Indonesian Bible Society

What Indonesian Bible Society does

Lembaga Alkitab Indonesia (LAI), also known as the Indonesian Bible Society, is a Jakarta-headquartered nonprofit organization that traces its origins to 1629 and operates as Indonesia's primary body for Bible translation, publication, and distribution. Its content portfolio spans 39 complete Bibles, 115 Testaments, and 338 portions across more than 100 Indonesian regional languages, anchored by the Terjemahan Baru Edisi Kedua (TB-2) flagship Indonesian translation containing 31,171 verses. The organization produces themed editions targeting specific audiences (Parenting, Identity: Identified for youth, Kabar Baik untuk Anak for children ages 9-12), accessibility formats (Braille, large print, Indonesian Sign Language New Testament in development), and supports the Pembaca Baru Alkitab literacy program for illiterate adults in remote areas.

LAI's technology footprint centers on the Smart Bible digital platform, which includes the Memra and Alin LAI mobile applications available on Google Play and the Apple App Store, a public Bible API for developers, the Alkitab Siniar podcast, and daily devotional content on its website. Distribution is operated through the in-house Percetakan LAI printing press, the Bible House retail location, the shop.indonesian.bible e-commerce storefront, and four major Indonesian marketplaces (Shopee, Tokopedia, Lazada, Blibli). Supporting services include the Museum Biblika (with Rp 5,000 admission) and Perpustakaan Biblika (14,800+ items, Rp 75,000-90,000/year membership), plus the donation-funded Satu Dalam Kasih distribution program targeting 155,000 beneficiaries in 2026 with a Rp 16.275 billion budget.

The revenue model blends commercial Bible sales, modest museum and library admission fees, donation-funded programs, and unit-priced translation sponsorship (Rp 90,000 per verse for translation; Rp 105,000 per distributed Bible; Rp 20,000 per handwritten verse). Customers are segmented across the general Indonesian Christian population, regional-language speakers in remote areas, and dedicated audiences including children, youth, elderly, visually and hearing-impaired readers, and new literates. LAI partners with churches, Christian institutions, and the Catholic Bishops' Conference Youth Commission, and has no disclosed parent company, funding rounds, or external investors consistent with its nonprofit mission.

Name

Indonesian Bible Society

Legal name

Lembaga Alkitab Indonesia

Website

https://alkitab.or.id

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Lembaga Alkitab Indonesia (Indonesian Bible Society) is a Jakarta-based nonprofit that translates, publishes, and distributes Bibles in Indonesian and 100+ regional languages, serving Christians across Indonesia through printed editions, digital apps, a public API, and donation-funded remote-area programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Publishing

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Periodical Publishers (513120), Software Publishers (513210)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Sacred Texts & Scripture Publishing (Bibles, Qur’ans, Vedas, Torah, Sutras) (MPAJAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Religious & Spiritual Print-on-Demand (Bibles, Devotionals) (MPAJANAG), Religious Education & Catechetical Publishing (Sunday School, Catechism, Study Guides) (MPAJAHAC)

Keywords

• Bible translation services
• Religious publishing
• Scripture distribution
• Digital bible platform
• Accessibility scripture

Headquarters

HQ city

Dki Jakarta

HQ country

Indonesia

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Lembaga Alkitab Indonesia (LAI) translates, publishes, and distributes the Bible in Indonesian and regional languages across Indonesia. It operates an in-house printing press (Percetakan LAI), the Memra digital Bible application, a public Bible API, a Bible-themed podcast, a Biblical Museum and Library with over 14,800 collection items, and accessibility formats including Braille, large print, and Indonesian Sign Language. It runs donation-funded outreach programs such as Satu Dalam Kasih for remote area distribution and the Pembaca Baru Alkitab literacy program for underserved communities.

Product overview

Lembaga Alkitab Indonesia (LAI) operates as a Bible translation, publication, and distribution organization offering a broad portfolio of products and services. Its core offerings include digital Bible applications (Smart Bible/Memra), printed Bibles in Indonesian and 39 regional languages, and the Terjemahan Baru Edisi Kedua (TB-2) as the flagship Indonesian translation. The portfolio spans: themed Bible editions (Alkitab Parenting, KBUA for children, Identity: Identified for youth), accessibility products (Braille Bibles, Sign Language New Testament), and digital services (API, podcasts, daily devotionals, online store). Supporting services include a printing press, Biblical Museum, Biblical Library (14,800+ items), and community programs (Pembaca Baru Alkitab literacy, Satu Dalam Kasih distribution). Products are distributed via the Bible House e-commerce store and major Indonesian marketplaces (Shopee, Tokopedia, Lazada, Blibli).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Smart Bible: Digital Bible application platform with multiple apps including Memra, Alin LAI, and Identity: Identified
• Memra
• Alin LAI
• Identity: Identified
• Kabar Baik untuk Anak (KBUA)
• Slims

Products and services

• Memra Memra is LAI's community-based Smart Bible mobile application that provides Indonesian Christians with digital access to Scripture, including Indonesian and regional-language Bible texts, reading features, and community engagement on iOS and Android devices.
• Alkitab Digital (Smart Bible) Alkitab Digital (Smart Bible) is LAI's suite of digital Bible applications offering Indonesian Christians web and mobile access to Scripture in Indonesian and regional languages, daily devotionals, reading plans, and community engagement features.
• Identity: Identified New Testament Identity: Identified is a youth-targeted New Testament publication based on the TB-2 translation, co-developed with the Catholic Bishops' Conference Youth Commission (KWI), priced at Rp 124,888 per copy. It includes articles addressing identity, crisis, and faith questions faced by Indonesian Christian youth.
• Kabar Baik untuk Anak (KBUA) Kabar Baik untuk Anak (KBUA) is LAI's children's Bible edition designed to help children ages 9–12 understand the history of God's salvation from Genesis to Revelation through age-appropriate Scripture content.
• Alkitab Parenting (Terjemahan Baru Edisi 2) Alkitab Parenting Terjemahan Baru Edisi 2 is a themed Bible edition focused on Christian parenting, helping parents apply biblical principles in raising children, released in the TB-2 (Terjemahan Baru Edisi Kedua) translation.
• Percetakan LAI (LAI Printing Services) Percetakan LAI is LAI's in-house printing service responsible for producing physical Bibles, Bible portions, and Bible-themed materials in Indonesian and regional languages for distribution across Indonesia.
• Museum Biblika LAI Museum Biblika LAI is LAI's Biblical Museum housing historical collections in biblical studies, theology, Bible writing and translation history, ancient Bibles in regional and world languages, and artifacts from ancient Israelite culture. It offers in-person visits and Virtual Museum Tours via Zoom Meeting for churches and schools, at Rp 5,000 per visitor.
• Perpustakaan Biblika LAI Perpustakaan Biblika LAI is LAI's Biblical Library holding more than 14,800 print and electronic items covering biblical studies, theology, Bible translation, biblical and theological journals, and ancient Bibles in regional and world languages. Membership costs Rp 75,000/year for students and Rp 90,000/year for general public.
• Smart Bible API LAI's public Bible API at bible-api.alkitab.or.id enables developers and integrators to programmatically access Indonesian and regional-language Bible text for use in third-party applications, websites, and digital products.

Quantifiable outcome

• 39 complete Bible translations published
• +2 more outcomes

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Gereja-gereja dan Lembaga Kristiani (Churches and Christian Institutions)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLAI works with churches and Christian institutions as partners in Bible translation projects. These partners identify needs in the field for Scripture in specific regional languages and collaborate in translation, printing, and distribution efforts throughout Indonesia.
• Komisi Kepemudaan KWI (Catholic Bishops' Conference Youth Commission)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative publication of the 'Identity: Identified' New Testament book with articles addressing youth identity issues. This is a joint project between LAI and the Catholic Church's youth commission.
• Pdt. Billy LantangminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAppointed as Honorary Partner (Mitra Kehormatan) to strengthen Bible education outreach and mission in Indonesia.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Bible Society of India: A fellow UBS-member national Bible society operating in a linguistically diverse Asian country with multiple regional languages. Closely comparable mission, multi-language translation portfolio, and grassroots distribution model.
• United Bible Societies (UBS): The global fellowship of Bible societies that LAI is a member of. UBS coordinates translation, distribution, and digital strategy across 150+ national societies, making it the closest umbrella peer for LAI's cross-language translation and ecumenical work.
• American Bible Society: A national Bible society with a comparable mandate of translation, publishing, and distribution in the United States. Both organizations operate as faith-based nonprofits with historical charters, translation pipelines, digital Bible platforms, and donor-funded distribution programs.
• Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft (German Bible Society): A long-established European Bible society with comparable translation, publishing, and digital Bible activities. Operates the popular Bible.com YouVersion-adjacent platform and provides a benchmark for European-scale Bible society operations.

Emerging players

• YouVersion (Life.Church): The world's most-used Bible app with hundreds of translations in Indonesian and many regional languages. While not a Bible society, it directly competes with LAI's Memra and Smart Bible apps for digital Scripture engagement.
• Olive Tree Bible Software: A digital Bible study platform offering Bible apps, study tools, and reading plans. Comparable as a digital Bible software provider competing with Memra for Indonesian mobile users seeking Scripture and study resources.
• Bible Gateway: A major online Bible reading platform owned by HarperCollins Christian Publishing that offers free access to dozens of translations including Indonesian editions. Comparable as a digital Bible distribution channel competing for the same Indonesian user base.

Broad incumbents

• HarperCollins Christian Publishing: A major global Christian publishing house (parent of Zondervan and Thomas Nelson) publishing Bibles, study resources, and Christian books across many languages. Comparable as a broad incumbent in religious publishing, though operating as a for-profit publisher rather than a Bible society.

Regional players

• Kanisius (Kanisius Media): Indonesia's leading Catholic publisher, producing Bibles, liturgical books, and religious educational materials. Comparable as a domestic faith-based publisher; LAI already partners with KWI (Catholic Bishops' Conference) on the Identity: Identified youth New Testament.
• BPK Gunung Mulia: One of Indonesia's largest Protestant Christian publishers. Comparable as a domestic Indonesian Christian publisher producing books, Bibles, and religious educational materials, though focused on the broader Christian catalog rather than Bible translation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/lembagaalkitab
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@LembagaAlkitabIndonesia
• Facebookfacebook.com/LembagaAlkitabIndonesia
• Instagraminstagram.com/lembagaalkitabindonesia
• TikToktiktok.com/@lembagaalkitabindonesia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lembaga-alkitab-indonesia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Indonesian Bible Society