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BRI Ventures to Launch a New Fund “Sembrani Kiqani”, Targeting D2C Sector

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After launching the Sembrani Nusantara Venture Fund last year which focuses on early-stage startups funding, BRI Ventures (BVI) is to launch another investment vehicle named “Sembrani Kiqani”.It is still targeting the early-stage startups, but rather focuses on consumer brands targeting the direct-to-consumer (D2C) sector.

BVI’s CEO, Nicko Widjaja, in his opening remarks at the BRI Ventures Networking Day (23/11) mentioned the potential of the D2C sector growth in Indonesia for the fashion, F&B, and beauty segment. He said, this sector is capable to drive the current industry, especially amidst the economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Marcel Lukman, owner of one of the well-known retail groups 707company, also one of the Partners at Sembrani Kiqani said that apart from D2C, this managed fund is also targeting the blockchain industry and its derivatives related to cryptocurrencies. BVI alone is planning to strengthen its investment to develop the crypto ecosystem in the country.

Previously, through Sembrani Nusantara, BVI has invested in the beverage brand developer Haus!, which is also its first non fintech portfolio. They disbursed around 30 billion Rupiah in the debut fund for startup. In addition, the local shoe product developer Brodo also received funding through its series A round.

Indonesian D2C industry

Retail is one of the industries that highly contributes to the national economy. However, the Covid-19 pandemic that shaken this industry’s resilience had caused many businesses to change strategies or even give up on the situation. The one strategy being used is currently to directly target the consumers or direct-to-consumer (D2C).

According to data compiled in the “Driving Growth with D2C” report by Ogilvy, Commercetolls, and Verticurl, it is considered a must for brand owners to have a D2C digital strategy to win the market. The main goal is to build a more personal relationship with customers, thereby creating a more effective and engaging brand experience as a value proposition. D2C provides invaluable ownership of customer data.

In Indonesia alone, there are already several startups have adopted the D2C concept, including Brodo and Saturdays (fashion), Kopi Kenangan, Fore Coffee, Lemonilo (F&B), Dropezy (grocery), as well as the retail group startup Hypefast which focuses more on being a venture builder. VCs such as East Ventures are also targeting this sector, proven by its two newest portfolios, mohjo and Kasual.

Blockchain invesment

In early 2010, perhaps not many people understood the concept of blockchain and its utility in the technology industry. Today, discussions regarding crypto assets that run on blockchain platforms are heard everywhere both in the real world and on social media. However, the crypto ecosystem in Indonesia is quite premature and still 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). The first blockchain project is targeted to be launched in 2022.

In addition to crypto assets, a product that is currently captured the market, especially among tech enthusiasts, is NFT. As one of the unique digital assets, all types of media can be printed or tokenized and converted into NFT. This product has been available in various industries from digital art, virtual real estate, also collectibles, games, and many more.

The NFT hype encourages people to try this platform as an alternative investment commodity, supported by the presence of secondary markets on various popular marketplace platforms. Nonetheless, NFT is still a very new market, therefore, being prudent is mandatory.

There are several NFT marketplace platforms available in Indonesia, including TokoMall, Kolektibel, and Paras Digital.

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Original article is in Indonesian, translated by Kristin Siagian

Sembrani Kiqani BRI Ventures

BRI Ventures Segera Luncurkan Dana Kelolaan “Sembrani Kiqani” untuk Startup D2C

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Setelah tahun lalu meluncurkan Dana Ventura Sembrani Nusantara yang fokus mendanai startup tahap awal, BRI Ventures (BVI) kembali akan menghadirkan kendaraan investasi mereka yang diberi nama “Sembrani Kiqani”. Masih dengan misi untuk mendanai startup tahap awal, hanya saja difokuskan untuk consumer brands menyasar sektor direct-to-consumer (D2C).

Dalam kata sambutannya di acara BRI Ventures Networking Day (23/11), CEO BVI Nicko Widjaja juga menyinggung tentang potensi pertumbuhan sektor D2C di Indonesia yang kian meningkat baik di bidang fesyen, F&B, dan kecantikan. Menurutnya, sektor ini mampu menjadi penggerak industri terutama di tengah pemulihan ekonomi dari pandemi Covid-19.

Marcel Lukman, pemilik salah satu grup ritel ternama 707company, juga salah satu Partner Sembrani Kiqani turut menyampaikan, selain D2C dana kelolaan ini juga ditargetkan untuk menyasar industri blockchain serta turunannya yang terkait dengan cyptocurrency. BVI sendiri tengah berencana memperkuat investasi untuk mengembangkan ekosistem kripto di tanah air.

Sebelumnya, melalui Sembrani Nusantara, BVI telah berinvestasi kepada pengembang brand minuman Haus!, yang juga menjadi portofolio pertama mereka di luar fintech. Dana yang dikucurkan mencapai 30 miliar Rupiah untuk debut ke startup. Selain itu, pengembang produk sepatu lokal Brodo juga mendapat suntikan dana dalam putaran seri A mereka.

Industri D2C di Indonesia

Ritel merupakan salah satu industri yang berkontribusi besar pada perekonomian nasional. Namun, pandemi Covid-19 yang sempat mengguncang daya tahan industri ini menyebabkan banyak usaha harus mengubah strategi bahkan menyerah dengan situasi. Salah satu strategi yang sedang ramai digunakan adalah dengan langsung menyasar konsumen atau direct-to-consumer (D2C).

Menurut data yang dihimpun dalam laporan “Driving Growth with D2C” oleh Ogilvy, Commercetolls, dan Verticurl, pemilik brand saat ini dinilai harus memiliki strategi digital D2C untuk dapat memenangkan pasar. Tujuan utamanya untuk membangun hubungan yang lebih personal dengan pelanggan, sehingga bisa menciptakan pengalaman brand yang lebih efektif dan menarik sebagai proposisi nilai. D2C memberikan kepemilikan data pelanggan yang tak ternilai.

Di Indonesia sendiri, sudah ada beberapa startup yang mengadopsi konsep D2C ini termasuk Brodo dan Saturdays (fesyen), Kopi Kenangan, Fore Coffee, Lemonilo (F&B), Dropezy (grocery), juga startup grup ritel Hypefast yang fokusnya lebih menjadi venture builder. VC seperti East Ventures juga semakin gencar menyasar sektor ini, termasuk dua portfolio terbaru mereka mohjo dan Kasual.

Investasi di industri blockchain

Di awal tahun 2010, mungkin belum banyak orang yang mengerti konsep blockchain serta utilitasnya dalam industri teknologi. Dewasa ini, pembahasan terkait aset kripto yang dijalankan di atas platform blockchain semakin marak terdengar baik di dunia nyata maupun media sosial. Meskipun begitu, ekosistem kripto di Indonesia masih terbilang prematur dan membutuhkan edukasi mendalam.

Dalam upaya mengembangkan ekosistem kripto di Indonesia, BRI Ventures bekerja sama dengan Tokocrypto, sedang merencanakan inisiatif baru yang dinamakan Tokocrypto Sembrani Blockchain Accelerator (TSBA). Proyek blockchain pertama ini ditargetkan untuk bisa segera meluncur di tahun 2022.

Selain aset kripto, produk yang juga tengah digandrungi masyarakat, terutama di kalangan penggiat teknologi, adalah NFT. Sebagai salah satu aset digital yang terbilang unik, semua jenis media dapat dicetak atau diberi token dan diubah menjadi NFT. Produk ini sendiri telah hadir di berbagai industri, mulai dari seni digital, real estate virtual, hingga barang koleksi, game, dan masih banyak lagi.

Hype NFT membuat orang-orang berbondong-bondong menjadikan platform ini sebagai komoditas alternatif investasi, terlebih didukung kehadiran secondary market di berbagai platform marketplace populer. Meskipun demikian, NFT masih merupakan pasar yang sangat baru, sehingga perlu ekstra hati-hati.

Beberapa platform marketplace NFT yang sudah beroperasi di Indonesia termasuk TokoMall, Kolektibel, dan Paras Digital.