Surabaya, November 23, 2024 – The business idea competition initiated by Pertamina, Pertamuda 2024: Seed and Scale, successfully took place in Surabaya from November 18-20, 2024. The event attracted more than 3,000 participants from various universities across Indonesia, including Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM). UGM sent three startup representatives to showcase their business ideas and traction, namely ENOVA, MetaSeaco, and Zona Farm. Among these, MetaSeaco, a UGM-supported startup, achieved a Top 3 position in the Early Stage Startup category and secured IDR 100 million in business development funding through an investment proposal from Mr. Gunawan of PT Dredolf Indonesia. An initial agreement was reached to focus on supporting innovation through the FrisherTech project to manage marine products in the Riau Islands, a region comprising thousands of islands with limited access to electricity. Through this partnership, MetaSeaco is set to play an active role in building a supply chain of solar-powered cooling systems for fishermen in the area.
MetaSeaco specializes in manufacturing and engineering, developing portable solar-powered cooling technology for conventional fishing boats. Driven by challenges observed in the field, MetaSeaco aims to reduce fish spoilage and minimize operational costs associated with the use of ice blocks for fishermen. Furthermore, MetaSeaco has expanded its business scope to include the management of marine products in underdeveloped coastal regions lacking electricity, such as Papua. The startup is currently conducting R&D (Research and Development) for its FrisherTech product, focusing on IoT-based temperature management systems, traceability systems, and data collection strategies to enable detailed and real-time fish location predictions.
“In the future, we plan to establish a solar-powered cooling supply chain in Supiori, Papua, to manage marine products such as sea lobsters, sea cucumbers, and various types of consumable fish,” said Catur, CEO of MetaSeaco and an alumnus of UGM’s Actuarial Science program.
Through the Pertamuda 2024 event, the collaboration between MetaSeaco and PT Dredolf Indonesia in innovating technology for fishermen in areas with limited accessibility is expected to serve as a tangible example of how startups can focus not only on financial goals but also on delivering significant social impact to surrounding communities. (Editor: Dinda, Doc.: Pertamuda Team)