“We initially observed a concerning phenomenon where many food stalls and small F&B businesses were closing down within their first year. This issue caught our attention because many entrepreneurs struggle to keep their businesses afloat. This motivated us to develop a solution to help business owners make smarter decisions, especially regarding location selection,” Felix, Lokavo’s CEO, said on Tuesday (24/9/2024).

The three UNS students participated in the Certified Internship and Independent Study (Magang dan Studi Independen Bersertifikat, or MSIB) program under Bangkit Academy, led by Google, GoTo, and Traveloka, during the first batch of 2024. The five-month program, from February to June 2024, featured a capstone project where participants developed apps based on various themes. The capstone offered three project tracks: Entrepreneur, Product, and Company.

The Lokavo team chose the Entrepreneur track, as the top five teams from this track would receive funding of up to IDR 140 million from Google, GoTo, Traveloka, and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemdikbudristek). In the final, Lokavo emerged as one of the top five teams in the Capstone Project Entrepreneur Track in Bangkit Academy’s 2024 first batch, securing funding of IDR 140 million to develop their start-up in Indonesia. Lokavo will also receive expert mentoring from August 2024 through February 2025 to assist in their journey.

Before being titled one of the top five teams, Lokavo received guidance from experienced academics and professionals. In business strategy, they were mentored by Dr. Sutanto, S.Si, DEA, a business strategy development expert. Dr. Hasih Pratiwi provided insights into the development of the app’s Machine Learning capabilities. The team also received support from the industry, with Henrico Ferdian, a software development expert, helping with the app’s technical aspects, and Puspacinantya, a product and business management specialist, providing crucial insights into effective product management. This collaboration has further refined Lokavo’s development, focusing on supporting the success of F&B businesses in Indonesia.

“Once officially launched, we hope many F&B entrepreneurs will benefit from Lokavo, allowing their businesses to grow and thrive,” Felix added.

HUMAS UNS

Reporter: Annisa Fakhira

Editor: Dwi Hastuti

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