Held at Udayana University, Entrepreneur Scale Up Day Carries the Theme 'Let's Scale Up: Empowering Startups for Sustainable Growth'

Denpasar – Udayana University hosted the Entrepreneur Scale Up Day with the theme "Let's Scale Up: Empowering Startups for Sustainable Growth" at the Auditorium of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) Building, Denpasar Campus, on Wednesday (July 23, 2025).
This event was held through the collaboration of the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs of the Republic of Indonesia with Udayana University, Huawei, and Lion Parcel. The Entrepreneur Scale Up Day is expected to help elevate startups and entrepreneurs in Bali to the next level.

Irwansyah Putra, Assistant Deputy for Entrepreneur Incubation and Digitalization, stated that Bali is the third city to host this event, following Jakarta and Surabaya. The program aims to discover top startup founders and the latest innovations. Indonesia has now become one of the most dynamic startup growth centers in the world, with a total of 3,136 startups by mid-2025. While this number still represents less than 3% of the total potential, it shows the vast opportunity for startup growth. Sectors like fintech, healthtech, and agritech are predicted to dominate the startup ecosystem trends in 2025, due to their tangible impact on society.

However, not all startups can survive the serious fundamental challenges they face. Globally, the primary reason for startup failure is a lack of market need for their product. This highlights the critical importance of early market validation.

Investors are now much more selective, demanding strong business fundamentals. They are no longer merely chasing valuations but are increasingly emphasizing profitability and the sustainability of the business model before committing to funding. Through this event, mentors aim to equip startup founders with sharper perspectives to identify and develop simple ideas that can become truly impactful. The event is specifically designed to help selected startups advance to the next stage.

Meanwhile, Vice-Rector for Student Affairs, Prof. Gusti Ngurah Alit Susanta Wirya, representing the Rector of Udayana University in his remarks, stated that this event is not only a platform for exchanging ideas but also a catalyst for growing an inclusive and sustainable entrepreneurship ecosystem, especially within higher education institutions.

As a university, Unud continues to play its role not only as a center of education and research but also as a driving force for innovation. Through incubation and business mentoring programs such as the Entrepreneur Hub, Udayana University is committed to transforming research outputs into economically valuable products and services. The Entrepreneur Scale Up Day is a significant moment to bring together innovators, startups, investors, government, and industry to collaborate in pushing impactful research into the market.

"We believe that when local potential is driven by the spirit of entrepreneurship and supported by the right ecosystem, we can create outstanding, sustainable, and impactful startups," he said.

He also expressed hope that Entrepreneur Scale Up Day would ignite a shared enthusiasm to continue innovating and synergizing in building a stronger, more inclusive, and sustainable future for entrepreneurship in Indonesia.

The event featured four speakers: Maral Dipodiputro (CEO & Founder of TEMU), with the topic Handling & Balancing Life and Stress for Founders, Pritha Oktania Aritonang (CEO & Co-founder of AKARKITA), with the topic Scale-Up Readiness & Business Model Strengthening, Dara Mawar J (Program Manager of BLOCK71 Indonesia), with the topic Go-To-Market Strategy for New Markets, Weny Faradita Apriliani (Senior Partnership & External Relations Lead at ANGIN Advisory), with the topic Fundraising & Investors Readiness, The session was moderated by Brigita Manohara.