Gubernur DKI Jakarta Pramono Anung brought a focused delegation of Indonesian startups to the AsiaBerlin Summit 2025, using the international stage to highlight the capital’s progress on urban transformation and to pitch local innovation to global partners. The Jakarta Startup Showcase at the event signaled more than visibility; it was a strategic effort to show that Jakarta is not simply a market for technology, but a producer of ideas, talent, and solutions that can scale internationally.

Jakarta’s Strategic Pitch: From Local Problems to Global Solutions

At the heart of the Jakarta Startup Showcase was a clear message: Jakarta wants to be among the world’s top 50 global cities by 2030, and startup-driven innovation is central to that ambition. Pramono framed Jakarta’s plan around three city renewal pillars: public transport expansion, energy transition, and new green open spaces. The startups chosen to travel to Berlin reflected those priorities. They included companies working on IoT for sustainable aquaculture, precision farming for agtech, and on-demand AI learning for workforce upskilling.

This Jakarta Startup Showcase combined policy narrative with practical demonstrations. For city leaders and investors in Berlin, seeing working prototypes and pitch-ready founders does more to convince than a slide deck ever could. Jakarta’s approach used delegation, live demos, and targeted conversations to create immediate collaboration opportunities. For Indonesian startups, the event offered access to European partners, potential pilot customers, and channels for talent exchange.

What the Startups Showed and Why It Matters

The startups in the Jakarta Startup Showcase were not chosen at random. Each presented technology or services that address urban and regional challenges which are widely shared across global cities. For example, precision farming and IoT-enabled aquaculture directly speak to sustainable food production and resilient supply chains. AI-on-demand learning platforms address a skills gap that many cities face while scaling digital economies. By aligning startup capability with Jakarta’s public priorities, the showcase strengthened a narrative of purposeful innovation.

For investors, this alignment reduces perceived risk. A startup that can demonstrate municipal partnerships or pilot-ready solutions is more attractive than one with only consumer traction. For municipal officials, these startups offer tools to accelerate policy goals without the long lead times of major infrastructure programs. The Jakarta Startup Showcase therefore functioned as a bridge between policy ambition and private sector agility.

Diplomacy, Sister City Ties, and Long-Term Collaboration

Pramono’s presence at the AsiaBerlin Summit also underscored diplomatic and sister city ties. Jakarta and Berlin have a partnership dating back three decades. Using the Jakarta Startup Showcase within that diplomatic context helps translate ceremonial relations into concrete cooperation. Invitations to Berlin to invest in pilot programs in Jakarta and to send vocational or technical exchange teams were part of the public pitch.

Long-term collaboration could take many forms: joint pilots, research partnerships, talent exchanges, and co-investment vehicles that specifically fund city-focused solutions. If structured well, these partnerships can create recurring benefits rather than a one-off publicity bump. The Jakarta Startup Showcase therefore serves as a first step toward deeper institutional ties between Jakarta’s government, its ecosystem builders, and European partners.

What This Means for Indonesian Startups and the Ecosystem

First, visibility on a global stage brings credibility. Startups that participate in the Jakarta Startup Showcase can leverage international interest to expand beyond domestic markets. That matters for companies that build for urban systems and require scale to reach viability. Second, the event nudges more local founders to design solutions that are exportable and standards-compliant, which raises overall ecosystem quality.

Third, the showcase highlights an increasingly common route for city-led innovation: the government acts as a convenor and market-maker. By curating startups and aligning them to city priorities, Jakarta provides startups a clearer route to pilots and procurement. That model can accelerate growth for early-stage companies that struggle to find initial customers.

Finally, the Jakarta Startup Showcase helps send an important signal to investors and talent: that Indonesia, and Jakarta specifically, is maturing as a place where city challenges and startup solutions intersect. That perception can influence capital flows and hiring decisions in the medium term.

Practical Challenges and Next Steps For Scaling Impact

Scaling the impact of a one-time showcase requires follow-through. Pilots in Berlin or Jakarta need careful design, measurement, and funding. Onboarding European partners may involve regulatory alignment, procurement frameworks, and local adaptation. Startups must be prepared for long sales cycles when dealing with public agencies. The Jakarta Startup Showcase can accelerate introductions, but closing deals will depend on sustained project management and sometimes modest public funding.

Another challenge is equity and inclusion. If only a handful of startups get the international spotlight, broader ecosystem development could stall. To mitigate that risk, Jakarta can sequence programs that support the next wave of founders and create follow-on accelerators or matching funds that grow the pool of showcase-ready companies.

A Human-Centered Story of City Transformation

Beyond headlines and investor decks, the Jakarta Startup Showcase is a human story about founders, city workers, and citizens. The startups showcased technologies that can make daily life easier for millions: more reliable food systems, cleaner public transport, and faster access to training for new jobs. For many founders, participating in the showcase is also validation for the long hours spent building prototypes and navigating local markets.

For Jakarta’s leadership, the move demonstrates a willingness to partner with private innovators and to place public policy in conversation with entrepreneurs. This model of city diplomacy — where government brings startups as ambassadors of capability — is a modern variant of economic statecraft that other cities watch closely.

Conclusion: From Showcase to Sustainable Partnership

The Jakarta Startup Showcase at the AsiaBerlin Summit was an intentional move to reposition Jakarta as a city of solutions. It married local policy aims with startup creativity and opened a pathway for international ties that can yield pilots, investment, and knowledge exchange. The immediate value is visibility and new conversations. The longer-term value will depend on how Jakarta, the startups, and international partners convert those conversations into funded pilots, regulatory partnerships, and talent pipelines.

If Jakarta can take the momentum from the Jakarta Startup Showcase and build durable structures that support follow-up, then the event will be remembered not as a photo opportunity, but as a starting point for meaningful, scalable urban innovation. That outcome would be a win for founders, city residents, and international partners alike.