Bangkok Post

Get will consolidat­e under Gojek brand

- SUCHIT LEESA-NGUANSUK

Get, the local ride-hailing and delivery service unit of Indonesian unicorn Gojek, has announced it will unite its app and brand under Gojek to become Gojek Thailand, aiming to drive internatio­nal technology adoption and usher in new features and products for Thais.

Get Thailand said the Gojek app is supported by a new internatio­nal technology platform, meaning Thai users can gain access to Gojek services in Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Last month, Gojek said it had raised an undisclose­d amount in a new round of funding from US tech giants Facebook and PayPal and existing financial backers Google and Tencent.

The latest investment was part of an ongoing series F round and brings total funds raised to US$3 billion, Gojek said. The funding focuses on digital payment and financial services.

Pinya Nittayakas­etwat, general manager of Gojek Thailand, said the change highlights Gojek’s focus on the Thai market and aims to leverage Gojek’s strengths.

He said the local leadership team at Get will continue to lead Gojek Thailand, with no impact on the ownership structure.

Get, which was launched in February 2019, offers motorbike ride-hailing, parcel and food delivery, as well as payment services. Locally the company engages with more than 50,000 drivers and over 30,000 merchants, more than 80% of which are micro, small and medium-sized enterprise­s.

Get saw 2.2 million downloads as of February 2020 and achieved 20 million bookings as of June 2020. The company has tripled staff from 100 employees to over 300 in less than a year.

We will introduce our brand to a broader base of users with a view towards creating a deeper impact across the region. ANDREW LEE GROUP HEAD OF INTERNATIO­NAL, GOJEK

“By rebranding to Gojek, the company will be able to drive a deeper impact and create new income-earning opportunit­ies for partners, as it leverages world-class technology to fulfil the changing needs and priorities of Thai users and brings new features and products online more quickly and at scale,” Get said.

Andrew Lee, group head of internatio­nal at Gojek, said the move reflects Gojek’s deep commitment to internatio­nal markets.

“We will introduce our brand to a broader base of users with a view towards creating a deeper impact across the region,” Mr Lee said.

Weeradej Panichwisa­i, senior research manager at IDC Thailand, said Gojek wants to have a unified app for the region similar to ride-hailing giant Grab, which uses only one app throughout the region.

“Gojek should have done this at the beginning, as the Gojek brand is well recognised as a startup unicorn by young customers,” Mr Weeradej said.

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