About
Starting from a spontaneous idea, Team Manifesteam FTEIC ITS won Third Place at GBPC 2026 with Axara, a digital solution for disabled talent.
Surabaya, FT-EIC ITS – Manifesteam, a team of four students from the Faculty of Intelligent Electrical and Informatics Technology (FTEIC) at Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS), achieved a proud accomplishment by securing Third Place in the Garuda Business Plan Competition (GBPC) 2026. This nationwide business plan competition was organized by Universitas Islam Sultan Agung (UNISSULA) in collaboration with Garuda and GRECO, under the theme “Break the Limits: Unleashing Creative and Innovative Business Ideas to Shape the Future Economy.”
The journey of Team Manifesteam began with the initiative of one of its members, Antoni, who had already conceived a business idea but lacked teammates to enter the competition. From this invitation, a team of four students was formed, who then worked together to develop the initial concept, ultimately earning them recognition at the national level.
In this competition, Manifesteam presented a business idea called Axara, an end-to-end digital platform designed to help persons with disabilities find employment while bridging the gap between companies and disabled talent. Beyond that, the platform was also positioned as a supporting tool for the government in implementing Law Number 8 of 2016 on Persons with Disabilities.
“This initial idea actually belonged to Antoni even before the team was formed. We simply refined it through several brainstorming sessions until it eventually developed into the end-to-end platform concept it is today,” said Akhtar, one of Team Manifesteam’s members, in an interview.
During the preparation process, the team’s greatest challenge lay not in developing the business concept, but in coordinating time among its members. In the midst of the semester break, the four team members each had different commitments—some were undergoing internships, while others lived far from the discussion location.
“The hardest part was finding a time that worked for all four of us to discuss together, especially since each of us had our own commitments during this break,” he explained.
He added that the team also experienced moments of doubt when entering the preliminary round, following the view held by some that the application of artificial intelligence in business was merely a gimmick. However, this doubt instead became a catalyst for the team to further strengthen their business concept in subsequent rounds.
During the presentation session before the panel of judges, Manifesteam adopted a concise and structured delivery strategy, with presentation materials containing only key points and supporting data, while the narrative explanation was fully mastered by each team member through their deep understanding of the business concept being presented.
Securing Third Place was an unexpected achievement for the team, given that GBPC 2026 was the first business plan competition they had ever entered.
“We really didn’t expect it at all, since this was the first time we joined a business plan competition. The decision to enter was actually quite spontaneous,” the team representative remarked.
Through the GBPC 2026 series, Team Manifesteam gained valuable lessons in business development, including understanding government regulations, identifying the problem to be solved, strategies for maintaining market competitiveness, determining the right target market, and creating product differentiation.
Looking ahead, Team Manifesteam hopes that the Axara business concept can be widely realized by various parties to help achieve equal rights for persons with disabilities in the workplace.
“We hope this business idea can be realized by anyone, not necessarily us, so it can help our disabled friends receive equal rights. To others out there, just give it a try. Whether you make it or not, think about that later—what matters most is maximizing the potential each of you has,” he concluded, closing the interview.