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Motorcycle Ride-Sharing and Delivery Service Rakes in $1.5 Billion in Fundraising
Go-Jek, an Indonesian motorcycle ride-sharing and delivery service, has raked in $1.5 billion in a recent round of fundraising, garnering investments from companies such as Google. The company was recently valued at $1.8 billion by CB Insights in 2016.
In Indonesia, the second most congested country in the world trailing only Thailand, scooters (called ojeks) are a common form of transportation, and usually the easiest. Launched in 2015, the idea began with just 20 bikes and a call center (it now manages a fleet of 200,000 riders, according to Revzilla), and was limited to an Uber-style ride-hailing company. It has since expanded, and users can now hire couriers, order food, dispatch personal shoppers, or even call in a massage.
Bloomberg reported on Monday that the company could become the “country’s first billion-dollar startup to hold an initial public offering after the transport and technology company met with the nation’s equity market.”
If jumping on the back of a stranger’s scooter isn’t your thing, the company can also summon a traditional taxi as well.
Judging by this photo, maybe hanging off the back of a stranger’s scooter is the best idea.
