Econella, a startup supported by the Directorate of Innovation and Science Techno Park (DISTP) at Universitas Indonesia (UI), has won first place in The Gade Sociopreneurship Challenge (TGSC) 2024. The competition, a collaboration between PT Pegadaian and the Indonesian Association of Islamic Economics Experts (IAEI), aims to encourage students to become sociopreneurs creating sustainable social impacts.
Econella outperformed thousands of participants from 104 universities across 23 provinces in Indonesia. The startup introduced an innovative product that utilizes clove leaf and citronella waste to create bio-additives. The product has undergone laboratory testing and obtained a Certificate of Analysis (CoA), demonstrating its quality meets established standards. Econella’s bio additive has proven to enhance diesel fuel efficiency by up to 25% while achieving an average decarbonization rate of 36%.
The Econella team comprises Camelia Putri (Faculty of Engineering), Imam Risky (Faculty of Economics and Business), and mentor Aldi Pratama Aji, S.Hum. (Faculty of Humanities) from DISTP UI.
Econella received a cash prize of IDR 30 million as a reward for their achievement. The Director of the UI Science Techno Park, Ir. Chairul Hudaya, S.T., M.Eng., Ph.D., IPM., expressed his pride in the team’s success. “UI is incredibly proud of Econella’s accomplishments as one of the startups supported by the UI Incubate program. DISTP UI consistently fosters the commercialization of UI innovations through funding support and various mentoring programs,” Chairul said.
“We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who contributed to this achievement, especially DISTP UI, which has served as our business incubator. We hope to see more startups nurtured by DISTP UI achieve similar success. We believe that with persistent effort and learning, extraordinary things can always be accomplished,” said Camelia on behalf of the team.
With their victory announced on Monday (2/12) at The Gade Tower Ballroom in Jakarta, Econella is expected to continue advancing its innovation and delivering more significant positive impacts to society and the environment. This achievement motivates UI and other young generations to drive innovation and social entrepreneurship that address global challenges while supporting sustainable development goals.
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Office of Public Communication
Faculty of Engineering Universitas Indonesia
