Five of the best startups have been selected at the Brave Pitch Jogja Creative Start Up Festival 2025, including Rumah Kreatifafa, MPASI Bayi Sehat (MBS), Sanggabiz, Kudapan Nesia, and Lapak Karya Nusantara. A special award was also presented to Sasmita Loka during the event, held at the National Industrial Design Center (PDIN) on Wednesday (Nov 12, 2025).

Yogyakarta’s Young Innovators Shine at Brave Pitch 2025

Yogyakarta’s Vice Mayor Wawan Harmawan expressed his appreciation to the winners and all participants who have taken bold steps into the creative entrepreneurship sector.

“Winning is not the end, but rather the beginning that we must maintain and focus on. In the startup world, challenges must be faced head-on. Usually, the second year is the toughest—dealing with capital, quality, and management,” said Wawan.

He shared that from his personal experience of building a business from scratch, the greatest challenge for startup founders is not just generating new ideas but maintaining consistency and pursuing continuous innovation.

“What matters is not only creating, but also sustaining, developing, and innovating. Today’s young people are incredibly creative. In the past, startups were associated with small ventures like food stalls, but now many are developing tech-based products and exciting apps,” he added.

Vice Mayor Emphasizes Consistency and Innovation in Startup Growth

Wawan also highlighted the importance of policy and funding support for strengthening Yogyakarta’s startup ecosystem. He stressed that the city should not merely serve as a market but must also produce key players in Indonesia’s creative industry.

“This city should not only be a market but must also have its own players. We must dare to compete and even surpass other regions. The government will continue to provide space and support for creative entrepreneurs,” he affirmed.

Sasmita Loka Receives Special Recognition for Traditional-Inspired Fashion

One of the special award recipients, Putra Sidiq Ajipratama, a student from SMAN 5 Yogyakarta, expressed pride in being part of the festival. He developed Sasmita Loka, a fashion brand that integrates Indonesian traditional woven fabrics into modern designs.

“We just started in May and launched a multifunctional fashion product line featuring Indonesian traditional textiles. Our first collection, ‘New Urban Room,’ uses woven fabric. In the future, we’ll develop other collections using batik, lurik, songket, and other traditional materials,” said Putra.

He added that joining the festival provided a valuable early experience in entrepreneurship.

“As a high school participant, this experience is truly inspiring. We’ve learned a lot about business development and expanding our understanding of the startup world,” he said.

Festival Strengthens Yogyakarta’s Creative Economy Ecosystem

The Brave Pitch Jogja Creative Start Up Festival 2025 was organized by the Yogyakarta City Department of Industry, Cooperatives, and SMEs, in collaboration with PDIN. The event served as a platform for young creative entrepreneurs to pitch their business ideas and connect with investors through a meet-investor session held after the awards ceremony.

This initiative marks a concrete step toward strengthening the creative economy ecosystem in Yogyakarta and empowering young innovators to become active contributors to Indonesia’s growing startup landscape.

PHOTO: WARTA JOGJA KOTA

This article was created with AI assistance.