Donald Wihardja: From Business Intelligence to Engineer the Tech Investment Ecosystem in Indonesia

This article is a part of DailySocial’s Mastermind Series, featuring innovators and leaders in Indonesia’s tech industry sharing their stories and point of view.

Donald Wihardja has more than 20 years of experience in applying technology for various industries, from telco to banking to web startup, as a manager, advisor, consultant, investment manager, and entrepreneur in Indonesia. He believes in order to engineer the tech investment ecosystem, one must have enough knowledge and experience in doing tech business.

He started the journey with a misstep. He left Silicon Valley in 1995 believing Indonesia was ready to experience a tech boom, which eventually he realized that it was still a long way to go from that moment to this stage we are now. However, he managed to pull the trigger and made his way into the tech industry in Indonesia.

Donald has expertise in data warehouses or what we now call big data. He is capable of using data to keep track of business performance and make intelligent strategic decisions. He learned how to use technology to transform business. That's the beginning of his shifting career path from electrical engineering computer scientist to a business consultant more than a tech consultant in terms of programming.

He entered the investment industry through a Private Equity (PE) company and learned enough to finally quit and started his own Venture Capital (VC), Convergence, with Adrian Li. Over five years of being a VC's partner, he discovered an opportunity to channel his investment style. It is through MDI Venture, where his concern will not only lie in multiplying the company's money but also creating opportunities for business synergy under the Telkom Group.

DailySocial had an opportunity to interview Donald who was at that time actually on sabbatical and currently staying in the States to discuss Indonesia's tech investment ecosystem. He shared a lot of his thoughts on how to create a better environment in our country's tech industry through the paragraphs below.