Telkomsel to host The NextDev Academy programme

By Yunnie Marzuki July 18, 2017

Aims to educate startups in developing apps to solve problems within communities
Invites application for its annual app development competition

Telkomsel to host The NextDev Academy programme

INDONESIA’S Telkomsel is organising The NextDev Academy programme for 32 local digital startups that participated in The NextDev Competition in 2015 and 2016 to enhance the quality of the apps they have developed. The programme will run from July until October 2017.

As the part of Telkomsel’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme, The NextDev Academy will provide comprehensive education to tech startup in order to help them develop their apps and businesses.

Telkomsel says it is the first corporate to provide a platform for startups or entrepreneurs to develop their apps through this programme.

“We hold The NextDev Academy to establish scalable social technopreneurs through self and skill cultivation in research and customer development, design sprint, branding, product development, also business model and bootstrapping. We encourage Indonesian youth to innovate through ideas that could be useful for the community,” said Telkomsel president director Ririek Adriansyah in a press conference.

Ririek admits that although Indonesia’s digital and creative industry keep growing, it is still lacks international-grade establishments and they have to set their standards to the international benchmark.

All participating teams will go through assessment, engagement, enhancement, establishment, and inauguration. Two participants will receive rewards in terms of networking, publicity, a virtual office, and seed money of 400 million rupiah or US$30,012.

Through this programme, Telkomsel will work with its parent company, Telkom Group to give participants access to the digital lounge, a place for startup development and will also offer direct mentoring by experts in the Telkom Group.

NextDev competition

The NextDev competition aims to get young developers to create mobile apps that will have a positive social impact.

The company is looking for solutions covering sectors like agriculture, maritime, small and medium enterprise (SME), energy, government, tourism, health, education and transportation.

“We see the potential for young entrepreneurs in using technology to create digital apps that will solve problems in the community. This competition is a place for them to pour their ideas,” Ririek explains.

As in last two years, the focus will be on Smart City solutions. In 2017, the competition will focus on four digital initiatives which benefit society, namely, e-health, e-education, e-agriculture, and e-transportation. One winner will be picked from each category.

The NextDev Competition 2017 will be open to individuals aged 18 to 30 or team with a maximum of three people. Applications are now open.

A total of 20 teams will be chosen as finalists, and the winners will be provided with mentoring as well training in coding, marketing, market access, match expert, and monetisation.

“With the market access that Telkomsel has as a telco company, we will be able to give these startups publicity and access so they can develop their businesses smoothly. That is what we aim for,” Ririek says.

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