Google confirms investment in Indonesia’s ride-hailing startup

By APD writer Maverick

JAKARTA, Jan. 30 (APD) — Giant searching engine Google has confirmed its investment in Indonesia’s leading startup ride-hailing firm of Go-Jek, aimed at helping startups in vibrating the nation’s digital economy.

“Go-Jek was led by Indonesian sound management team, has a tremendous track record in extensively use digital technology to make people’s life more comfortable and practical in Indonesia,” Google Vice President Caesar Sengupta said in a statement on Monday.

He added that Google’s investment would enable the United States-based digital technology to partner with developing startups in Indonesia, applying its commitments to assist economy system ran with internet in the country.

Google has a target to train 100,000 Indonesian mobile app developers by 2020. The firm runs its program called Gapura Digital Initiative to train more than 40,000 small business owners in Indonesia’s 10 cities.

Google’s investment would be part of fund raising scheme with its Singapore-based and China-based investors of Temasek and Meituan-Dianping, which altogether were expected to invest some 1.2 billion U.S. Dollars

for Indonesia’s Go-Jek, reports said.

Go-Jek previously received investments from China’s prominent digital technology firm of Tencent and JD.com, which reports said of amounted 100 million U.S. Dollars.

Praising the new investments from Google and its partners, Indonesia Communication and Informatics Minister Rudiantara said that it was a form of increasing international investors’ trust towards Indonesia’s startups as well as the nation’s investment atmosphere.

Reports said that the fund raising scheme involving Google, Temasek and Meituan-Dianping was mobilized last year, targeted to get settled within the next few weeks.

Indonesia’s internet users were estimated to reach 133 million ones, making them the fifth largest

in the world.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)