Getting To Know Hijup.com
Hijup was established by Diajeng Lestari, the wife of Achmad Zaky who is also the founder of bukalapak.com, in 2011. The company claims to be the world’s first Islamic fashion e-commerce platform. As a marketplace, Hijup sources its products from Indonesian Islamic fashion designers such as Dian Pelangi, Restu Anggreini and, Jenahara. Targeting a group of modern, cosmopolitan muslim woman, Hijup has been able to attract 15 premium brands and 290 local brands. Hijup also sells collection for kids and home-living products.
Uluwatu Balinese Lace
Minister of State-owned Enterprises (SoE) Rini Soemarno revealed on Wednesday (Feb. 17) that state investment firm PT Danareksa had been chosen as the holding company for 4 state banks, i.e., Bank Mandiri, Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI), Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI), and Bank Tabungan Negara (BTN).
Getting to Know Setipe
We’ve frequently heard about the growth of Indonesia’s online classified platforms (OLX, Bukalapak), marketplace (Lazada, Bhinneka), and ride-hailing applications (Go-Jek). But we haven’t yet hear about Indonesia’s, home-grown online matchmaking platforms/applications. So today, let’s talk about Setipe, one of Indonesia’s own matchmaking platforms.
Revisiting Grab (Taxi): The Quiet Competitor
When compared to other companies offering ride-hailing applications like Uber of Uber Inc, and Go-Jek of PT Go-Jek Indonesia, GrabTaxi have enjoyed a relatively quiet operations in Indonesia. Uber has had to play cat and mouse with local government authorities for being accused of violating the law. Go-Jek was subjected to a short-lived ban. But GrabTaxi—though it too was subjected to the shortlived ban on the usage of motorcycle for public transportation—never really went loud, for anything. The loudest they’ve been was when the Company recently announced a rebranding to just “Grab”.
LINE
Smartphone’s applications (apps) ecosystem gave rise to messaging apps. That his has moved people away from using text messages. The early, and once extremely popular messaging app was the Blackberry Messenger by the Canadian company Blackberry Ltd (Nasdaq: BBRY). But ever since the fall of Blackberry, more and more people are using WhatsApp by WhatsApp Inc, WeChat of Tencent Inc and also LINE of Line Corporation. Interestingly enough, Indonesia is one of the top four market for LINE Corp.
Conversation with Onno Widodo Purbo
In partnership with three Indonesian telecommunication providers—Telkomsel of PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia Persero Tbk (IDX:TLKM), PT XL Axiata Tbk (IDX:EXCL) and PT Indosat Tbk (IDX:ISAT)—Alphabet Inc (nasdaq:GOOG) will launch the trial of Project Loon to distribute internet connection with 900 MHz throughout Indonesia this year. But the project has been largely criticized by many Indonesian information technology experts, on Sunday (Jan. 17), we managed to speak to Onno Widodo Purbo, an Indonesian IT expert about alternative technology to distribute telco connection.
R.I.P Tjitrawati Gunadi
A sad news came from the Panin Group. Tjitrawati Gunadi, the wife of Mu’min Ali Gunawan, the founder of Panin Group, passed away at the age of 78 in Dec. 18, 2015 in California, the United States of America. The East Java born was buried in Lippo Group’s exclusive cemetery the San Diego Hills Memorial Park located in Karawang Barat, West Java last Thursday (Dec. 31, 2015).
Central Jakarta Police Chief Hendro Pandowo
On Monday (Dec. 28, 2015), the radical-religious group otherwise known as The Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) searched for the Purwakarta Regent Dedi Mulyadi at the Cultural Center Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM) in Central Jakarta. The FPI targeted the Golkar Politician following a clash that took place in Purwakarta, West Java. Dedi was scheduled to receive an award from the Indonesian Theater Federation (FTI) and FPI was determined to find Dedi and send him back to Purwakarta. News of the FPI search went viral over social media platforms, and accusations emerged that the Central Jakarta Police allowed the thugs to conduct their search.
The Coffee Business: Maxx Coffee
Starbucks (Nasdaq:SBUX) has become a staple for big cities. It’s brand color green is already well known that people wouldn’t mind using a similar green to label their brand of coffee. Starbucks’ Indonesian competitor named Maxx Coffee uses a drawing of an owl in a green circle symbol as their corporate logo. At a glance, one could not help to think of Starbucks when seeing a Maxx Coffee logo.
F&B Business: Socieaty
Socieaty is a new restaurant located in the First Floor of the Plaza Indonesia shopping center in Central Jakarta. The restaurant was opened in September earlier this year. Socieaty offers all-day dining with a combination of Asian and European influence in their menu. The new restaurant adds to the plethora of other ventures catering to the upper-middle market of Jakarta.