JumpStart has secured a Series C investment from existing investor Cool Japan Fund (CJF) to accelerate the rollout of AI-powered vending machines across Indonesia, per an announcement.
Financial terms of the investment were not disclosed.
Cool Japan Fund earlier participated in the company’s Series B round in 2023 alongside Living Lab Ventures. Djarum Group, through its venture capital arm GDP Venture, backed the company’s Series A round in 2018, the year it was founded.
At the time, JumpStart said it planned to use the capital to expand its automated retail network and accelerate the deployment of AI-powered vending machines across Indonesia. Since then, the company has continued to scale its footprint, operating more than 6,500 vending machines nationwide by the end of 2025 while recording a 200% increase in financial performance compared with the previous year.
JumpStart said its vending machines are deployed across offices, shopping centres, and public facilities nationwide.
The fresh capital will be used to expand JumpStart’s network of AI-enabled, cashless vending machines, strengthen its operating infrastructure, and broaden its product offerings, particularly through partnerships with Japanese brands.
Founded in 2018 with a smart coffee vending machine business, JumpStart has since expanded into a broader automated retail platform. Its portfolio now includes smart mart vending machines, fresh juice dispensers, ice cream and cotton candy machines, as well as gamified vending concepts and mystery-box formats designed for brand activations.
The company said its platform combines AI technology with a curated selection of Japanese food and beverage products, including drinks, confectionery, snacks, and ready-to-eat items, creating an additional distribution channel for Japanese brands targeting Indonesia and other Southeast Asian markets.
“Continued support from Cool Japan Fund validates both our vision and execution,” said Brian Imawan, CEO of JumpStart Indonesia. “We are not only building a vending machine network, but also creating a scalable distribution platform that connects global brands, particularly from Japan, with Indonesia’s growing consumer market,” he added.
According to the company, part of the proceeds will also be used to enhance its use of consumer data and insights to deliver more personalised retail experiences.
Cool Japan Fund is a government-backed investment fund established to contribute to the sustainable growth of Japan’s economy through the expansion of overseas demand and supply of attractive products and services unique to Japanese lifestyle & culture.
More recently, the fund participated in Thailand-based beauty and personal care platform Konvy’s $22 million Series B round and Malaysian insurtech startup PolicyStreet’s $21 million Series C first close.
