Amanda Cole, the founder of Sayurbox, exemplifies how innovation, perseverance, and determination can transform challenges into opportunities for individuals. Her story started with a basic aim to assist local farmers and deliver fresh agricultural goods straight from the farm to consumers' homes. This led to the establishment of Sayurbox, now a leading player in Indonesia's e-commerce market for fresh products.
Background of Amanda Cole.
Amanda Cole grew up in a family with roots, in the agribusiness industry due to her grandfathers farming background which sparked her passion for agriculture from an age. However Amanda's journey into agriculture was not immediate as she also harbored a fascination for technology and startups to her upbringing, in the digital age. Amanda studied at the University of Virginia in the U.S. expanding her knowledge of business and technology fields. She later held positions, at companies such as Zalora, a prominent e commerce company. This job experience provided her with insights, into the management of technology driven businesses. Amanda believes that her office job lacks something to her satisfaction and fulfillment. She desires to engage in work that makes an impact and brings benefits to the Indonesian community with a particular focus, on the agricultural sector.
The Inspiration Behind SayurboxÂ
One of the biggest shifts in Amanda's path happened when she was exposed to a few of the challenges local farmers experience by seeing it for herself. Indonesia is an agrarian country, but those who rely on farming to make a living often flock in search of opportunities for new markets. Poor price realisation for farmers due to long supply chains, higher costs of distribution and heavy dependence on middlemen. Therefore, Amanda believes that technology might possibly be an answer to breaking this chain and eliminate the middle man between farmers and end consumers. Amanda therefore took advantage of her experience in e-commerce and agribusiness to create a platform that could serve as the bridge. This is where the idea for Sayurbox hatched.
The establishment of SayurboxÂ
Amanda Cole established Sayurbox in 2017 with her two friends, Rama Notowidigdo and Joshua Agusta. Their mission indeed is simple yet ambitious: Urban consumers need easy access to fresh local produce, and farmers ought to get better compensation. Based on a technology platform, Sayurbox allows consumers to order fresh products through an app and website that Sayurbox would deliver directly to the home of the consumer. By onboarding local farmers and working directly with them, Sayurbox maintains quality of products and minimizes waste while giving the latter a better price. This business model itself serves not only to benefits the farmers, but it is also beneficial for consumers. By shortening the long distribution to spread, the products sold on Sayurbox are guaranteed to be fresher and more prevent wastage at household levels.
Challenges and Success
Indeed, founding a startup in the aggrotech sector is not an easy task at all. Amanda and her team ran into several challenges in the beginning- from gaining trust with farmers to logistical set backs. The agricultural sector in Indonesia is plagued by infrastructure problems: poor road access, a shortage of post-harvest technology and minimal technological support at the level of farmers. However, with the high intention and filled with innovation in it, Sayurbox also began to slowly develop. Their flexibility is one of the keys to their success, as they are capable of rapidly adapting to market requirements in order present many use cases. They improve their logistics, build good relationships with farmer villages, and make sure from top to the end of chain product quality is under control. As a result, in 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic arrived which increased significantly the demand for delivery fresh product. With the way things are going, a lot of people are having to do without needing to leave their home for any reason; and that includes fresh produce like vegetables and fruits. Sayurbox was one of the most trusted platforms since then. By quickly switching on their gears, and the kind of backbone they have built, Sayurbox was able to meet the demand escalation with its upgraded technology/infrastructure providing new market position reinforcement. Amanda Cole believes technology can drive positive change, and Sayurbox is a prime example of how it can create a meaningful impact in a sector often overlooked: agriculture. She hopes to see Sayurbox continue growing, helping more farmers across Indonesia along the way.
Social Impact of SayurboxÂ
