BCA Launches SYNRGY, Accelerator Program & Community Start-up Collaboration Platform

Jakarta, 27 March 2019 – As many companies across the world have massively implemented digital transformation and industrial revolution, PT Bank Central Asia Tbk (BCA), as the largest Indonesian private banking institution, has also been motivated to advancing digitalization.  Collaborating with Digitaraya, a world-class accelerator supported by Google Developers Launchpad as an accelerator program partner and KUMPUL as a partner for community management and coworking space, BCA launches SYNRGY today, a fintech start-up accelerator program as well as a collaboration forum for the fintech start-up community that helps cultivate the growth of the start-up ecosystem in Indonesia. 

Attending the launching of SYNRGY in Jakarta was President Director of BCA Jahja Setiaatmadja, Deputy President Director of BCA Armand Wahyudi Hartono, Director of BCA Vera Eve Lim, Senior Executive Vice President of Strategic Information Technology of BCA Hermawan Thendean, Head of Digital Innovation Solution Group of BCA Jayaprawirya Diah, and Vice President Strategy of Digitaraya Nicole Yap. Also attending the discussion panel was President Director of Central Capital Ventura Armand Widjaja, Program Manager Developer Relations & Startup Ecosystem Southeast Asia Google Marcus Foon, and Co-founder & CEO of Modal Rakyat Stanislaus Tandelilin. 

According to data from the Ministry of Research,Technology, and Higher Education in October 2018,  Indonesia saw increasing numbers of start-up companies every year. It is recorded, through a Technology-Based Emerging Companies  (PPBT) and Prospective Technology-Based Emerging Companies (CPPBT) scheme, that from 52 start-ups and prospective start-ups in 2015, the number increased become 956 in 2018, and is expected to increase to more 1000 start-ups in 2019. 

“The growth of internet users in Indonesia has increased significantly over the years. This suggests that Indonesia has come to enjoy digitalization which is marked by many emerging start-up platforms. The positive pace of start-up development  in Indonesia also shows a rapid growth trajectory,  and consists of creative segments that address the needs of today’s society. This background has encouraged us to support the growth of start-ups in Indonesia through a platform called SYNRGY,” explained Jahja.  

SYNRGY is a collaboration and accelerator platform for start-up communities that aims to encourage growth and innovation in the digital industry world, which also serves as an innovation hub that provides the best programs tailored to help start-up companies develop their businesses faster and better. The start-up companies have the opportunity to join SYNRGY and gain access to these programs, including the accelerator program run by Digitaraya with support from Google Developers Launchpad. 

This accelerator program will run 3 months, where an intense boot camp will be held every month to support the products and business development of the participating start-ups. Not only boot camp, SYNRGY will also be the liaison that connects the start-ups companies with qualified mentors including those from Google. Here, they will be able to directly consult on a one-on-one session with the mentors, opening up access to investors and connecting these start-ups with BCA. 

"I am motivated by the commitment of BCA as one of the leading commercial banks in Indonesia to support the promising growth of fintech start-ups. These emerging start-ups have profound potential impact in the field that, despite receiving a lot of attention, still has significant opportunities for innovative changes and growth. By partnering with Google Developers Launchpad, we will able to offer unparalleled support for select SYNRGY start-ups,”  said Nicole Yap, VP Strategy of Digitaraya. 

“As an institution that also relies on banking digitalization, BCA is increasingly open to establishing cooperation with start-up companies in Indonesia that also boost the country’s digital economy. Through this SYNRGY platform, it is expected to provide these start-up companies with programs to support the products they launch. Here, start-up companies will be connected with local and global mentors, who possess the necessary methods and tools, and also connected to investors and other start-up communities,” Jahja concluded.

Registration for the SYNRGY acceleration program is open on www.synrgy.id and will be closed on May 17, 2019. For information regarding other attractive related programs from SYNRGY Innovation Hub can also be found on the website.

BCA Launches SYNRGY – President Director of BCA Jahja Setiaatmadja (second right), Deputy President Director of BCA Armand W. Hartono (third left) and Director of BCA Vera Eve Lim (second left) with Vice President Strategy of Digitaraya Nicole Yap (left) and CEO of KUMPUL Faye Alund (right) officially launched SYNRGY in Jakarta, Wednesday (27/03). BCA collaborated with Digitaraya, supported by Google, launched SYNRGY, a start-up fintech accelerator program that also serves as an innovation hub that houses start-up communities who wish to connect and work together. Registration for the SYNRGY acceleration program has been opened on www.synrgy.id and will be closed on May 17, 2019.

Speakers at the Panel Discussion session highlighting the topic “Role of Start-up Accelerator in Supporting Fintech Ecosystem”.