Winston Utomo: The Man Who Built IDN From a Small Apartment
From working at Google in Singapore to building one of Indonesia's major media and entertainment companies, his journey began with a simple website and a big idea.
Last Updated on October 14, 2026 by Fame Katha Editorial Team
Winston Utomo is an Indonesian entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of IDN, formerly known as IDN Media. He started the business with his younger brother, William Utomo, in June 2014.
It began with a website. Nothing fancy.
Today, IDN operates across news, entertainment, film, creator services, and live events. The company reaches millions of young Indonesians every month.
But his career started elsewhere. He worked in real estate, studied in the United States, and joined Google before deciding to build his own company.
So, how did he get here? His early life and career tell the story.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Winston Utomo |
| Date of Birth | 23 November 1990 |
| Age | 35 years old (October 2026) |
| Birthplace | Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia |
| Nationality | Indonesian |
| Profession | Entrepreneur, Business Executive |
| Famous For | Co-founding IDN and IDN Times |
| Current Position | Founder and CEO of IDN |
| High School | SMA Petra 1 Surabaya |
| Bachelor’s Degree | Bachelor of Science |
| Undergraduate University | University of Southern California |
| Master’s Degree | Master of Science |
| Postgraduate University | Columbia University |
| Former Employers | St. John Capital Group, Google |
| Brother | William Utomo |
| Wife | Alvina Utomo |
| Children | Two sons |
| Company Founded | 8 June 2014 |
| Major Recognition | Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2017 |
| Business Award | EY Entrepreneur of the Year Indonesia 2024 |
Growing Up in Surabaya
His story begins in Surabaya.
Born on 23 November 1990, he grew up in East Java, far from Jakarta’s busy corporate offices and startup community.
He was the older of two brothers.
His younger brother, William, later became his business partner. Together, they would build a company serving younger audiences across Indonesia.
During his childhood, Winston attended school in Surabaya. He later completed his high school education at SMA Petra 1.
His hometown influenced his thinking.
In an interview with Splice Media, he spoke about growing up outside Jakarta. He had seen how much of Indonesia’s business and media activity was concentrated in the capital.
That experience stayed with him.
Years later, his company would aim to make information accessible to people living across Indonesia, including those outside major cities.
Education and University Years
After high school, he moved overseas.
His first major stop was Los Angeles, where he attended the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business.
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree.
But university was only part of his education. Working abroad would give him a different kind of experience.
After working in San Francisco, he continued his studies at Columbia University in New York.
He completed a Master of Science degree, studying subjects connected to negotiation and conflict resolution.
His academic background is confirmed by Columbia University’s official alumni profile.
He was building business knowledge long before becoming a media founder.
And his first jobs weren’t in journalism.
First Jobs and Professional Experience
Before starting IDN, he worked in two very different industries.
His early career included a position at St. John Capital Group in San Francisco, where he worked as a project manager.
The job gave him exposure to the real estate and investment business.
He later moved to Singapore.
In February 2014, he joined Google as a senior account strategist, working in advertising.
This was an important period.
At Google, he gained experience with online advertising and technology companies. He also started thinking about the audience that existing Indonesian media outlets served.
He saw a possible gap.
Indonesia had a large young population, but he believed there was room for more content built around the interests of Millennials and Generation Z.
Instead of waiting, he started testing the idea.
The Night Everything Started
It was 2014.
Winston was working at Google in Singapore when he decided to create a website called Indonesian Times.
He had no formal background in running a news company.
Still, he went ahead.
According to his interview with Splice Media, he bought a domain, published ten short articles, and shared the site with friends using social platforms and messaging apps.
He worked through the night.
After finishing the website, he returned to his regular job.
Later that day, he checked the visitor statistics and found that hundreds of people had already visited.
That caught his attention.
A small personal project suddenly looked like something worth pursuing.
The company officially dates its founding to 8 June 2014.
In its official company history, IDN describes how the first website came together inside Winston’s small apartment.
It was a modest beginning.
There was no large newsroom. No established media brand. No guarantee anyone would keep reading.
Just an idea that people had started responding to.
Building a Company With His Brother
Running a website was one thing.
Building a business was harder.
Winston contacted his younger brother William, who was studying in Los Angeles and had been considering an investment banking career.
He wanted William to return home.
The brothers discussed the opportunity, and William eventually joined the business.
Their roles became clear.
Winston served as CEO, while William took on the position of COO.
But money was a serious problem.
For the first year, Winston continued working at Google while helping run the company. His salary supported the early operation and helped pay staff.
He travelled between Singapore and Surabaya.
The workload was heavy.
In his 2017 interview with Splice Media, he described long days at Google followed by late nights working on the website.
Sleep was limited.
The brothers kept working until they secured outside investment.
In 2015, East Ventures became an early investor. After receiving seed funding, Winston left Google to concentrate on the business.
His side project had become his full-time career.
From a News Website to a Media Company
The original website grew steadily.
But the brothers did not want to depend on a single publication.
They began adding services for different audiences, including entertainment readers, young women, parents, businesses, and online creators.
IDN Times remained a major part of the company.
Other brands followed.
Some were built internally. Others joined through acquisitions and business deals.
The company eventually moved into film production, gaming, creator management, and live entertainment.
Its business model changed along the way.
Advertising remained important, though the company also developed other revenue sources.
That expansion helped reduce its dependence on traditional online publishing.
In June 2024, IDN Media officially changed its brand name to IDN.
The shorter name reflected a much wider business.
Major Companies and Platforms
The company built or added several well-known Indonesian brands.
IDN Times
This is the publication that started the journey.
It covers news, current affairs, lifestyle topics, and entertainment. Its audience includes young people across Indonesia.
Popbela
Launched in February 2016, Popbela focuses on women’s lifestyle content.
Its coverage includes fashion, beauty, relationships, and everyday interests.
Popmama
Popmama launched in February 2018.
It provides parenting and family-related articles, including information for mothers and parents raising children.
FORTUNE Indonesia
The Indonesian edition of FORTUNE launched in August 2021.
It covers business, finance, entrepreneurs, and the economy.
IDN Pictures
This business produces films and entertainment projects.
Its launch in April 2020 marked another move beyond online articles.
Gaming and Entertainment
GGWP and Duniaku brought gaming, technology, and popular culture into the company’s business.
IDN also expanded into entertainment through its relationship with the Indonesian idol group JKT48.
Creator Services
ICE, MORF, and Saweria are among the businesses connected to IDN’s creator economy.
These services work with creators, commercial partnerships, and online monetisation.
Basically, the company grew by entering different parts of the entertainment and content business.
Funding and Business Growth
Expansion required outside capital.
The company received backing from venture capital firms and other investors across several funding rounds.
Important milestones include:
| Year | Business Development |
|---|---|
| 2014 | IDN Times founded |
| 2015 | Early investment from East Ventures |
| 2017 | Series B funding announced |
| 2019 | Series C funding led by EV Growth |
| 2022 | Series D investment announced |
| 2024 | IDN Media rebranded as IDN |
| 2025 | PAPION launched |
| 2026 | M Bloc Group acquired |
In June 2022, IDN announced a Series D funding round led by Mayapada Group and KMIF.
Other participating investors included East Ventures, OCBC NISP Ventura, Dentsu Group, and V Media Ventures.
The company planned to use the investment to support its products, technology, staff, partnerships, and expansion.
The precise amount raised in that round was not disclosed in the company’s announcement.
Business growth mattered. But so did earning revenue.
In interviews, Winston explained that attracting readers alone was not enough. A media business also needed customers willing to pay for its services.
That thinking influenced how the company expanded.
Awards and Business Recognition
His work has received recognition from international business organisations.
Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia
In 2017, Winston and his brother appeared on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list.
They were recognised in the Media, Marketing & Advertising category.
The award drew attention to the business they had built in Indonesia.
Forbes’ company profile records the brothers’ inclusion in the 2017 list.
EY Entrepreneur of the Year Indonesia
A major award followed in 2024.
On 12 November 2024, Winston and William received the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Indonesia title.
The ceremony took place at Hotel Mulia Senayan in Jakarta.
EY recognised their work in building IDN and expanding its business.
The brothers went on to represent Indonesia at the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year programme in Monaco in 2025.
The official EY announcement confirms their national award.
Most People-Focused CEO
In 2025, Winston received Gold in the Most People-Focused CEO category at the Human Resources Excellence Awards Indonesia.
The award recognised his approach to managing people and workplace culture.
The result appears in the organiser’s official winners list.
Leadership and Daily Work
His leadership approach has developed alongside the business.
He has spoken about the importance of discipline, employee welfare, and making decisions based on customer demand.
He prefers to stay involved.
In a July 2025 interview with FORTUNE Indonesia, he explained that his mornings usually began around 5 a.m.
He would drink espresso, read, and write before leaving for the office.
By around 7 a.m., he was already at work.
He also described keeping certain mornings free from meetings to concentrate on important tasks.
His approach is practical.
He believes leaders should set an example through their own behaviour, rather than simply telling employees what to do.
Another point matters to him.
The company needs to serve its readers, commercial clients, and employees.
Each group affects the business in a different way.
This helps explain why workplace culture has remained a subject in his public interviews.
Wife, Children and Personal Life
Away from work, he is a husband and father.
He is married to Alvina Utomo.
A 2023 FORTUNE Indonesia profile discussed his family life and mentioned his son Aramont.
A later profile, published in July 2025, reported that he and his wife had two sons, Aramont and Graewalt.
Family remains important to him.
He has spoken publicly about spending time with his children, wife, parents, and younger brother.
His relationship with William has also continued outside their professional roles.
They have worked together since the early days of IDN.
And while the brothers sometimes disagree on business matters, Winston has described mutual trust as an important part of their partnership.
He generally keeps much of his private life outside public reporting.
What Changed in 2025 and 2026?
The business continued to expand.
In August 2025, IDN launched PAPION, adding another project to its entertainment activities.
The following year brought a bigger move.
On 11 May 2026, IDN officially announced its acquisition of M Bloc Group.
The acquired network included M Bloc Space, Pos Bloc Jakarta, Pos Bloc Surabaya, Pos Bloc Medan, and Lokananta Bloc Solo.
These venues were brought together under the IDN Bloc business.
This marked a move into physical creative spaces where people attend events, enjoy entertainment, and take part in cultural activities.
It was different from publishing articles.
But it fitted the company’s wider plans.
In June 2026, Winston also spoke at Indonesia Summit 2026 in Jakarta.
He encouraged younger Indonesians to remain optimistic and take an active part in the country’s future.
As of October 2026, he continues to serve as IDN’s founder and CEO.
The company states that it reaches more than 70 million young Indonesians every month.
That figure comes from IDN’s own reporting.
Lessons From His Business Journey
His career offers several practical business lessons.
Start with what you have.
The first version of IDN Times was built without a large team or expensive equipment.
Check whether people want it.
Early website traffic helped show that readers were interested.
Keep the business financially healthy.
The company sought advertisers and paying clients while growing its audience.
Find people you trust.
His partnership with William supported the business from its early days.
Be ready to change.
IDN began in publishing but later entered film, entertainment, creator services, and cultural venues.
None of this meant the work was easy.
The early financial pressure was real. The brothers had to find investors and manage the cost of running a growing company.
Still, they kept building.
That long working relationship remains part of the company’s story.
Final Thought
Winston Utomo began with a small website in Singapore.
He was working full-time. Money was limited. His experience running a media company was almost nonexistent.
But people started reading.
That early response became the foundation for a business that grew well beyond news publishing.
His journey from Surabaya to Google and then IDN shows how a simple idea can become a serious company through years of work, testing, and careful business decisions.
The story is still continuing.
And the company he started in 2014 now has a much bigger place in Indonesia’s media and entertainment industry.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who is Winston Utomo?
He is an Indonesian entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of IDN, formerly IDN Media. He co-founded the company with his brother in 2014.
2. How old is he?
He was born on 23 November 1990. He is 35 years old as of October 2026.
3. Where was he born?
He was born in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia, and grew up there.
4. Who is his brother?
His younger brother is William Utomo, the co-founder and COO of IDN.
5. Where did he study?
He studied at the University of Southern California and Columbia University in the United States.
6. Who is his wife?
His wife is Alvina Utomo. The couple have two sons, according to published profiles.
7. Did he work for Google?
Yes. He worked in Google’s advertising business in Singapore before leaving in 2015 to concentrate on IDN.
8. What is his biggest business achievement?
He is known for building IDN with his brother. Their work earned them the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Indonesia 2024 award.
