TNB Aura Partners with BINUS to Host the Grand Final of Startup Wars 2025

Jakarta – Di tengah pesatnya perkembangan ekosistem startup dan investasi di Asia Tenggara, BINUS University turut berperan aktif dalam mendorong inovasi dengan menjadi tuan rumah Grand Final Startup Wars 2025.

Ini adalah tahun kedua BINUS University menjadi tuan rumah Grand Final Startup Wars. Berkolaborasi dengan venture capital TNB Aura, Startup Wars sendiri adalah salah satu kompetisi terkemuka bagi talenta muda di bidang investasi, bertujuan mengasah kemampuan mahasiswa untuk berpikir dan bertindak layaknya investor professional mulai dari menganalisis pasar hingga mengambil keputusan investasi untuk perusahaan nyata.

Berbeda dari kompetisi startup tradisional yang berfokus pada pitching, Startup Wars menantang peserta untuk memposisikan diri sebagai venture capitalists, mengevaluasi model bisnis, serta menentukan strategi investasi yang berpotensi menciptakan dampak ekonomi dan sosial.

Pendekatan berbasis simulasi ini memberikan pengalaman langsung mengenai cara investor profesional menilai dan mengembangkan startup yang menjanjikan.

Tahun ini, kompetisi Startup Wars berkembang ke lima negara, yakni Indonesia (dengan tim yang diwakili oleh mahasiswa-mahasiswi BINUS University), Singapura, Filipina, Vietnam, dan Malaysia. Ini sekaligus menunjukkan pencapaian besar dalam memperluas akses pendidikan investasi kelas dunia bagi mahasiswa di kawasan Asia Tenggara.

Kompetisi ini menghadirkan bimbingan langsung dari profesional venture capital, serta studi kasus dunia nyata yang memperkaya wawasan peserta tentang strategi investasi, manajemen risiko, dan kewirausahaan berdampak sosial.

“Di BINUS University, kami berkomitmen untuk mengembangkan talenta global dalam bidang inovasi dan kewirausahaan. Menjadi tuan rumah Startup Wars sejalan dengan visi kami untuk menjadi universitas kelas dunia yang memberdayakan masyarakat,” ujar Vice Rector of Student Affairs BINUS University, Yohannes Kurniawan saat konferensi pers Startup Wars di Kampus Anggrek BINUS Jakarta, Jumat, 17 Oktober 2025.

Yohannes mengatakan bahwa kolaborasinya kali ini dengan TNB Aura memberikan kesempatan berharga bagi mahasiswa Indonesia untuk merasakan langsung dunia venture capital.

“Ini menghubungkan pengetahuan akademis dengan pengalaman industri,” imbuh Yohannes.

Di lain sisi, Co-Founder dan Managing Partner TNB Aura, Vicknesh R Pillay menyatakan bahwa pihaknya telah berinvestasi kepada strartup-startup di Indonesia sejak 2018. Selama sekitar 7 tahun investasinya di Indonesia, TNB Aura telah menginvestasikan 40 persen dari total dananya ke startup-startup di Indonesia, atau senilai SGD50 juta yang setara dengan Rp641,15 miliar.

“Kita telah menginvestasikan lebih dari SGD50 juta ke Indonesia sejak 7 tahun lalu. Tentu saja, sebagai investor di Asia Tenggara, Indonesia masih menjadi salah satu fokus utama area kami,” sebut Vicknesh di kesempatan yang sama.

Selain berinvestasi pada sektor teknologi, pihaknya juga menginvestasikan dananya di Indonesia pada sektor bisnis tradisional lainnya yang sedang berkembang, seperti healthcare dan edukasi.

“Kita percaya bahwa ini bukan hanya tentang startup teknologi. Setiap industri di Indonesia, bahkan yang tradisional memiliki kesempatan untuk berkembang,” cetusnya.

Walaupun akhir-akhir ini, industri startup global sedang menghadapi berbagai tantangan, TNB Aura tetap optimistis dengan unsur fundamental dan ekonomi makro Indonesia yang sangat kuat, dapat mendorong ekosistem startup Indonesia ke arah lebih baik ke depan.

Vicknesh pun berharap ke depan, industri startup, khususnya di Indonesia, bisa meningkatkan sistem good corporate governance (GCG) mereka agar bisa dikelola secara benar dalam prinsip profesionalisme dan integritas yang kuat.

Sementara itu, CEO Singapore Venture and Capital Association (SVCA), Sharon Lim menyatakan, kompetisi seperti Startup Wars sangat penting dalam mempersiapkan generasi investor dan founder startup berikutnya.

“Mereka menumbuhkan pola pikir analitis, wawasan strategis, dan pemahaman lintas negara yang
esensial bagi masa depan kewirausahaan di Asia Tenggara,” tekan Sharon.

Pendaftaran dan proses seleksi startup yang ingin berkompetisi di Startup Wars 2025 telah dibuka sejak bulan Juli 2025. Dimana, BINUS University menjadi satu-satunya universitas dari Indonesia yang lolos seleksi dan tampil pada ajang Grand Final Startup Wars 2025 di Kampus Anggrek BINUS Jakarta, Jumat, 17 Oktober 2025.

Grand Final akan mempertemukan para finalis dari lima negara di Asia Tenggara untuk mempresentasikan strategi investasi mereka di hadapan panel juri terkemuka dari komunitas venture capital, startup, dan akademisi.

Startup Wars 2025 ini akan dinilai oleh jajaran VC ternama di Asia Tenggara, antara lain B.I.G. Ventures, TNB Aura, Ares Management, Kopital Ventures, serta Singapore Venture and Private Capital Association.

Selain kompetisi, acara ini juga menjadi wadah jejaring strategis yang menghubungkan mahasiswa, investor, dan mitra industri, menegaskan posisi Indonesia sebagai kekuatan penting dalam lanskap inovasi regional.

Melalui kolaborasi ini, BINUS University memperkuat perannya sebagai pusat inovasi dan kewirausahaan yang menyiapkan mahasiswa Indonesia untuk menjadi bagian dari generasi baru investor dan inovator yang siap membentuk masa depan ekosistem startup di kawasan.

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[Translated text as follows]

Jakarta – Amid the rapid development of the startup and investment ecosystem in Southeast Asia, BINUS University is actively playing a role in encouraging innovation by hosting the Startup Wars 2025 Grand Finals.

This is the second year BINUS University has hosted the Startup Wars Grand Finals. In collaboration with venture capital firm TNB Aura, Startup Wars is a leading competition for young investment talent, aiming to hone students’ skills in thinking and acting like professional investors, from analyzing markets to making investment decisions for real companies.

Different from traditional startup competitions that focus on pitching, Startup Wars challenges participants to position themselves as venture capitalists, evaluate business models, and determine investment strategies that have the potential to create economic and social impact.

This simulation-based approach provides first-hand experience of how professional investors assess and develop promising startups.

This year, the Startup Wars competition expanded to five countries: Indonesia (with teams represented by BINUS University students), Singapore, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Malaysia. This represents a significant achievement in expanding access to world-class investment education for students in Southeast Asia.

The competition features hands-on mentorship from venture capital professionals, as well as real-world case studies that enrich participants’ insights into investment strategies, risk management, and social impact entrepreneurship.

“At BINUS University, we are committed to developing global talent in innovation and entrepreneurship. Hosting Startup Wars aligns with our vision to become a world-class university that empowers communities,” said BINUS University Vice Rector of Student Affairs, Yohannes Kurniawan, during the Startup Wars press conference at BINUS University’s Anggrek Campus in Jakarta on Friday, October 17, 2025.

Yohannes said that his current collaboration with TNB Aura provides a valuable opportunity for Indonesian students to experience the world of venture capital firsthand.

“This connects academic knowledge with industrial experience,” Yohannes added.

On the other hand, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of TNB Aura, Vicknesh R Pillay stated that his company has been investing in startups in Indonesia since 2018. For approximately 7 years of investment in Indonesia, TNB Aura has invested 40 percent of its total funds in startups in Indonesia, or SGD 50 million which is equivalent to IDR 641.15 billion.

“We have invested over SGD 50 million in Indonesia over the past seven years. Of course, as an investor in Southeast Asia, Indonesia remains one of our key focus areas,” Vicknesh said on the same occasion.

In addition to investing in the technology sector, the company also invests its funds in Indonesia in other growing traditional business sectors, such as healthcare and education.

“We believe this isn’t just about tech startups. Every industry in Indonesia, even traditional ones, has the opportunity to grow,” he said.

Although the global startup industry has been facing various challenges recently, TNB Aura remains optimistic that Indonesia’s strong fundamentals and macroeconomic conditions will be able to drive the Indonesian startup ecosystem towards a better future.

Vicknesh also hopes that in the future, the startup industry, especially in Indonesia, can improve its good corporate governance (GCG) system so that it can be managed properly based on the principles of professionalism and strong integrity.

Meanwhile, Singapore Venture and Capital Association (SVCA) CEO Sharon Lim stated that competitions like Startup Wars are crucial in preparing the next generation of investors and startup founders.

“They cultivate the analytical mindset, strategic insight, and cross-border understanding that are
essential for the future of entrepreneurship in Southeast Asia,” Sharon emphasized.

Registration and the selection process for startups wishing to compete in Startup Wars 2025 have been open since July 2025. BINUS University is the only university from Indonesia that has passed the selection and will appear at the Startup Wars 2025 Grand Finals at BINUS Anggrek Campus Jakarta, Friday, October 17, 2025.

The Grand Finals will bring together finalists from five Southeast Asian countries to present their investment strategies to a panel of leading judges from the venture capital, startup, and academic communities.

Startup Wars 2025 will be judged by a panel of leading VCs in Southeast Asia, including BIG Ventures, TNB Aura, Ares Management, Kopital Ventures, and the Singapore Venture and Private Capital Association.

In addition to the competition, this event also serves as a strategic networking platform connecting students, investors, and industry partners, affirming Indonesia’s position as a key force in the regional innovation landscape.

Through this collaboration, BINUS University strengthens its role as a hub for innovation and entrepreneurship, preparing Indonesian students to become part of a new generation of investors and innovators ready to shape the future of the startup ecosystem in the region.