Grab Media

Grab Holdings Inc. is a multinational technology company headquartered in Singapore that operates a “super-app” across Southeast Asia. The company was founded as MyTeksi in 2012 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, by Anthony Tan and Tan Hooi Ling, who met while studying at Harvard Business School. The initial idea, born from a business plan contest at Harvard, was to create a taxi-hailing app to make transportation safer in Malaysia.

Initially launching as MyTeksi in June 2012 with a grant from Harvard, the service quickly expanded. It entered the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand in 2013, followed by Vietnam and Indonesia in 2014. The company rebranded from GrabTaxi to simply Grab in 2016, reflecting its expansion into a wider range of services beyond taxis. A pivotal moment came in March 2018 when Grab merged with Uber's Southeast Asian operations, acquiring its assets and services like Uber Eats, which significantly bolstered Grab's food delivery arm. This solidified its dominant market position in the region. In December 2021, Grab went public on the Nasdaq through a merger with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), which was the largest SPAC merger at the time.

Grab's business model revolves around its super-app, which integrates a multitude of services into a single platform. Its core verticals include mobility (ride-hailing for cars, taxis, and motorcycles), deliveries (food, groceries, and packages via GrabFood, GrabMart, and GrabExpress), and financial services (digital payments, lending, and insurance through GrabPay and Grab Financial Group). The company generates revenue primarily through commissions from its driver and merchant partners, taking a percentage of the transaction value for rides and deliveries. Another significant revenue stream is its advertising business, GrabAds, which allows brands to reach consumers on the platform.

The company serves a broad market, operating in eight countries: Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. It caters to millions of users, from individuals needing a ride to businesses seeking delivery services or advertising channels. To enhance its ecosystem, Grab has made strategic acquisitions, including Kudo, a digital payments platform in Indonesia, and more recently, the restaurant reservation platform Chope.

Keywords: super-app, ride-hailing, food delivery, digital payments, Southeast Asia, financial services, logistics, on-demand services, mobility, e-commerce, GrabFood, GrabPay, merchant services, hyperlocal delivery, technology platform, Southeast Asia economy, Anthony Tan, Tan Hooi Ling, SPAC merger, digital wallet