UMKM Digital

Inspiration

Millions of small and micro businesses (UMKM) in Indonesia lack digital exposure, making it hard for local communities to discover and support them. We wanted to solve this by building a platform where UMKMs can register and display their stores on an interactive map, while also empowering users to connect with them easily. To enhance the experience, we added AI-powered assistance to help users navigate the platform, find UMKMs near them, and get instant answers about the ecosystem.

What it does

UMKM Digital is a web-based platform that allows:

• UMKMs to register their businesses and appear on a digital map with location pins.
• Users to discover nearby businesses, view store and product details, and contact the owners directly.
• AI Assistant (powered by Gemini API) to answer user questions in real-time.

How we built it

We built the platform using:

• Next.js – React-based framework for building a fast, modern frontend.
• Tailwind CSS – To style UI with a clean and responsive design.
• Supabase – For database, authentication, and real-time data.
• Leaflet.js – For interactive map integration.
• Gemini API – To power the intelligent chatbot that interacts with users and fetches data dynamically.
• Netlify – For seamless deployment and hosting.

Challenges we ran into

• Integrating the Gemini AI assistant with the database in a meaningful, context-aware way.
• Ensuring accurate location mapping and reverse geocoding for UMKM pins.
• Making the chatbot smart enough to handle flexible, open-ended user questions with precise responses.
• Balancing simple UX with rich data for both UMKM owners and general users.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

• Successfully built a working prototype that combines maps, UMKM registration, and a smart AI chatbot.
• Designed an interface that’s easy to use for local business owners who may not be tech-savvy.
• Created a chatbot that feels natural, useful, and contextually relevant to the platform's mission.

What we learned

• How to leverage AI (Gemini API) not just as a chatbot, but as a functional assistant that retrieves and summarizes data from our own backend.
• The power of combining geolocation data with user queries to drive real-world utility.
• Importance of accessibility and simplicity when designing tools for small business owners.

What's next for UMKM Digital

• Add reviews and ratings for businesses.
• Integrate WhatsApp or Telegram chat options for direct communication.
• Allow media uploads (images/videos) to enhance UMKM profiles.
• Expand chatbot to support multi-language, starting with Bahasa Indonesia.
• Launch the platform for real-world testing in selected villages.

Built With

• netlify
• nextjs
• supabase