UMN Students Win EMC Business Pitching Competition, Secure Trip to Japan with Musashino University

Foto bersama mahasiswa UMN dan mahasiswa Musashino (Dok. UMN)

TANGERANG– On the 11th of September 2025, Universitas Multimedia Nusantara (UMN) welcomed Musashino University students and Professor Tatsuya Tsubuki to the UMN campus to provide potential collaboration ideas. In addition to the meet, the EMC Business Pitching Competition was conducted, where UMN and Musashino students presented their business ideas.

Musashino students started the presentation, and they shared interesting business ideas such as “DIGME: Bridging Education Gaps,” “Nomad Nest: Redefining Remote Living,” “Savy: Personal Finance Management,” and “AriPlan AI: Empowering Farmers with Technology.” All the business ideas aim to solve problems and improve the lives of Indonesians.

After the Musashino students’ presentation, the UMN students who made it as finalists and their business ideas are: 

• Grace Emmanuela (Animation and Game MNP 2023) with the idea “Nippon VR Journey”
• Celine Angelina and Kiranya Naddakalila (Film and Animation UMN 2024) with the idea “Solare”

• Gracesialla Ho (VCD UMN 2023) with the idea “Nihon Navi”

• Albert Richard Dammara (Information Systems UMN 2021) with the idea “O-Link”

• Ethan Nathaniel Zhong (VCD UMN 2023) and Ivana Novaria (VCD UMN 2024) with the idea “Kizuna Quest”
• Eleazar Andrew Kurniawan (Management UMN 2023) with the idea “Takara House” 

The winners of the EMC Business Pitching Competition, Ethan Nathaniel Zhong and Ivana Novania, will embark on a one-week trip to Japan sponsored by Entrepreneurship Musashino Campus (EMC). During their trip, they will participate in various activities. Their winning business idea, “Kizuna Quest,” is an immersive anime experience. The team explained that while Japan has a strong tourism industry, there is a limited number of immersive, interactive experiences, which are increasingly sought after by modern visitors.

“Kizuna’s Quest is a game that allows users to experience an escape room with anime and RPG elements. So, it gives off a wonderful kind of experience,” Ethan explained. He and Ivana then explained their business idea further. 

Kizuna’s Quest combines two main markets: Japanese cultural enthusiasm and anime fans. The business idea aims to provide an immersive and memorable experience that will strengthen their emotional connection, encourage repeat visits, and promote positive word-of-mouth marketing. The team targets three main groups: primary (anime fans, gamers, and young travelers), secondary (students and young professionals), and third (families with children).

The business idea uses AR technology, seasonal quests, and a one-of-a-kind immersive experience. To play the game, players choose the anime theme and take on any character they want. After selecting the character, players enter a story where they must complete missions, explore, and play together with their friends.

For the AR feature, each group of participants will be given one mobile device to scan for hidden quests and clues. They want to partner with museums, local governments, and travel agencies. The game is a worldwide market where not only Indonesians or Japanese can play, but anyone from anywhere worldwide who visits Japan can play. 

“For example, if you choose Conan as your character, you must act like Conan to be able to solve the mystery. But remember, you need to complete the mission before time runs out. This way, we keep the game immersive and fun,” Ivana said. She also said the game has a mobile website where users can purchase tickets directly or online.

Their business’s value proposition is providing customers with a one-of-a-kind immersive escape room game experience, and the location will be in Ikebukuro. The annual operational expense would be around 30 million yen for their first year of net profit and 33 million yen with a cumulative return of investment of 303% in the span of three years.

After the presentations, a Q&A session was conducted, during which presenters and the judge could ask questions and provide feedback to improve the idea. The EMC Business Pitching Competition showcased bold, practical solutions from UMN and Musashino students, with “Kizuna Quest” winning for its immersive anime-themed experience. More than a contest, it affirmed the power of cross-border collaboration to turn diverse ideas into scalable, real-world innovation.

By Levina Chrestella Theodora | UMN News Service

English translation by Levina Chrestella Theodora

Kuliah di Jakarta untuk jurusan program studi Informatika| Sistem Informasi | Teknik Komputer | Teknik Elektro | Teknik Fisika | Akuntansi | Manajemen| Komunikasi Strategis | Jurnalistik | Desain Komunikasi Visual | Film dan Animasi | Arsitektur | D3 Perhotelan , di Universitas Multimedia Nusantara.