Winners with Natalie Mendelsohn, Counsellor, Infrastructure and Climate Change, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs

Jakarta, November 19, 2025 – Five Indonesian startups have been selected to receive funding support from the KINETIK NEX Entrepreneurs Program after impressing the judging panel at the Demo Day Pitching during the [RE]Spark Clean Energy and Climate Startup Festival 2025. The support marks a major boost for local innovation that offers real solutions to energy transition and climate challenges, while helping to expand the benefits of clean energy to communities across Indonesia.

The five selected startups represent leading innovators that bring concrete solutions to local clean energy needs and climate resilience. They are:

• Difabike, a Yogyakarta-based startup offering three-wheeled electric motorcycle services designed specifically for persons with disabilities.
• Energi Timur Nusa Power, a Sumbawa-based startup focused on optimizing micro hydropower plants in remote villages.
• Gawirea (Girls and Women in Renewable Energy Academy), an organization that empowers rural women through renewable energy education and entrepreneurship.
• NUSACUBE by PT Alana Green Electric, a technology provider that produces ice blocks and clean water using solar power and wind power.
• Sumba Solusi Alam, developer of PowerWells, affordable solar power units made from recycled electronic waste.

Jonathan Gilbert, Minister-Counsellor, Head of Economic, Investment and Infrastructure at the Australian Embassy in Indonesia, stated that Australia is investing more than AUD 200 million to support Indonesia in expanding access to climate finance, strengthening climate resilience, and accelerating the shift toward clean energy. He highlighted that this support aims to ensure that clean energy innovation reaches not only major cities such as Jakarta but also regions including Kupang, Manado, Sumba, and Sumbawa.

Jonathan Gilbert speaks at the event.

“At the heart of KINETIK is a simple belief that the energy transition must be inclusive and locally led. This means ensuring that women and people with disabilities have equal opportunities to lead and benefit from the energy transition and green economy,” Jonathan said during his remarks on Saturday, 15 November, at Menara Danareksa in Jakarta.

He added that innovations emerging from this program are expected to support Indonesia’s efforts to achieve its Net Zero Emissions target by 2060 or earlier. According to Jonathan, when communities design and own their solutions, those solutions last. They reflect local realities, use local resources, and create local jobs.

Diyanto Imam, Director of New Energy Nexus Indonesia, reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to supporting innovators and entrepreneurs across Indonesia. He emphasized that energy and climate transition solutions must come from local areas, drawing from local ideas, knowledge, and wisdom.

Diyanto Imam speaks at the event.

“We strive to harness local knowledge and combine it with our experience over the past six years to continue supporting the growth and real-world impact of innovators across Indonesia,” Diyanto said.

The urgency of these innovations is reinforced by data from the Joint Research Center of the European Commission, which highlights the continued rise of greenhouse gas emissions, increasing atmospheric concentrations, and worsening global warming. In 2024, the Earth’s surface temperature reached a new record of 1.6°C above the pre-industrial average.

One of the funding recipients, Difabike, stated that this support will help accelerate business expansion not only through its Difaride service but also through the development of Difabox and Difatour to strengthen long-term sustainability.

Triyono speaks at the event.

“This support is essential to advance our services. It will help us fully develop Difabox and Difatour so that the quality of Difaride remains strong and the sustainability of Difabike grows even further with new breakthroughs,” said Triyono, CEO of Difabike.

KINETIK NEX is an initiative delivered by New Energy Nexus in collaboration with KINETIK, the Australia-Indonesia Climate, Renewable Energy and Infrastructure Partnership. It is a flagship program aimed at growing Indonesia’s green economy and accelerating energy transition.

Through KINETIK NEX, this partnership promotes inclusive growth by supporting clean energy and climate technology startups in Indonesia. The program empowers local innovators, creates green jobs, and encourages climate solutions beyond major urban centers. It supports bold ideas for a prosperous Indonesia and a thriving planet.

New Energy Nexus is a global accelerator and funding ecosystem that supports clean energy entrepreneurs from early-stage technologies to deployment and adoption. In Indonesia, New Energy Nexus works to strengthen an ecosystem that supports innovators, startups, entrepreneurs, and stakeholders in the clean energy and climate solutions sector.