Press Release – 26 June 2025
Bali, Indonesia – Terratai, Asia’s first venture builder for nature, is proud to announce its investment in HANDEP—short for Handmade Ethical Products—a pioneering social enterprise and sustainable fashion brand working to build nature-positive village economies alongside Indigenous Dayak communities in Central Kalimantan.
Founded in 2019 by Randi Julian Miranda and Aini Abdul, HANDEP places traditional rattan weaving at the centre of an ambitious and passion driven fashion brand, driven by female artisans, that empowers women, preserves cultural heritage, and provides strong financial incentives to protect, manage and restore customary forests.
Terratai’s investment in HANDEP is grounded in a shared belief that sustainably harvested rattan—an abundant, regenerative non-timber forest product—can serve as a commercially viable and ecologically sound model for forest protection. Rattan flourishes in healthy rainforest ecosystems, and by strengthening demand for this resource, and the traditional systems of knowledge that underpin its management and utilisation, HANDEP incentivises communities to sustainably manage and safeguard their forest. HANDEP’s current sourcing model strengthens ecological stewardship across an estimated 30,000 hectares of biodiverse lowland rainforest in Kalimantan, one of the most ecologically important regions on the planet.
Terratai’s investment in HANDEP is enabled by Investing in Women, an initiative of the Australian Government designed to catalyse inclusive economic growth through women’s economic empowerment in Southeast Asia. This unique collaboration is designed to sustainably scale HANDEP’s operations, deepen its positive nature impact, and strengthen the role of women as forest stewards and economic leaders.
“HANDEP stands out as the company with the strongest gender impact in our pipeline to date, with strong representation of women in the leadership and ownership. HANDEP demonstrates how a business can forge meaningful partnerships with indigenous women to cultivate a regenerative rural economy grounded in forest conservation. We are excited to help scale their impact.” said Yuni Choi, Co-founder and Head of Investments at Terratai.
Randi Julian Miranda, CEO and Founder of HANDEP, shared his vision for the collaboration: “At HANDEP, we believe that sustainable development must be inclusive, and that begins by centering the knowledge, skills and leadership of indigenous women. Dayak women are forest stewards, knowledge holders, and community leaders. By investing in their potential, we create long-term value for both people and planet. Support from Terratai and Investing in Women comes at a pivotal stage in our journey. They bring not only capital, but also a shared commitment to climate resilience, women’s economic empowerment, and regenerative business. With their backing, we hope to be able to scale our impact while staying rooted in our values.”
“Investing in Women is proud to be partnering with Terratai to increase investment in companies like HANDEP, which positions women as central to both protecting Indonesia’s biodiversity and providing livelihoods for their families and communities. We look forward to seeing how this investment supports HANDEP’s sustainable business growth.” said Hannah Birdsey, CEO of Investing in Women.
Together, HANDEP and Terratai are excited to demonstrate that investing in nature, and investing in women led businesses, can create the foundation for a more inclusive, resilient, and regenerative future for Central Kalimantan and beyond.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Aini Abdul
Co-founder & Chief Community Officer – HANDEP
aini@handep.co
+62 812 5388 1385
Naimmah Nur Aini
Communication & Engagement Officer – Terratai
naimmah@terratai.com
+62 856 414 88 333
About HANDEP:
Established in 2019, HANDEP is a social enterprise and sustainable brand that works with indigenous communities to create a sustainable village economy. Through Rattan, HANDEP craft exquisite, high-end products such as bags and accessories, preserve the cultural heritage and the Borneo rainforest while empowering village economy. The name HANDEP is borrowed from the Dayak Ngaju dialect, which as a whole means the spirit of working together and helping each other as a family or community. Its mission is to help indigenous Dayak people in Central Kalimantan nurture and add value to their local resources while preserving their cultural heritage and the rainforests they depend on. HANDEP is women-led business with a strong focus on empowering female artisans.
About Terratai:
Terratai is Asia’s first venture builder for nature, focused on early-stage businesses delivering nature-based solutions. Established with the aim of addressing the shortfall in early-stage funding for nature-centric enterprises, Terratai is dedicated to amplifying and expanding impactful endeavours that tackle systemic hurdles within the realms of biodiversity loss. The organization offers impact orientated businesses support by providing financial solutions, NBS technical expertise and business development.
About Investing in Women:
Investing in Women (IW) is an initiative of the Australian government focused on advancing the economic empowerment of women in Southeast Asia. By promoting equal opportunities in the private sector, this initiative aims to foster inclusive and sustainable economic growth in Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar, and Vietnam. Our goal is to support women in thriving in the workplace and achieving success in their businesses.
