A startup retreat one hour from Bali: build and launch in Sumba
A startup retreat one hour from Bali exists on Sumba: Eco Beach City organises Launch Your Startup, Build Your AI App and Entrepreneurs Week at its beachfront coworking, built for people who want focused time to build, launch and pitch. Sumba is about an hour's flight from Denpasar, and the coworking with Starlink internet is already built and open. Dates are published as each experience is confirmed, so none of these has a fixed date yet.
Below you will find what each experience is about, what the place offers today, and how to take part.
Why go to an island to build a startup
Most founders know the problem. At home, the work that moves a company forward competes with meetings, errands and every small fire. A retreat removes some of that. You go somewhere with fewer distractions, around people working on the same kind of problem, for a defined stretch of time.
Bali is the usual answer for this in Southeast Asia. Sumba is a quieter one. It is warm all year and has far fewer buildings than Bali. CNN Travel named it one of the best places to visit in 2024. For a few days of deep work, that quiet is the point.
Three experiences for founders
Eco Beach City organises 26 themed experiences on Sumba. Three are aimed squarely at founders and people who want to become one.
Launch Your Startup
Launch Your Startup is for people who want to take an idea, or an early project, and push it towards launch. The name sums up the goal: leave with something launched, or much closer to it, and ready to show or pitch.
Build Your AI App
Build Your AI App is for people who want to build an application that uses AI. It suits founders with an idea they want to prototype, and developers or product people who want a few focused days to ship.
Entrepreneurs Week
Entrepreneurs Week is a week around the people who run businesses: sharing what works, testing ideas on each other and building connections with other founders.
We are not publishing session plans, speakers or prices for these experiences in this article. They are confirmed together with the dates, and the details will appear on each experience page.
What is already there
A retreat only works if the basics work. This is what exists on site today:
- A beachfront coworking with Starlink internet. Speeds of 200+ Mbps have been reported. It is built and open.
- 24 homes, built and open, where guests already stay.
- Padel and tennis courts, built and open, for a break between work sessions.
- 2 km of beach, inside a private seafront residence.
You can walk the town before you travel. LiveIt is a 3D video game of Eco Beach City that lets you explore it online.
Other experiences that fit a founder's year
If the three above are your core, a few others sit close to them: Get Your First Clients, Sales & Negotiation Bootcamp, Digital Marketing Bootcamp, Public Speaking Bootcamp, AI & Automation Bootcamp, Launch Your Online Store and Remote Work Bootcamp. The full list is on the experiences page.
Getting there from Bali
There are daily flights from Bali (Denpasar, DPS) to Tambolaka airport (TMC) in West Sumba. The flight takes about one hour, with morning departures around 9:00. Sumba also has Waingapu airport (WGP) in the east. The how to get here page has the practical details.
That makes it easy to combine with a trip to Bali: a few days in Canggu or Ubud, then a short flight to work somewhere quieter.
How to take part: the community membership
Community members can take part in the experiences. The membership works like this:
- Price: €1,500, or 10 payments of €150 interest free. You start with €150.
- Two member cards are included.
- Stays: 1 to 6 weeks every year. One week is guaranteed, and more when there is space.
- 30 experience retreats: one a year, for 30 years.
- Member talks, dinners and events.
- Not included: flights and meals. The membership is not property.
- If your first week does not convince you, the €150 you paid to join is refunded.
For a founder, that adds up to a yearly reset: a week or more by the sea, a coworking with fast internet, and an experience built around building, launching or selling.
An honest note on dates
None of the founder experiences has a date yet. They are not weekly programmes. Dates are published as each experience is confirmed, on its own page. If you want to plan around them, check the pages from time to time or join the community and hear about them as they are confirmed.
FAQ
Is there a startup retreat near Bali?
Yes. Eco Beach City on Sumba, about one hour's flight from Bali, organises Launch Your Startup, Build Your AI App and Entrepreneurs Week at its beachfront coworking.
Is the internet good enough to work?
The coworking has Starlink internet, with speeds of 200+ Mbps reported. It is built and open.
When are the next startup retreats?
There are no dates yet. Dates are published as each experience is confirmed, on the pages for Launch Your Startup, Build Your AI App and Entrepreneurs Week.
Can I bring a co-founder?
The membership includes two member cards. Flights and meals are not included.
Next step
If a yearly week by the sea to build, launch and pitch fits how you work, have a look at the community membership. It costs €1,500 or 10 × €150 interest free, and if your first week does not convince you, your €150 is refunded.