Muhamad Randi Ritvaldi

Founder.
Engineer.
AI-Powered.

I founded Synapsis.Id — Indonesia's leading IoT solutions provider. Today I'm harnessing the power of AI to build smarter products, sharper teams, and a more intelligent future for technology companies.

Muhamad Randi Ritvaldi — Founder & CEO, Synapsis.Id
Role Founder & CEO — Synapsis.Id
Focus AI · IoT · Leadership
Education MSc Manchester · S1 UGM
Based In Jakarta, Indonesia
01 About

Building companies, leading teams, and thinking with AI.

An IoT engineer-turned-founder based in Jakarta, Indonesia. I hold a Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering (Control Systems) from Universitas Gadjah Mada and a Master of Science in Communication Engineering from the University of Manchester.

I am the Founder of Synapsis.Id, which I built from the hardware bench — writing firmware, wiring sensors, designing IoT devices — before scaling it into one of Indonesia's most recognised IoT solution providers. My expertise spans the full stack: embedded hardware, cloud connectivity, and end-to-end IoT framework architecture from physical measurement to user interface.

Today, I'm applying the lens of Artificial Intelligence to how I build, manage, and lead. I also write, speak, and engage on management, leadership, and entrepreneurship, drawing from over six years of building and running a tech company from scratch.

Founder Mindset
IoT Architecture
AI-Powered Building
People Leadership
Continuous Learning
02

Experience

Jan 2020 — Present Founder

Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Synapsis.Id (PT Synapsis Sinergi Digital) · Jakarta, Indonesia

Founded Synapsis.Id and have led it as CEO since January 2020 — growing it from an early-stage IoT hardware venture into Indonesia's leading IoT solutions provider.

  • Built the company from the ground up — from hardware design to a full-service digital transformation provider
  • Defined product strategy, technology roadmap, and go-to-market positioning
  • Built and led cross-functional teams across hardware, software, and business development
  • Established Synapsis as the leading IoT provider in Indonesia
  • Currently integrating AI capabilities into the company's product and operations strategy
Company FoundingIoT StrategyP&L OwnershipTeam BuildingAI Integration
May 2019 — Jan 2020 9 months

Hardware Engineer

Synapsis.Id · Greater Jakarta Area, Indonesia

The founding engineer at Synapsis — hands-on with every layer of the IoT stack before transitioning to the CEO role. This ground-level technical experience directly informs how I lead engineering direction today.

  • Designed and built IoT hardware modules for sensor data acquisition and cloud transmission
  • Developed full-scale IoT frameworks from physical measurement to user interface
  • Programmed embedded systems in C, C++, and Python
C / C++PythonEmbedded SystemsIoT HardwareSensor Integration
Apr 2017 — Apr 2019 2 years 1 month

Co-Founder

Beehive Drones · Manchester, United Kingdom

Co-founded Beehive Drones during my MSc at the University of Manchester — an IoT-based swarm drone platform for precision agriculture, designed to address global food security through cooperative UAV systems accessible via mobile app.

  • Microsoft Imagine Cup 2018 — Indonesia National Winner — selected from 5 national finalists, winning 10,000,000 IDR
  • Asia Pacific Finalist — represented Indonesia at APAC Finals, Kuala Lumpur (April 2018), competing against 15 teams from 8 countries
  • World Finals, Redmond WA — one of 49 teams from 33 countries at the 16th Imagine Cup World Finals at Microsoft HQ
  • Won Research Category at Venture Out 2017, University of Manchester
  • Grew into a multi-sector UAV provider: agriculture, forestry, mining, construction
Co-FoundingUAV SystemsIoT IntegrationImagine Cup World Finalist
Sep 2015 — Oct 2015 2 months

Engineering Intern

Pasifik Satelit Nusantara (PSN) · Cikarang, West Java, Indonesia

Contributed to satellite communications infrastructure at PSN's Ground Segment Department, working on systems that connect Indonesia's remote regions.

  • Worked on NOAA-19 satellite ground segment infrastructure
  • Encoded and processed Automatic Picture Transmission (APT) signals
Satellite CommsNOAA-19APT Signal Processing
03

Synapsis.Id

PT Synapsis Sinergi Digital is Indonesia's leading end-to-end IoT solutions provider, founded in 2019 and headquartered in East Jakarta. We support partners across industries in solving operational challenges with advanced, reliable Internet of Things technology — from requirements analysis and hardware design, to prototyping, manufacturing, and full installation.

Our flagship product, Nearon, is a locally-manufactured IoT gateway and node platform that consolidates data from multiple sensors into a single real-time dashboard — with instant alerts via Email, WhatsApp, and Telegram. Nearon is TKDN-certified, supporting Indonesia's national industrial development agenda.

Visit synapsis.id →
2019 Founded
51–100 Employees
10+ Industries
2 Offices
Flagship Product

Nearon IoT Platform

The technological core that connects all Synapsis solutions — integrating sensors, gateways, and dashboards into one unified system that captures real-time data. Modular, scalable, and built for Indonesian industry.

⚡ Real-time Data 🔗 Open API 📡 Scalable 🇮🇩 TKDN Certified

Solutions Powered by Nearon IoT

🚘 Driver Monitoring System Detects driver fatigue and tracks operator behaviour in real time to prevent accidents and maintain route compliance.
🦺 PPE Detection AI-powered identification of helmets, vests, and gloves across work sites — with instant alerts and visual documentation.
📍 NearFind — GPS Tracking Enterprise-grade asset tracking for industrial and logistics operations — full visibility over critical assets, anywhere.
👥 People Counting AI-driven occupancy tracking via CCTV to optimise energy usage and improve building space utilisation.
🎯 Face Recognition Real-time facial identification through CCTV integration for facility security and unauthorised access prevention.
🖥️ Data Center Monitoring Environmental monitoring for reliable, real-time oversight of data center conditions and infrastructure health.
☀️ Nearon Solar Mast Solar-powered portable surveillance platform built for mining sites and remote operations with no grid dependency.
04

Skills & Recognition

Technical Skills

C / C++
Python
IoT System Architecture
Embedded Hardware Design
AI Tools & LLM Applications
PLC & SCADA Systems

Languages

IndonesianNative
EnglishProfessional
JapaneseElementary

Certification

PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) & SCADA Training

Honours & Awards

1st
1st Winner — National Rocket Competition Rocket Payload Category (Team)
2nd
2nd Winner — National Rocket Competition Rocket Payload Category (Team)
🥉
Bronze Medal — National Science Week XVIII Entrepreneurship Category (Team)
🇯🇵
Japan-Asia Youth Research Exchange Program Awardee in Science · Shizuoka University, Japan
🏆
Venture Out 2017 — Research Category Winner University of Manchester · Beehive Drones
05

Education

UoM

University of Manchester

Master of Science — Communication Engineering

2017 – 2018 · Manchester, United Kingdom

Postgraduate research in communication engineering. During this period, co-founded Beehive Drones — winning the Indonesia national Imagine Cup, advancing to APAC Finals, and representing Indonesia at the World Finals in Redmond, Washington.

Microsoft Imagine Cup 2018 — Indonesia Winner → APAC Finalist → World Finals (Redmond)
UGM

Universitas Gadjah Mada

Bachelor's Degree — Electrical Engineering, Control Systems

2012 – 2016 · Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Majored in Control System Engineering at one of Indonesia's premier engineering faculties. Competed in multiple national science and technology competitions throughout undergraduate years.

Invited Speaker — Studio Generale JTETI UGM, March 2025 · "Membangun Jiwa Kepemimpinan untuk Sukses Berwirausaha"
SMA

SMA Negeri 48 Jakarta

High School — Science

2009 – 2012 · Jakarta, Indonesia

06 AI

Using AI as leverage — to build faster, decide sharper, and lead better.

Coming from a background of making machines communicate through IoT, I see Artificial Intelligence as the next frontier: making those systems not just transmit data, but reason, predict, and act. The convergence of IoT infrastructure with intelligent AI agents is what I believe will define the next wave of industrial technology in Indonesia and beyond.

But my AI interest goes beyond the technical. I'm actively exploring how AI reshapes leadership and management — from AI-augmented decision-making and automated workflows, to how founders can use LLMs as a thinking partner to move faster and scale more intelligently.

🤖
LLMs & Agentic AI Exploring how language models automate complex workflows and act as intelligent business agents
🔗
AI × IoT Convergence Integrating AI decision layers on top of IoT sensor infrastructure to build truly autonomous systems
AI-Powered Operations Using AI tools to make teams, products, and company decisions faster and more data-driven
07 Leadership

Leadership isn't a title — it's a practice.

Over six years of building Synapsis from scratch, I've learned that technology solves problems, but people build companies. The hardest and most important part of founding a company isn't the product — it's creating a team with shared vision, the resilience to push through uncertainty, and the culture to keep improving.

I write and speak about the management and leadership lessons I've gathered as a founder: from navigating the chaos of early-stage startups to building structured teams as a company scales. My framework is grounded in five pillars that I believe define effective entrepreneurial leaders.

01Visionary ThinkingRecognising market opportunities and adapting ahead of technological change
02Risk ManagementMaking strategic decisions under uncertainty without being paralysed by it
03Innovation MindsetThinking unconventionally to find solutions others don't see
04Resource ManagementGetting the most from people, capital, and time — especially when all three are scarce
05ResilienceThe mental toughness to keep building when things don't go as planned
Randi Ritvaldi speaking at UGM Studio Generale 2025
Studio Generale JTETI UGM 2025 Studio Generale JTETI UGM 2025
Speaker 13 March 2025 · Yogyakarta

"Membangun Jiwa Kepemimpinan untuk Sukses Berwirausaha"

Studio Generale — Dept. of Electrical Engineering & Information Technology, Universitas Gadjah Mada

"Bangun jaringan, terus belajar, dan miliki pola pikir pertumbuhan — tiga hal yang akan membawa Anda lebih jauh dari sekadar gelar atau skill teknis." — Muhamad Randi Ritvaldi
Read full article →
08

Beyond Work

Golf Enthusiast & Brand Ambassador

Break 80 Challenge

12 courses · 12 months · with @asiagolfindonesia

Documenting the pursuit of breaking 80 across 12 different courses in Indonesia over 12 months. For me, golf is more than a sport — it's a space for meaningful conversations, strategic thinking, and building the kind of relationships that matter.

@golfforwork

Brand Ambassador

Tour Edge Golf
Indi Golf
Bettinardi Golf
Vice Golf
Greg Norman Collection
✍️
International Publications

As an independent analyst on Indonesian politics and society, I contribute to international publications — bringing an on-the-ground perspective on Indonesian elections, Islamic political dynamics, and governance.

🎤

Speaker & Mentor

Invited guest speaker at Universitas Gadjah Mada's Studio Generale (JTETI Department, March 2025), sharing lessons from building Synapsis with the next generation of engineers — on vision, resilience, risk, and what it actually takes to become an entrepreneurial leader.

09

Let's Connect

Whether you're exploring IoT or AI solutions, looking for a collaboration, want to talk leadership, or just need a golf partner in Jakarta — reach out.