Go-Jek confirms expansion to Singapore

Go-Jek spokesman Michael Reza Say says the homegrown ride-hailing app will expand its business to Singapore this year, following moves to Vietnam and Thailand.

“We will [expand to Singapore] this year, but we can’t give any details about it yet,” he said on Friday as quoted by Tempo.

According to its website, the Indonesian ride-hailing company would also open a branch in the Philippines. These countries are part of the second wave of its regional expansion plan to countries in Southeast Asia.

Previously, Go-Jek announced in June that it had started its first wave of expansion by opening branches in Vietnam and Thailand.

The company will begin the beta testing phase of the Vietnamese version of the app called GO-VIET this month, which will involve drivers and consumers, before officially launching it soon afterwards.

Meanwhile, Go-Jek is consulting with Thai stakeholders — which include the government, drivers and consumers — before launching the Thai version of Go-Jek called GET following the launch in Vietnam.

The company will present the ride-hailing and logistic services in Vietnam and Thailand before it starts to open the food delivery and electronic payment services.

Go-Jek founder and CEO Nadiem Makarim said in a statement on its website that the expansion to Vietnam and Thailand would involve local talent to create a business that would understand its customers’ needs as well as make sure that the business is sustainable.

Go-Jek has set aside US$500 million of the funds raised from Astra International, Warburg Pincus, KKR, Meituan-Dianping, Tencent, Google and Temasek, among others after its latest round of fundraising last year.