• NTT Group launches first joint overseas startup collaboration programme in South-east Asia
• The scheme culminates in a pitch contest and matching event in Jakarta on 14 November
• It hopes to use South-east Asia’s growing startup ecosystem for mutual benefit

Japanese telecom giant NTT Group is aiming to tap into South-east Asia’s vibrant technology startup ecosystem with the launch of its first joint overseas collaboration programme for new businesses, dubbed the NTT Startup Challenge. 

The initiative aims to encourage new business ventures by partnering with startups across South-east Asia, a region of approximately 700 million people that is currently experiencing significant economic growth despite numerous social challenges.

The programme, jointly hosted by eight NTT Group companies, including NTT Data, NTT Communications and the international and venture funding arms of mobile operator giant NTT Docomo, will culminate in a pitch contest and matching event on 14 November 2024 in Jakarta, Indonesia. This flagship event, called the NTT Startup Challenge Final Day, is expected to attract between 400 and 500 applications from startups across various sectors and growth stages. Representatives from regional venture capital firms, including KK Fund and GDP Venture, will participate as judges and speakers at the event.  

“NTT Startup Challenge has helped Ravenry open many doors especially while we were in our early stages,” said Ricky Willianto, co-founder of market research company Ravenry and winner of a previous NTT startup programme. “NTT Startup Challenge helped us access the Japanese market, providing us with insights and business-matching opportunities. As a result of that, we very quickly managed to acquire several long-term Japanese organisations as clients,” he explained.

The initiative builds on the success of NTT Communications’ previous NTT Com Startup Challenge, which ran from 2017 to 2020 and attracted over 3,300 startups. This new, expanded scheme reflects the growing maturity of the South-east Asian startup ecosystem and NTT Group’s enthusiasm for new business development in the region.

Participating startups will have the opportunity to collaborate with NTT Group companies, to put their assets and expertise to use. The top performers in the pitch contest will receive rewards and access to various NTT Group resources, including potential investment from corporate venture capital, ICT infrastructure support, and opportunities for their solutions to be used within NTT.

“As a trusted partner of NTT, Qontak, since 2017, has been able to leverage NTT’s company ecosystem, a wide network of enterprise connections and a number of customers,” said Brendan Rakphongphairoj, CIO at software specialist Mekari, a partner in the previous NTT Com Startup Challenge. “We sincerely thank NTT for joint go-to market support over the years and for more collaborations in the future.”

Looking ahead, NTT Group aims to expand this initiative to other countries in South-east Asia and the Global South, exploring various initiatives to drive innovation and create new business opportunities. For startups eyeing expansion into Japan, NTT Group companies are prepared to offer support, creating a two-way street of opportunity between Japan and South-east Asia.

- Joana Bagano, Contributing Editor, TelecomTV