Kevin Mintaraga set out to plan his own wedding and found it a hassle. That small irritation became Bridestory.
He started the company in 2014 with Doni Hanafi, who later became chief operating officer. The idea was a place where brides could browse photographers, venues and dress makers and contact them directly. The seed money came from Sovereign's Capital, with Beenos Plaza, East Ventures and Fenox VC taking part, a respectable list for a wedding directory.
Late that year Mintaraga began talking with William Tanuwijaya, Tokopedia's co-founder and CEO, about working together.
What many people do not know is how quickly a big name appeared. In March 2015, within a year of launch, Rocket Internet led a Series A. The amount was not disclosed, though Mintaraga described it as a middle one-digit million dollar sum. Money from a Berlin-based builder of copies and scaled marketplaces pushed the company to expand, including a joint venture with MediaCorp in Singapore.
Not everything from that period is clear. DealStreetAsia estimated a valuation of up to US$50 million.
In 2018 the team launched Parentstory, a marketplace for children's activities aimed at young parents, with the same playbook in a new life stage. Late that year Mintaraga began talking with William Tanuwijaya, Tokopedia's co-founder and CEO, about working together. Those conversations led to an acquisition in June 2019. Assets, intellectual property and people moved over, while Bridestory and Parentstory kept running as independent brands. Mintaraga joined Tokopedia's management as a vice president.
The takeaway for a first-time founder is that a personal frustration is enough of a starting point, if you meet investors early and keep your brand alive after you sell.