Jurnal Ekonomi, Manajemen, Akuntansi dan Keuangan
Vol. 7 No. 1 (2026): January

Economic Bubble and Fraud in Unicorn Startups: A Case Study of eFishery

Akbar Firmansyah (Politeknik Negeri Jember)
Akas Setiawan (Politeknik Negeri Jember)
Waridad Al Ayyubi (Politeknik Negeri Jember)



Article Info

Publish Date
30 Oct 2025

Abstract

Examine the lifecycle of the Indonesian startup eFishery using the Minsky and Kindleberger economic bubble framework. A qualitative single-case study design was employed, based on extensive secondary data analysis of investigative media reports, forensic audit summaries, and industry publications. Findings demonstrate a clear alignment between eFishery’s development and the five stages of an economic bubble: displacement, boom, euphoria, financial distress, and revulsion. Internal financial dynamics were mapped to Minsky’s regimes of hedge, speculative, and Ponzi finance, revealing how staged venture capital funding created structural incentives that contributed to financial manipulation. Governance failures were identified as principal drivers, notably moral hazard between founders and investors and a pervasive growth-at-all-costs culture, which accelerated both the bubble’s expansion and its subsequent collapse. The Minsky and Kindleberger framework was found to be an effective analytical tool for assessing firm-level financial instability in high-growth startups. Implications are discussed for regulators, investors, and founders, with recommendations for improved governance, transparency, and funding practices to mitigate systemic risks associated with the pursuit of unicorn valuations.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

jurnalemak

Publisher

Subject

Economics, Econometrics & Finance Other

Description

Jurnal Emak: Jurnal Ekonomi, Manajemen, Akuntansi dan Keuangan is a peer-reviewed journal. Ekombis invites academics and researchers who do original research in the fields of economics, management, and accounting, including but not limited to: Economics Monetary Economics, Finance, and Banking ...