Seekmi is an intelligent service marketplace that will simplify the process of finding and engaging local service providers. The website plays a matchmaking role, helping to connect local service providers with local customers who are seeking their services, from plumber to hairdresser to tutor. The company has over 500 services available on their site. Some of the most popular services are: A/C Serviceman, House Cleaners, Tutors, Photographers, Makeup Artist, Interior Designers, and Graphic Designers.
History:
The company started when Nayoko Wicaksono and Clarissa Leung decided to start a venture with the mission to make an impact on the economy and society of Indonesia. Both founders researched several ideas and eventually settled on developing a website for local service providers. After having looked at the problems and challenges related to services in Indonesia, such as low quality and inefficiency, they realized that there was a strong need for a localized marketplace that would connect service providers with customers. This idea was reinforced when Leung tried to fix her aircon and could not find a quality and reliable service provider. At that point, they knew they had come across a huge opportunity and Seekmi was founded. They are currently headquartered in Jakarta and only operate in Indonesia.
Founders:
Nayoko Wicaksono is a serial entrepreneur and networker. He was part of the initial Rocket Internet team that launched Zalora and NXT CON 2014, bringing successful tech entrepreneurs from Silicon Valley to connect with local entrepreneurs. He also worked with EMTEK Group to build KMK Online (Liputan6.com, Bintang.com, Vidio.com, and others). Nayoko graduated with an Economic and Commerce degree from the University of British Columbia in 2007.
Clarissa Leung spent 6 years in Japan as part of Technology Development Panasonic and Barclays Investment Bank. She created and ran two successful start-up companies in e-commerce and real estate. Leung graduated with a Computer Engineering degree from the University of British Columbia.
Users:
Most of Seekmi’s users are 23-40 year old urban dwellers in major cities across Indonesia. They have reliable internet coverage and are comfortable using websites/apps to book services.
Investors:
While Seekmi will not disclose the amount raised, Seekmi has some strong support from notable investors including:: EMTEK Group, Justin Kan, Mari Pangestu, Cyber Agent Ventures, Convergence Ventures, Ventek Venture, Balancop Venture, Kinara Venture, and Grupara. Recently, the company received a seven-digit investment round led by CyberAgent Venture.
Competitors:
Their largest competitor is Beres.id, another Indonesian service provider. Seekmi expects to stay ahead of Beres through efficient and high levels of operation management and by staying focused on creating the most seamless user experience. According to founder, Wicaksono , Seekmi will constantly “try to reduce the friction of closing a deal within our platform.”
Revenue:
There is no disclosed revenue from this company.
Coming up…
The future seems bright for Seekmi. With a recent successful round of funding, Seekbi is poised to take the leading role as an online service provider in Indonesia. The company has said that they plan to use some of their funding to expand into areas beyond Greater Jakarta such as Surubaya, Semarang, Makassar and Bali.
The company has recently launched an App in their effort to bring even more convenience and ease to the process, such as the ability to chat with customers/service providers before disclosing personal information or phone numbers. Eventually, the company hopes to use GPS tracking to help match customers with someone who might be able to help them -for whichever of the 500 services the user might need.