementation makes it possible to invite hundreds of partners to join, even from outside Indonesia. This is one of the things that is difficult to get offline.

"[..] We organize demo day this time online via Zoom Webinar. This is a unique experience, because apart from pitching, we also provide several briefing sessions by the best talents Gojek and global partners," said Yoanita.

Before demo day, Gojek Xcelerate invited 11 startups to take part in the accelerator program batch 4 in Jakarta. Bootcamp 5 day intensive is carried out in Gojek HQ and Gojek Xcelerate Learning Space at Menara Digitaraya last March.

"In comparison, we are used to direct interaction, because we can empathize with the person we are talking to, we can see gesture and emotions. But, team Gojek Xcelerate can package well. So a virtual experience 1-on-1 mentoring also very effective," said MENA Indonesia Co-Founder Ni Nyoman Sri Natih S, one of the participants Gojek Xcelerate batch 4.

Preparation for startup

Even though the online process is said to give participants more freedom to express themselves, there are several things that must still be implemented during the presentation. Not only does the internet connection have to be stable, Aaron stressed pitch deck What you want to present must be interesting and the ability to convey the material must be easy to understand.

Meanwhile in Gojek Xcelerate, before demo day carried out, to minimize connectivity issues, pitching or participant presentations are recorded before the event and broadcast during demo day. This way, potential investors and partners can watch the presentation more comfortably.

"Seeing the positive response from startups and invited partners, we believe that with thorough preparation, similar activities can still provide optimal results for startups and all parties involved," said Yoanita.

Meanwhile, for startups, according to Levana, it is important not to lose momentum after the presentation. Follow up via email and messaging platforms from interested parties can be helpful.

"Overall, I see from experience that doing it virtually is also efficient. Including the success of the main event demo day," said Ni Nyoman.

Activity offline still an option

Even though this activity was carried out successfully and was able to make a contribution to startups and organizers, there are several things that still make offline implementation more comfortable, including activities networking between investors, mentors, and participants.

However, according to Aaron, the momentum of the pandemic has made them even more so aware and familiar with using technology. It is hoped that through moments like this, new innovations will emerge that will increasingly utilize technology.

"Indeed, at first it felt uncomfortable, but in my opinion the use of this technology is good for developing the technology ecosystem in Indonesia. So it is possible that we will hold many events or program agendas virtually."

Aaron added, if faced with a choice, pitching directly excitement and engagement more pronounced than virtual.

To get around the difficulties of carrying out the process networking by online, Gojek Xcelerate presents video profiles of each participant before pitching, then displays the QR code for each startup so that potential investors and partners can directly connect with the founders.

"35 Startups Gojek Xcelerate from batches 1 to 4 has shown significant growth, including being able to present various innovations that answer people's needs in the midst of the pandemic. "We will continue to echo this spirit of innovation in the future to provide a wider social impact on society," said Yoanita.