BRI Strengthens SMEs' Global Push as NOMNOM Breaks into Singapore Market

Rengginang, mushrooms and tempeh have long been part of everyday Indonesian food. In the hands of NOMNOM, these three ingredients have been turned into snacks that are attracting international market attention. After receiving a positive response at an exhibition in Singapore facilitated by BRI, the SME is now preparing to expand into the Lion City.

NOMNOM was founded by Erwin Jogisaputra in 2016 with a vision of offering healthy snacks made from local raw materials that can be accepted by the global market. Starting with the development of baked rengginang as a healthier snack alternative, Erwin has continued to innovate by showcasing Indonesia’s local food wealth so that it has greater added value and competitiveness.

“In developing the business, I have been a BRI customer since 2018. Initially, I used various BRI banking services to support transactions and business operations. Thank God, as the business grew, I was given the opportunity to take part in various SME empowerment programmes offered by BRI,” he said on Saturday (15/8/2026).

Erwin explained that one important moment in NOMNOM’s journey occurred during the Covid-19 pandemic. Driven by a desire to help local mushroom farmers market their harvests, NOMNOM launched Super Shrooms, a healthy baked mushroom snack that is gluten-free, contains no trans fat, and has only about 100 calories per pack.

He said the spirit of innovation has continued. Seeing the rising trend of active lifestyles in 2025, NOMNOM again expanded its product portfolio with Tempe Bites, a tempeh-based snack designed as a practical protein source for people who are active in sports.

Despite the innovations, Erwin acknowledged that NOMNOM’s journey has not been free of challenges. These conditions made him realise that business growth cannot rely solely on product quality, but also requires stronger business management, the right marketing strategy, and a wider network. “I used to face obstacles such as limited distribution, market expansion, and dynamics in building a team and developing the organisation,” he recalled.

In line with these efforts, Erwin has continued to open himself to various business development opportunities, including through the Pengusaha Muda BRILian programme organised by BRI. In the programme, NOMNOM took part in a series of selection, training and business development activities that helped strengthen its business capacity in a more structured way.

“We learned to see the business from a different perspective. Not just selling products, but also building a brand that has value, understanding market needs, and preparing the business to grow sustainably,” said Erwin Jogisaputra, founder of NOMNOM.

Thanks to hard work and active participation during the programme, Erwin succeeded in bringing NOMNOM to a Top 3 position in Pengusaha Muda BRILian. This achievement became an important momentum for NOMNOM to expand its network, improve business readiness, and open access to international markets.

Erwin said BRI’s support was felt even more when NOMNOM obtained the opportunity to take part in an international exhibition in Singapore. According to Erwin, participation in the exhibition was an important opportunity for NOMNOM to test market acceptance while opening new business networks at the international level.

“The response we received during the exhibition was very positive. NOMNOM products succeeded in attracting the attention of prospective buyers in Singapore and we have now entered the final negotiation stage. We hope this process can be realised soon so that Indonesian local food products can reach a wider market,” Erwin said.

On a separate occasion, BRI Corporate Secretary Dhanny said that NOMNOM’s journey shows the importance of building an ecosystem that can bring together SME innovation with wider market access.

“BRI believes that SME competitiveness is determined not only by product quality, but also by the ability of business actors to adapt, innovate and access markets. Therefore, we continue to strengthen an empowerment ecosystem that connects financing, mentoring, digitalisation and business matching so that more Indonesian SMEs can grow sustainably and compete in the global market,” said Dhanny.

As part of the Danantara Indonesia ecosystem, BRI will continue to strengthen its role in creating value through SME empowerment. By expanding access to financing, mentoring, technology and international markets, BRI hopes that more local business actors will be able to turn innovation into globally competitive products and create a sustainable economic impact for Indonesia.