The funding from distinguished investors including Google gives Go-Jek more muscle to face competition from Grab and Uber Technologies, which see Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s most populous country, as a giant potential market.
“As a strategic investor, Google can contribute a lot to Go-Jek’s business,” said considered one of the sources, quoted in Jakarta Globe.
“The challenge for Go-Jek is not how to grow the company, but how to get large financial resources to support all its services,” he said.
As stated in Reuters Agency Go-Jek, a play on words for the local term for motorcycle taxis, delivers every part from meals and groceries to cleansing services, masseuses and hairdressers across Indonesia – all with the touch of a smartphone app.
What began as a ride-hailing app for motorcycle taxis was founded by Nadiem Makarim, a Harvard School of Business graduate and former McKinsey associate, who quickly became a poster child for startup success in Indonesia.
While it operates primarily in Indonesia, it has its eyes on regional expansion. Its mobile payments business, Go-Pay, can be growing rapidly.
