Indonesian Startup Advances to SelectUSA 2026 Finals - SDGs News

Jakarta, SDGs News – The US Deputy Ambassador to Indonesia, Heather Merritt, opened and served as a judge in the SelectUSA Indonesia Pitching Competition 2026, held on 26 March at the @america cultural centre. This event forms part of the SelectUSA Investment Summit series, aimed at promoting foreign direct investment into the United States.

The competition was participated in by several leading Indonesian tech startups aspiring to expand their markets into the United States. The judging panel consisted of experienced professionals, including Melisa Irene from East Ventures, Firlie Ganinduto as Chair of ADIGSI, and Novrizal Pratama from Tech in Asia Indonesia.

In the final round, the Indonesian tech startup QuantumByte emerged as the winner and will represent Indonesia at the World Finals of the SelectUSA Investment Summit 2026, to be held in National Harbor, Maryland, United States, from 3 to 6 May 2026.

This event brings together investors, companies, and industry leaders from various countries, thereby opening significant opportunities for startups to develop business networks and investments. Support was also provided by Delta Air Lines, which offered round-trip travel tickets for the winner to attend the global-level competition.

“This competition highlights the strength of Indonesia’s innovation ecosystem and the attractive opportunities for these companies to expand and invest in the United States,” said Deputy Chief of Mission Merritt.

This success continues the achievements from the previous year, where the 2025 winner, Fixransomware.com, secured third place in the World Finals in Maryland. Following participation in the event, the company was able to expand its business network, establishing a distribution channel in Missouri.

The SelectUSA programme itself is a US government initiative aimed at promoting cross-sector investment, from manufacturing and information technology to the food and hospitality sectors. The programme also plays a role in connecting global companies with various economic development organisations in the United States.

Since its launch, SelectUSA has successfully attracted foreign investment worth more than $130 billion and contributed to the creation of over 100,000 jobs in the United States.