Mimin, an Indonesian-based startup offering chat commerce solutions and virtual assistant services for businesses, has on Friday announced its seed funding from Otto Digital, a subsidiary of Indonesian conglomerate Salim Group.
Mimin said in a statement that as part of the Salim Group, Otto Digital has a prominent micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) community and networks across Indonesia, which is Mimin’s primary target audience.
Mimin said it will use the fresh funding to serve MSMEs and online sellers with the latest products and features, as well as to strengthen their technology infrastructure and order management software.
This move aligns with the current e-commerce landscape in Indonesia, where social commerce (shopping using social media and chatting apps) is projected to grow by 17.9 percent annually from 2022 to 2028.
Cited a 2022 Populix survey, Mimin said 86 percent of Indonesians have shopped through social media and chatting apps, such as Tiktok Shop (45 percent), WhatsApp (21 percent), Facebook (10 oercent), and Instagram (10 percent).
This trend indicated that the majority of online sellers in Indonesia are using various sales channels, including selling through social media and chat applications, in addition to opening online stores on e-commerce platforms.
It is also noted that the typical seller manages social commerce transactions by manually inputting orders, checking shipping costs, and receiving payments.
However, this approach can be both time-consuming and prone to human error.
To help business owners run their stores efficiently, Mimin provides chat commerce automation and an order management platform.
Through Mimin platform, sellers can input orders that came in through chat platforms easily, and the app will automatically generate invoices and payment confirmations.
This solution enables businesses to process orders 70 percent faster and more accurately.
Additionally, Mimin enables sellers to contact previous buyers with personalized and relevant offers.
“Based on our findings in the field, many buyers and sellers prefer conversational transactions, such as those conducted via WhatsApp or Instagram DMs. Mimin aims to assist online sellers by automating the order processing, which saves time and effort, as well as enhances business growth,
“We also offer relevant insights to help business innovate based on processed transactions, so that they can innovate based on these valuable business acumen,” said Joseph Simbar, Chief Executive Officer of Mimin.
Mimin is an application for online sellers that makes it easier for businesses to manage their stores.
It offers a commerce chat automation solution and an order management platform, so businesses can process orders 70 percent faster, from responding to customers, inputting orders, to shipping.
Currently, the Mimin app is used by MSMEs in 20 provinces across 55 cities in Indonesia, particularly in the sectors of homemade food and beverage (F&B), fashion, and daily necessities.
To expand its reach, Mimin collaborates with local governments in several areas, such as Sragen and Kep. Riau, and provides training and mentoring to the local MSME community.
Mimin’s training in Sragen and Kep. Riau has already attracted 10,000 MSMEs to join and utilize the platform to manage their businesses.
To cater retail companies on a larger scale, Mimin has introduced Mimin Pro, a service that allows businesses to easily process orders received through chat and delegate order fulfillment to the nearest branch.
This not only helps boost the company’s revenue, but also makes shipping costs more affordable for buyers.
It is also noted that leading retail brands such as Hero Supermarket, Bumame Pharmacy, and LotteMart have already benefited from this service by connecting their buyers with the nearest branch.
“We believe that Mimin provides on-target solutions for Indonesian MSMEs and will greatly assist business players in increasing the efficiency of using WhatsApp as their means of selling,” said Reginald Hamdani, Chief Executive Officer of Otto Digital.
According to him, this investment is in line with Otto Digital’s vision of building the economy by empowering communities and expanding economic growth to rural areas.
“Mimin is one of the enablers we need to make it happen. Therefore, our investment represents our commitment in building a stronger Indonesian MSMEs ecosystem,” he added.
He also noted that Mimin’s founders Joseph Simbar (Chief Executive Officer) and Bayu Eka Putra (Chief Operating Officer have bold visions and solid commitments.
“The combination of these two is the key to success. With a relatively young age, high capacity and energy, we believe they can support Mimin’s development to the right trajectory,” he said.
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