It may sit in the shade of China and India, but tech has real growth potential in Southeast Asia. Home to a cumulative 650 million people, the region’s digital economy is forecast to triple in size and reach $240 billion over the next seven years, according to Google’s third “e-Conomy SEA” report. The annual study, which […]
View More Google report: Southeast Asia’s digital economy to triple to $240 billion by 2025Category: grab
Grab lands $50M from Thailand’s Kasikorn Bank to further its fintech push
Southeast Asia ride-hailing firm Grab is continuing to add strategic investors to its ongoing Series H round — which is targeted at over $3 billion — after it revealed Thai bank Kasikorn put in $50 million as part of a strategic partnership to advance its financial services strategy. Kasikorn joins Hyundai ($250 million), Microsoft (undisclosed) […]
View More Grab lands $50M from Thailand’s Kasikorn Bank to further its fintech pushSoutheast Asia’s Grab pulls in $200M from travel giant Booking
Fresh from a strategic investment from Microsoft, Southeast Asia’s ride-hailing leader Grab is back in the money again after it closed $200 million in fresh capital from Booking Holdings, the travel firm formerly known as Priceline. The investment is part of an ongoing round of funding that Grab said is on course to reach $3 […]
View More Southeast Asia’s Grab pulls in $200M from travel giant BookingSoutheast Asia’s Grab partners with MasterCard to offer virtual debit cards
Ride-hailing firm Grab branched out into payments last year and now the $11 billion-valued company, which acquired Uber’s Southeast Asia business earlier this year, has given its fintech division a major boost after it announced plans to introduce virtual pre-paid debit in partnership with Mastercard. The move is the largest digital payment push in Southeast […]
View More Southeast Asia’s Grab partners with MasterCard to offer virtual debit cardsMicrosoft invests in Grab to bring AI and big data to on-demand services
Microsoft has made a strategic investment in ride-hailing and on-demand services company Grab as part of a deal that includes collaborating on big data and AI projects. Under the agreement, Singapore-based Grab will adopt Microsoft Azure as its preferred cloud platformAzure cloud computing service. Microsoft and Grab didn’t disclose financial terms. The idea behind the […]
View More Microsoft invests in Grab to bring AI and big data to on-demand servicesYou can now use the Google Assistant to order an Uber or Lyft
If you ever wanted to use your Google Assistant to book you a ride with Uber or Lyft, your wishes have been heard. Starting today, you’ll be able to use your voice to ask Google’s virtual assistant to book you a car from Uber, Lyft, Ola, Grab, GO-JEK and similar services. The new feature works with […]
View More You can now use the Google Assistant to order an Uber or LyftTencent backs fintech firm Voyager to set up battle with Alibaba in the Philippines
China’s internet battle is rapidly reproducing itself in Southeast Asia. One new hotspot is the Philippines, where Tencent just agreed to invest in Voyager, a fintech business started by telecom firm PLDT. The deal would bring Tencent into direct competition with arch-rival Alibaba, which entered the Philippines 18 months ago when its fintech affiliate Ant […]
View More Tencent backs fintech firm Voyager to set up battle with Alibaba in the PhilippinesSoftBank and Toyota team up to develop services powered by self-driving vehicles
SoftBank is getting into self-driving car services after the Japanese tech giant announced a joint-venture with Toyota in its native Japan. SoftBank is invested in Uber and a range of other ride-hailing startups like Didi in China and Grab in Southeast Asia, but this initiative with Toyota is not related to those deals. Instead, it […]
View More SoftBank and Toyota team up to develop services powered by self-driving vehiclesGo-Jek is close to launching a ride-hailing service in Singapore
Indonesia’s ride-sharing startup Go-Jek plans to land in Singapore, its arch-rival Grab’s HQ, as soon as this month as its regional expansion program gains speed, TechCrunch has come to understand. Go-Jek has grown to become a $5 billion business that’s backed by the likes of Google and Tencent without venturing out of Indonesia, where it […]
View More Go-Jek is close to launching a ride-hailing service in SingaporeIn-car commerce startup Cargo raises $22 million led by Founders Fund
Cargo, the startup that helps ridesharing drivers earn money by bringing the convenience store into their vehicles, has raised $22 million in a Series A round led by Founders Fund . Additional investment came from Coatue Management, Aquiline Technology Growth as well as a number of high-profile entertainment, gaming, and technology executives who include Zynga founder […]
View More In-car commerce startup Cargo raises $22 million led by Founders FundChina’s Didi Chuxing launches taxi-hailing service in Japan
China’s Didi Chuxing is fighting fires at home around passenger safety, but overseas the ride-hailing giant has moved into another new market after its taxi-booking service began operations in Japan. The service has gone live in Osaka, the city of nearly nine million people, and parts of the surrounding area including Kansai International Airport. The Didi […]
View More China’s Didi Chuxing launches taxi-hailing service in JapanMiddle East’s Careem is the latest ride-sharing unicorn to get an India-based tech team
India is the new tech outsourcing destination for ride-hailing companies. Southeast Asia’s Grab and Go-Jek both have sizable engineering teams in the country, and now that duo is joined by another billion-dollar company. Careem, which is based in the Middle East and valued at over $1 billion, has entered the fray after it snapped up the […]
View More Middle East’s Careem is the latest ride-sharing unicorn to get an India-based tech team