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According to the company's statistics, 20 percent of the expenditure in Indonesia is on groceries, and housewives who are typically in control of the spending are looking for opportunities to earn a living
FREMONT, CA: Indonesian community-based social commerce startup Chilibeli secured USD 10 million in a Series A round of financing led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, with participation from Golden Gate Ventures, Sequoia’s Surge accelerator program, Kinesys Group, and Alto Partners. To date, the company has gained 150 percent month-on-month growth and created more than 300 direct jobs and thousands of indirect jobs for its Mitra Chilibeli in Indonesia. The company was founded by Alex Feng, Damon Yue, and Matt Li, who previously worked at companies such as Alibaba and Lazada.
"The company will use the funds to strengthen its communities in Jakarta, Tangerang Selatan, and Depok. It will also expand its reach to Bogor and Bekasi. Part of the funds will also go toward Chilibeli’s user interface and experience and warehouse in Depok," said Alex Feng, CEO of Chilibeli. The startup, launched last year, connects farmers, suppliers, and consumers using its network of agents to bring fresh products to households. The company's agents, or Mitras, mainly consist of housewives who earn extra income through the service.
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“The Chilibeli team is tapping into something that other platforms to date haven’t been able to successfully leverage: the trusted social circle,” said Justin Hall, partner at Golden Gate Ventures. The company believes they empower housewives to be microentrepreneurs. The agents, who are called Mitra Chilibeli, create their own community in the startup’s app, through which their friends can make purchases. Chilibeli delivers the goods to the agents, who then manage the last mile delivery by themselves.
According to the company's statistics, 20 percent of the expenditure in Indonesia is on groceries, and housewives who are typically in control of the spending are looking for opportunities to earn a living. “By building a technology platform that taps into everyday Indonesian’s network, they’re unlocking new, innovative ways to shop, collaborate, and even earn a living,” added Justin.
"We're excited to partner with the Chilibeli team, which is building the next scale commerce platform for Indonesia and the broader Southeast Asia region. The power of the Chilibeli social commerce platform comes from empowering local communities across the emerging middle class in Indonesia through access to affordable & value products while driving livelihoods for various stakeholders in the Chilibeli ecosystem such as farmers, housewives and small businesses in these communities," said Akshay Bhushan, Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners.
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