Indonesia’s Gojek, Tokopedia merge in country’s biggest deal

Indonesia’s Gojek, Tokopedia merge in country’s biggest deal

The pact comes as both firms seek to boost profitability some 10 years after they were founded.

SINGAPORE:
Indonesian ride-hailing and payments firm Gojek and e-commerce leader Tokopedia announced a merger on Monday in a transaction that would create a technology powerhouse in the country’s largest deal.

Sources familiar with the situation had earlier said the companies were seeking a US$18 billion merger. Neither firm confirmed a valuation for the merged group, named GoTo.

The deal comes as Gojek and Tokopedia seek to boost profitability some 10 years after they were founded by offering a bouquet of services under a single platform, extending a regional trend.

Alibaba Group Holding and SoftBank Group Corp are among Tokopedia’s investors, while Gojek’s include Warburg Pincus and Tencent Holdings.

Last month, Southeast Asia’s biggest ride-hailing and food delivery firm, Grab, clinched a US$40 billion merger with a special purpose acquisition company.

Meanwhile, Singapore-based regional internet firm Sea Ltd, which operates e-commerce platform Shopee, is also muscling into food delivery and financial services.

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