BANDUNG, itb.ac.id – Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) team won the first place in the International Business Plan Competition 2020, organized by BINUS University along with Muamalat Bank, on 20th January 2020 in Bekasi. The International Business Plan Competition aimed to provide opportunities for students to get real experience in entrepreneurship. This competition awarded the winners by provide funding and commercialization platform for their innovation.

This competition also accommodated young entrepreneurs to get feedback and coaching from experienced investors and entrepreneurs to help scale-up their ideas. Assisted by Sonny Rustiadi, MBA, Ph.D., the team that consists of Patricia Shareleen, Cheryl Marlitta Stefia, and Mahfudhotul Ainiyah won through their innovation entitled Lapaku.id.

“Lapaku.id is a technology-based online property platform that would be beneficial for SME (Small and Medium Enterprise). The purpose of the innovation is to provide stall area rental services for SME like school canteen, university canteen, office canteen, food court, bazaar, and even for street stall,” said Cheryl when being interviewed by the ITB Public Relation reporter. The background of this idea is mainly due to Indonesia’s entrepreneurial growth conditions. She explained that there are many entrepreneurs distress to find for suitable space, while in the other hand land/space owners also has difficulty to lease the space. Therefore, Lapaku.id is made to accommodate entrepreneurs with ease, practicality, safety, and comfort to find the desired space.

Cheryl also explained that her team was challenged to convey their idea and innovation that never been established prior. Due to that, her team tried to legitimate their idea by appealing to the Ministry of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises so that it could be employed and useful for the community. “We hope that we can aspire start-ups to dare to step forward, deliver ideas, and implement them to the real word. Because long journey always initiated by one small step,” she advised.

Reporter: Christopher Wijaya

Translator: Wendy Anastasia Yoeda