William Tanuwijaya
William Tanuwijaya is an Indonesian entrepreneur who co-founded the e-commerce platform TokopediaTokopediaTokopedia (PT Tokopedia) is an Indonesian e-commerce platform founded in 2009 by William Tanuwijaya and Leontinus Alpha Edison; it merged with Gojek to form GoTo Group in 2021 and since 2024 has been combined with TikTok Shop Indonesia under 75.01% TikTok ownership.Open the full entry with Leontinus Alpha EdisonLeontinus Alpha EdisonLeontinus Alpha Edison is an Indonesian entrepreneur and government official who co-founded the e-commerce platform Tokopedia with William Tanuwijaya in 2009 and since January 2025 has served as Deputy for Community Economic Empowerment and Migrant Worker Protection at Indonesia’s Coordinating Ministry for Community Empowerment (Kemenko PM).Open the full entry in 2009 and long served as its chief executive; after Tokopedia merged with Gojek to form GoTo Group in 2021, he focused on his role as a GoTo commissioner from 2023.
Contents9 sections
Key facts
Before 2009Early Life and Education
William Tanuwijaya was born and raised in Pematangsiantar, North Sumatra, and after high school took a four-day, three-night voyage from Belawan to study in Jakarta, his first time leaving North Sumatra. When his father fell ill in his second year, he took a night shift at a 24-hour internet café near campus, which for three years gave him free internet access 12 hours a day.[1]
He comes from a humble family, and his mother was a stay-at-home mother; he holds a bachelor’s degree in information technology from Bina Nusantara University, his first job was as an internet café operator, and he has called himself an “entrepreneur by necessity”.[2]
2007–2009Raising Money for Tokopedia
In his early twenties he set out to democratize e-commerce, but investors questioned his background, and one advised him: “Please stop daydreaming; find something more realistic to do.” He calls himself “a graduate from internet cafe”. After launching Tokopedia in 2009, he and co-founder Leontinus Alpha Edison secured seed funding from the Indonesian investment firm PT Indonusa Dwitama.[3]
March 2016Young Global Leader
In March 2016, as CEO of Tokopedia and founder and chair of the supervisory board of the Indonesian E-Commerce Association (idEA), he was named a 2016 Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, the only leader from Indonesia.[4]
November 2019EY Entrepreneur of the Year
In November 2019 he won the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2019 award, beating six other finalists, and was to represent Indonesia at the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year event in Monte Carlo, Monaco, in June 2020.[5]
May 2021Remains Tokopedia CEO After GoTo Merger
After GoTo Group was formed in May 2021, he remained CEO of Tokopedia.[6]
February 2023Focus on GoTo Commissioner Role
On February 8, 2023, GoTo announced a shift from founder-led to professional management, under which he, as a commissioner, would focus more on that role.[7]
June 2023Remains GoTo Commissioner After AGM
After GoTo’s 2023 annual general meeting reshuffled its management, with Patrick Walujo becoming president director (Direktur Utama), he remained listed among the company’s commissioners.[8]
Related Organizations, Websites, and Public Accounts
Tokopedia: Official website: https://www.tokopedia.com/ (opens in a new window)[9]
GoTo: Official website: https://www.gotocompany.com/ (opens in a new window)[10]
Sources
- Semangat bambu runcing di era digital (opens in a new window)
- S2 Episode 6: William and Patrick of Tokopedia: from Selling T-Shirts to Driving 1.5% of Indonesia's GDP (opens in a new window)
- Investors said he was not 'born special'. He later became the CEO of a multibillion-dollar start-up (opens in a new window)
- Bos Tokopedia terpilih jadi Young Global Leaders 2016 (opens in a new window)
- Bos Tokopedia William Tanuwijaya raih EY Entrepreneur of The Year 2019 (opens in a new window)
- Gojek and Tokopedia merge to form GoTo Group (opens in a new window)
- Struktur baru GOTO bisa jadi acuan startup untuk kejar profitabilitas (opens in a new window)
- GoTo ubah susunan kepengurusan perseroan pasca RUPST 2023 (opens in a new window)
- Cari apa pun diTokopedia (opens in a new window)
- GoTo and TikTok Announce Transaction Completion, Formalizing Strategic Partnership for Indonesia (opens in a new window)