Google and Temasek Come as New Investors in Indonesia's Unicorn, Go-Jek

The funding by prominent investors including Google gives Go-Jek greater firepower to tackle competition at home from Grab and Uber Technologies, which are viewing Indonesia, Southeast Asia's most populous country, as a large potential market.

"As a strategic investor, Google can add a lot to Go-Jek's business," said one source, as quoted in The Jakarta Globe. 

“Go-Jek’s challenge is not how to grow the business but to have a big pool of funding to support all its services,” he said.

As reported in Reuters, Go-Jek, a play on the local word for motorbike taxis, delivers everything from meals and groceries to cleaners, masseuses and hairdressers across Indonesia, all at the touch of a smartphone app.

The company, which began as a ride-hailing app for motorcycle taxis, was set up by Nadiem Makarim, a graduate of the Harvard School of Business and a former associate with McKinsey, who has quickly become a poster child for start-up success in Indonesia.

While it operates mainly in Indonesia, it is eyeing expansion in the region. Its mobile payment business, Go-Pay, is also growing rapidly.