Notable Roles | - Co-Founder & COO, Xendit (2015–present) |
Key Recognition | - Co-founded Indonesia’s first unicorn in B2B fintech |
Background and Early Foundations
Born in 1984 in Jakarta, Tessa Wijaya was raised in a business-oriented family that instilled financial literacy early on. She pursued economics at the University of Melbourne, then launched her career in investment banking at Mizuho, focusing on mergers and acquisitions. Her exposure to deal-making and business models sparked her interest in solving deep-rooted infrastructure problems at scale. Returning to Jakarta in the mid-2010s, she teamed up with fellow co-founders to build Xendit — starting with a vision to make payments work like water: always available, always flowing
Career Milestones and Impact
Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
2015 | Co-founded Xendit to simplify digital payments for SEA businesses |
2017 | Accepted into Y Combinator, becoming one of Indonesia’s early entrants |
2019 | Launched infrastructure APIs adopted by Grab, Traveloka, and SMEs |
2021 | Xendit achieved unicorn status, valued at over $1B |
2023 | Expanded into Philippines and Malaysia with strategic local partnerships |
- Company Valuation (2025): ~$1.5 billion
- Markets Served: Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia
- Monthly Payment Volume: Over $1 billion
- Clients: Over 5,000 businesses, including Grab, Traveloka, Telkomsel
- Gender Balance at Leadership Level: 40% women
Leadership Style and Influence
Tessa Wijaya leads with clarity, directness, and deep local insight. She’s known for translating complex regulatory and engineering challenges into practical execution, while promoting an inclusive culture internally. Her focus on market fit, speed, and ethics makes her one of the most respected voices in SEA fintech — particularly in Indonesia, where female tech leaders remain rare.
Legacy and Future Focus
Tessa is shaping what infrastructure-first entrepreneurship looks like in Asia: quietly powerful, deeply technical, and socially responsible. Her next focus includes building open payment rails across underserved markets and mentoring the next generation of female entrepreneurs through advocacy and advisory roles.
