Delman, a Jakarta-based data management start-up, has raised USD 1.6 million in seed funding. The funds are intended for the establishment of a research and development center and also hire software engineers and data scientists. The round was led by Intudo Ventures, and other participants were Prasetia Dwidharma Ventures and Qlue Performa Indonesia.
The start-up was founded in 2018 by Chief Executive Officer Surya Halim, Chief Product Officer Raymond Christopher, and Chief Technology Officer Theo Budiyanto. These three were classmates and worked at tech companies in Silicon Valley, including Google and Spunk. And, thereafter, they decided to focus on the Indonesian market.
Delman intends to simplify the jobs of cleaning up and preparation of data for data engineers and scientists. Halim says that unlike other companies that spend a huge amount to clean and warehouse data, Delman only gives a cost-efficient and quick alternative.
“We have the capability to do analytics and data visualization for clients, but there are so many established companies that already do that, which is why we shifted our business model to something more niche and needed,” said Halim. “It also enables us to open our door to partner with everyone doing data analytics services.”
The new and recent start-up companies have cleaner datasets. However, a lot of older Indonesian companies have large amounts of data spread across pen-and-paper ledgers, excel, and other software. They contain numbers and typos that need to be corrected.
“It’s easier for a new company, because everything is already standardized,” Halim said, “But if a company that was established in the 1970s wants to unify previous generations of data to integrate it into their system and keep notes on what customer behavior is like in order to compete with up-and-coming companies, then they need to have a data-driven policy.”
Delman has a popular clientele, including PwC and Qlue, and plans to expand across Southeast Asian markets. While giving a statement to press, Intudo Ventures founding partner Eddy Chan said, “By combining a highly localized approach with global technical expertise, Delman is providing Indonesian businesses with Indonesian-developed big data solutions, ultimately leading to better outcomes for end-users. Since meeting the Delman founding team in Silicon Valley in 2017, we have witnessed their growth as a management team, and are excited to continue to support them in their entrepreneurial journey ahead.”
