ESB Gains International Recognition, Named in Forbes Asia 100 To Watch 2025

Jakarta, August 25, 2025 – PT Esensi Solusi Buana (ESB), an Indonesia-based SaaS technology platform company that delivers integrated digital solutions for the Food & Beverage (F&B) industry, has been selected in the Enterprise Technology & Robotics category of the prestigious Forbes Asia 100 To Watch 2025 list.

This list spotlights emerging companies in the Asia-Pacific region considered the most promising, innovative, and impactful in driving industry transformation.

From Local Startup to Global Spotlight

Founded in 2018 by Gunawan Woen and his co-founders, ESB was born out of a simple mission: helping culinary entrepreneurs—from MSMEs to international chains—manage their businesses more efficiently so they can grow sustainably and remain competitive.

In just seven years, ESB has rapidly grown into Indonesia’s leading F&B technology provider, achieving:

• 30,000+ active merchants, including global brands such as Starbucks and Genki Sushi
• 500 million+ transactions recorded
• IDR 65 trillion+ in transaction value processed through ESB systems.

What began as a digital cashier (Point-of-Sale) system has now evolved into a comprehensive ecosystem that includes:

• POS (Point of Sale) to accelerate and streamline transactions
• ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) to connect inventory, production, and financial reporting
• ESB Order to support self-ordering via QR Menu and online ordering
• OLIN, an intelligent AI assistant that helps business owners track trends, analyze reports, and predict demand with high accuracy.

Recognition from Forbes

In its report, Forbes emphasized that ESB’s success is not only measured by product innovation but also by its ability to deliver tangible impact to thousands of culinary entrepreneurs.

ESB has been recognized as a game-changer driving digitalization in the F&B sector—one of Indonesia’s largest and most dynamic industries.

Forbes also highlighted that ESB has raised nearly USD 40 million in funding, including USD 29 million in a Series B round in 2022 from leading investors such as Alpha JWC Ventures.

This further strengthens ESB’s position to expand, innovate, and bring Indonesian-made digital solutions onto the Asian stage.

Forbes Asia 100 To Watch Selection Methodology

Source: ESB

The selection process for the Forbes Asia 100 To Watch list is rigorous and involves multiple stages:

• Forbes Asia opened online submissions and accepted nominations from incubators, accelerators, universities, and venture capital investors.
• Companies considered must be headquartered in Asia-Pacific, be private for-profit ventures, with annual revenue not exceeding USD 50 million and total funding not exceeding USD 100 million as of August 15, 2025.
• The Forbes editorial team evaluated each entry based on several factors, including:
  • Impact and contribution to the industry and region
  • Market fit and promising business model
  • Innovation
  • Consistent revenue growth track record
  • Ability to attract funding.

With such selective criteria, ESB’s inclusion in this list serves as a strong validation of its position and credibility as one of the most promising technology players in Asia.

CEO Statement

ESB CEO and co-founder Gunawan Woen stated:

“We are proud that an Indonesian innovation has earned international recognition through Forbes Asia 100 To Watch. From the very beginning, our vision has been simple: to help culinary businesses become more efficient, more transparent, and more profitable. This achievement motivates us to continue innovating and expanding our impact—not only in Indonesia but also across Southeast Asia.”

A Bold Mission: Digitalizing the Culinary Industry

Indonesia’s F&B industry is one of the main drivers of the national economy, with millions of entrepreneurs.

However, many still face persistent challenges: manual bookkeeping, disorganized inventory, and difficulties in tracking profit.

ESB offers the solution, delivering a system that is easy-to-use, cost-efficient, and fully integrated.

With the support of AI technology through OLIN, ESB can now even help business owners predict purchasing trends, minimize raw material waste, and design more targeted promotions.