Southeast Asia’s leading on-demand company Gojek has carried out the latest maneuver for its international business by partnering with AirAsia Digital to take over the operations of Gojek Thailand. This mutually beneficial agreement allows Gojek to obtain a stake in the AirAsia Super App, which now has a business valuation of US$1 billion.
In a statement, Gojek CEO Kevin Aluwi said, “AirAsia Digital and the AirAsia Super App will become a highly valued partner for us as we share the same goal to provide users with better services, while enhancing the livelihoods of drivers and merchants.”
At the same time, Gojek will increase investment in Vietnam and Singapore as centers of their international business growth. Specifically in Singapore, Gojek will increase the number of driver-partners and merchants, improve user experience, and launch new products and services, such as the launch of the latest GoTaxi product or taxi messaging services through the Gojek application in Singapore. Meanwhile in Vietnam, Gojek will soon launch the GoCar four-wheeled transportation service. This service complements the already available two-wheeler, logistics and food delivery services.
AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes described this move as the start of a tremendous long-term strategic partnership with Gojek that is sure to rock the industry.
“By taking on Gojek’s well-established Thai business, we’ll be able to turbo-charge our ambitions in this space to become a leading ASEAN challenger super app,” Tony added.
When asked by the media crew about what AirAsia can learn from Gojek, Tony replied that Gojek had succeeded in proving its business model to be successful in Indonesia and Singapore.
“For me, they [Gojek] have done it and I’m trying to emulate them. They have been at the forefront.”
Furthermore, Tony expressed his admiration for Gojek. “The forefather of low-cost airlines was Southwest and I took their model along with RyanAir and EasyJet. I think Gojek in ASEAN was really the first kind of Super App and others have emulated them, so we have a lot to learn. Certainly, our speed of growth will be accelerated through the relationship with Gojek. This acquisition is not just about Thailand, it’s about learning how Gojek have built their operations in Thailand, which have been modeled on successful operations in Indonesia and Singapore.
“So, the value to me is of course first, acquiring the business. Two, the relationship with Gojek’s staff, and three, the collaboration in other things we can do together and complement each other,” said Tony.
