Imagine an entrepreneur in Indonesia with a groundbreaking idea – perhaps a solution to tackle plastic waste or a technology to bring sustainable solutions to remote villages. They have the passion, the vision, and even a working prototype.
But then comes the hardest part: securing funding and finding the right partners to scale their solution. This is where many impact-driven startups hit a wall.
Future Lestari, an impact ecosystem builder under Pijar Foundation, is working to change that. By bridging the critical gaps in market access and early-stage funding, they help founders turn their ideas into real, scalable solutions.
Berdaya Talk is an initiative that explores the stories of change makers and the initiatives they have developed to support sustainable development in Indonesia. This time, we are joined by Cynthia Krisanti, Director at Future Lestari.
Hi Cynthia, can you share more about what Future Lestari is and the gap it aims to fill in the sustainable impact ecosystem?
Future Lestari was established two years ago as part of the Pijar Foundation ecosystem, aligning with its mission to accelerate Indonesia’s economic growth. Our focus lies in fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, positioning ourselves as an ecosystem builder.
We run various programs, including incubation, acceleration, innovation initiatives, and community exchanges.
One of the key gaps we’ve identified in the sustainable impact ecosystem is market access. Many impact-driven companies struggle to connect with potential buyers – whether in the public or private sector – who would benefit from their products and services.
Through our innovation programs, we help these companies establish pilot projects, facilitate business matching, and create opportunities for market integration.
Challenges in the Impact Startup Landscape
Despite the availability of investment opportunities in Indonesia’s entrepreneurship ecosystem, early-stage startups continue to face significant barriers, particularly in securing funding and achieving market readiness.
A major gap exists in early-stage financing, especially for deep-tech innovations and startups requiring extensive research and development (R&D). Many startups struggle in what industry experts call the “valley of death,” where they are too early for venture capital investment but lack access to grants or institutional funding. This challenge is especially prevalent among impact-driven organizations.
Beyond funding, many Indonesian startup founders encounter difficulties in corporate governance, financial management, and operational expertise. A large portion of these entrepreneurs are young and still in the process of developing the necessary skills to become investment-ready.
While capital is available, the challenge lies in ensuring startups meet the criteria required to secure it.
Future Lestari, an ecosystem builder focused on fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, aims to bridge this gap by equipping startup founders with essential skills and providing access to opportunities for scaling. The organization emphasizes that sustainable business growth is not solely dependent on securing investments but also on establishing strong market access.
A business cannot thrive on funding alone. Revenue generation and real-world validation are crucial.
By facilitating connections between startups and potential customers, the organization supports product testing, iteration, and market validation, helping entrepreneurs refine their offerings and establish a sustainable growth trajectory.
Future Lestari’s Three Core Pillars: Innovation Ecosystem, Advisory, and Venture Building
Future Lestari achieves this objective through three key pillars – Advisory, Venture Building, and Innovation Ecosystem – designed to strengthen Indonesia’s entrepreneurship landscape by supporting startups and fostering collaborations across industries.
Advisory: Designing Innovation Programs for Growth
Future Lestari works closely with corporations and government agencies to develop innovation programs that help startups thrive within their ecosystems. These programs are designed to align startups with strategic projects, ensuring synergy between emerging businesses and established industry players.
Venture Building: Market Entry and Strategic Partnerships
Future Lestari’s venture-building approach focuses on two main strategies. First, it co-builds companies from the ground up, provided strategic partners are in place. Second, it assists impact-driven startups from Southeast Asia and Asia in entering and navigating the Indonesian market. This includes helping them understand the country’s regulatory landscape and dynamics, as well as fostering key local partnerships.
A notable example is Future Lestari’s collaboration with a South Korean biotech company that specializes in producing cell-based ingredients, including alternative proteins, fats, and Omega-3, as a replacement for conventional food sources.
Future Lestari supports the company’s entry into Indonesia by facilitating regulatory compliance, forming coalitions with top universities to explore new research outputs, and securing endorsements from key stakeholders, including the National Agency of Drug and Food Control (BPOM) and the Ministry of Health (MoH).
Innovation Ecosystem: Building Networks for Scale
To cultivate a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem, Future Lestari connects startups with mentors, investors, and industry leaders who provide guidance on scaling and impact-driven growth. It creates an environment where emerging businesses can access the resources and expertise needed to succeed.
Through its multifaceted approach, Future Lestari aims to bridge critical gaps in funding, knowledge, and market access, empowering startups to drive innovation and long-term success in Indonesia’s evolving business landscape.
Future Lestari's Focus and Key Initiatives
Future Lestari primarily engages with tech-focused and impact-driven startups, although it does not impose strict limitations on the types of startups it supports. The organization also organizes sector-specific events and speed dating meetups, particularly for sustainability and social impact ventures.
One of its flagship programs, Future Gen for Change (FGC), https://fgc.futurelestari.com/, aims to bridge the gap between startups and municipal governments. The initiative currently collaborates with local authorities in Semarang, Bogor, and Palembang, aligning startup-driven solutions with regional development priorities (RPJMD).
By identifying pressing local challenges, Future Lestari facilitates partnerships between impact startups and the public sector to co-develop viable solutions.
In the private sector, the organization tailors programs to meet corporate partners’ needs. A notable example is its collaboration with PLN, which explores revenue streams beyond power generation and supports startups in achieving net-zero targets by 2060.
These initiatives have highlighted the importance of pilot programs in bridging gaps and de-risking investments. However, Future Lestari emphasizes that for pilot projects to transition into commercially viable ventures, long-term sustainability discussions must be started from the get-go.
The Role of the Pijar Foundation Ecosystem
As part of the broader Pijar Foundation ecosystem, Future Lestari benefits from synergies with programs such as Global Future X and Future Skills. The FGC initiative integrates with Global Future X to incorporate policy briefs alongside pilot projects, creating a more structured framework for scaling impact-driven solutions.
Meanwhile, Future Skills supports entrepreneurial talent development, providing a pipeline of innovators for Future Lestari’s programs. With over 50,000 students in its network, the initiative offers startups access to a valuable talent pool.
Additionally, the Lestari Innovation Hub bridges academia and entrepreneurship, assisting researchers in commercializing their innovations and testing pilot projects in real-world settings.
Despite its progress, Future Lestari faces challenges in bolstering investor confidence in Indonesia’s impact startup ecosystem. Investor hesitancy remains a significant barrier to funding and scaling impact-driven ventures.
Moving forward, Future Lestari aims to strengthen market access, enhance founder readiness, and facilitate the transition from pilot programs to commercial enterprises, fostering a more robust ecosystem for sustainability-focused startups.
What do you think are some important sectors to look out for in the impact space?
When it comes to waste management, I believes there’s significant potential in scaling solutions, but what excites me the most is the growing momentum in renewable energy. The ability to significantly reduce carbon emissions through renewable energy sources is a game-changer. More startups and investors are recognizing the value in energy-related innovations, making it an exciting space to watch.
Biotech is another area that fascinates me, particularly in addressing food security challenges. These innovations can help alleviate pressure on sustainability programs, such as waste management and renewable energy, by creating more efficient and circular solutions.
Whether you’re a founder, investor, corporate partner, or simply someone who believes in building a better Indonesia
there’s a place for you in the Future Lestari ecosystem. Here’s how you can get involved:
- Experienced Founders & Investors: Join our mentor network and seize the opportunity to give back while guiding the next generation of impact entrepreneurs.
- Corporate Partners: Engage with us to open up your market and ecosystem for testing new products with managed risk.
- Community Members: If you share our vision, reach out! Let’s collaborate through events and initiatives that drive meaningful change.
