The Indonesian National Committee of Sharia Economics and Finance (Komite Nasional Ekonomi dan Keuangan Syariah or KNEKS), together with the Department of Economy and Shariah Finance at Bank Indonesia (DEKS), have held a Halal Startup Demo Day (HSDD) as part of Indonesia Shariah Economic Festival (ISEF) 2025. ISEF is Indonesia's largest annual shari'ah economic and financial event.
Themed Dare to Jumpstart Halal Industry With Ambition, HSDD 2025 brought 20 halal industry startups, investors, mentors, and stakeholders together.
Rp21 B has been set aside for selected startups. Potential business partners and committed investors include the Indonesian Muslim Entrepreneur Community (Komunitas Pengusaha Muslim Indonesia or KPMI), the Gaido Group, Equitree, PUM Netherlands, the Rahmania Foundation, HASAN Venture Capital, BTPN Syariah Venture Capital, and LBS Urun Dana. Other participants included the Indonesian Fintech Association (AFSI), the Venture Capital Association for Indonesian Startups (AMVESINDO), Gobi Partner, and World Startup.
"On behalf of Bank Indonesia, we express our highest appreciation and appreciation to the KNEKS and all parties participating in the implementation of this activity—from the organising partners, supporting institutions, to startups that today will showcase their work and innovation in the halal industry sector," said Yono, Deputy Director of Economics and Finance of Sharia at Bank Indonesia in a statement in Bahasa Indonesia*.
“In line with the great vision of Asta Cita Indonesia, Bank Indonesia is committed through this activity to supporting the acceleration of the national halal startup ecosystem in order to cement Indonesia as the world’s halal industry hub through matching innovators with investors, and opening wider access to Islamic financing. This activity is also a platform to strengthen the halal value chain and nurture superior startups that are ready to compete globally.”
“The Ministry of Industry is committed to supporting the growth of technology startups in the industry through the Startup for Industry programme. This programme is a forum for coaching and acceleration for startups to collaborate with the industrial sector, present technology-based solutions, and strengthen the national supply chain," said Dini Hangandari, Director of IKM, LMEA, Ministry of Industry.
The 20 startups came from a variety of sectors, including food and beverage, fashion, health, shari'ah finance, Muslim-friendly tourism, renewable energy, as well as media and recreation.
The Director of Business and Entrepreneurship of Sharia at KNEKS, Putu Rahwidiyasa, said that HSDD 2025 is an important part of KNEKS' commitment in driving the growth of the innovation-based sharia economy. “We want to help startups be ready to compete in the domestic and global markets by taking advantage of funding opportunities and a wider network,” he said.
HSDD 2025 is here to address the obstacles faced by many startups in obtaining adequate access to funding, networking, and business assistance. Through this activity, startups are expected to gain access to funding, guidance from experienced mentors, and expand the network with investors, buyers, and strategic partners. The programme also provides mentoring through the development of pitch decks.
Wahyu Wicaksono, Director of Applications, Ministry of Creative Economy, Indonesia, shared that the development of halal-based creative economic startups has been prioritised. "Through digital technology and creativity, startups can deliver halal products and services that are more inclusive, competitive, and have a broad economic impact,” he said.
“Continuous collaboration between stakeholders — governments, financial institutions, investors, academia, and the entrepreneurial community. The hope is that this activity will give birth to a generation of halal startups that are innovative, competitive, and make a real contribution to the progress of the nation," said imbuh Irwansyah, Asdep Incubation And Digitalization of Entrepreneurial Deputy for Entrepreneurship, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium sized Enterprises (MSMEs).
"HSDD 2025 is expected to be a strategic meeting point that strengthens the synergy between stakeholders and opens up greater opportunities for halal startups in Indonesia," Putu added.
The Indonesia International Modest Fashion Festival (IN2MOTIONFEST) 2025, also part of ISEF 2025, showcased 1,785 modest fashion works, highlighting the richness of Indonesian wastra***.
Organised by the Indonesian Fashion Chamber (IFC) together with Bank Indonesia, IN2MOTIONFEST is committed to optimising the use of Indonesia's rich cultural diversity and wastra in sustainable modest fashion products. This approach aligns with the implementation of a green economy within the Indonesian modest fashion industry, positioning it as a strong player in the global market.
Themed One Vision, One Movement: Advancing Indonesia Modest Fashion Through Synergy & Collaboration the event emphasised collective action, cross-sector collaboration, and synergy among industry players to enable Indonesia's modest fashion to dominate the domestic market and compete globally.
A wide variety of wastra from across Indonesia—including batik, songket, ikat weaving, ATBM (non-machine weaving), lurik, tapis, sasirangan, jumputan (tie-dye), embroidery, knits, and ecoprints—were showcased in diverse modest fashion styles. These pieces were designed by members of IKRA (Indonesia Sharia Creative Industry), fashion brands, MSMEs, and fashion school students.
 |
| Source: IFC. The Grand Finale on Opening Day at IN2MOTIONFEST 2025. Models wearing Khanaan fashion. |
IN2MOTIONFEST 2025 featured a fashion show and trade exhibition, presented modest fashion collections from 214 designers and brands, both local and international, along with 100 wastra artisans participating in the Wastra Business Matching programme. This year, IN2MOTIONFEST collaborated with 11 international designers from Thailand, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Malaysia, Turkey, Italy, Spain, Australia, and the UAE (Dubai).
Explore
View catwalk videos from the at https://www.instagram.com/in2motionfest/?hl=en
*Parts of this content came from an e-translated press release and may be inaccurate as a result.
**Asta Cita refers to the eight aspirations conceived by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto towards achieving the vision of a Golden Indonesia in 2045. The aspirations cover welfare, economic resilience, food and energy sovereignty, education and human resource development, and strong national defence.
***Wastra refers to traditional Indonesian textiles, such as batik and tenun ikat, which come with a rich cultural heritage, and are associated with complex symbolism and quality craftsmanship.