Jakarta, INTI – Makassar has just witnessed a crucial strategic step for the future of Indonesia's digital economy. For three days, from August 26 to 28, 2025, the city hosted the inaugural Startup Acceleration Program 2025. This commendable initiative is a program designed by the Indonesian Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (Ministry of MSME), initiated by the Assistant Deputy for Entrepreneurial Incubation and Digitization, Irwansyah Panjaitan.
From an academic's perspective in the field of entrepreneurship, this program is not just a ceremony, but a true crucible for startup talents from the eastern region of Indonesia. After an initial selection process, a total of 20 startups from Eastern Indonesia passed the screening, gathering with one goal: to accelerate their businesses to the next level. The 2025 Startup Acceleration Program has a mission of being Investment-Ready, Industry-Linked, and Impact-Driven, with hopes of fostering continuous growth through the best business development solutions via the Ministry of UMKM. These 20 startups are not ordinary players. They are the result of a rigorous screening process, bringing diverse innovations ranging from agrotechnology and food technology solutions to educational platforms relevant to local wisdom.
"A brilliant idea alone is not sufficient to survive in fierce competition. This is where the vital role of curators, who also act as mentors, becomes decisive," according to Panjaitan.
During the curation process, participants were faced with four experienced curators appointed directly by Ministry of MSME who are Dr. Eric Harianto, Dr. Edvi Gracia Ardani, Bagus Panuntun, M.B.A., and Aloysius B. Gunawan, M.T.. This session was not a passive audition nor presentation but a deep and intensive business "health check". The sharp questions, requests for data confirmation, and challenges to business assumptions posed by the curators were truly eye-opening for the participants. Many of them, who might have been overly focused on their products, were now forced to rethink their business models, marketing strategies, business scalability, and most importantly, real market validation.
This moment can be called the "moment of truth" for an entrepreneur , when a seemingly perfect idea is dissected and tested from various expert perspectives. This is not to tear them down, but to build a more solid foundation. The curators acted not just as judges, but transformed into mentors providing strategic input. They assigned essential "homework," encouraging the startup founders to go back to the drawing board, rethink their strategies, and implement changes in line with their unique business vision and goals.
Ministry of MSME’s step to start this acceleration program in Makassar sends a strong message that economic potential is no longer centered in Java. Eastern Indonesia is a sleeping giant with extraordinary potential, and the government is now actively present to awaken it.
The event in Makassar is just the beginning, but its impact is already being felt. Participants are returning home not just with new networks or certificates, but with something far more valuable: a new perspective, a more mature mindset, and a concrete list of steps to accelerate their businesses.
We should look forward to the continuation of this program for other regions in Indonesia and, of course, to the development of these 20 startups. They are promising seeds that, if continually nurtured, could very well become the backbone of Indonesia's future economy. Congratulations to Ministry of MSME and best of luck to the young entrepreneurs of Eastern Indonesia!
Author: Edvi Gracia Ardani