How a factory worker’s son turned Tokopedia into a giant (infographic)

With a US$1.1 billion funding round, Tokopedia has cemented its position as Indonesia’s most valuable startup. Now, it’s setting its sights beyond ecommerce.

Tokopedia co-founder and CEO William Tanuwijaya likens his company to a “magic Doraemon pocket” – referring to the Japanese manga series that’s popular throughout Asia – through which consumers can get anything they want, anywhere they are at an instant. After nine years catering to online consumers, the next step is to go offline.

“Imagine if we can give this ‘magic Doraemon pocket’ to offline businesses – small kiosks, mom-and-pop stores, farmers, fishermen, local makers – and enable them to improve their margins, restock their inventories faster, get access to financial services and capital, and increase their distribution efficiency,” Tanuwijaya said in an email.

“If we can do all of that, we will be one step closer to our mission to democratize commerce – both online and offline – through technology,” he added.

As the company celebrates its ninth anniversary, here’s a look back at the Tokopedia story – from its founder’s humble beginnings in a North Sumatra town to the SoftBank- and Alibaba-backed behemoth it has become.