The appeal is not hard to understand . The region as a whole has a population of over 650mn and , as a report co-authored by Google earlier this year suggests , 360mn of them ( roughly 55 %) are internet users . 90 % are connected through mobile means , making it no surprise that the biggest startups in the region tend to be mobile platforms with “ super app ” aspirations . Such an approach sees a suite of services being offered inside the same application , such as digital payments or food and parcel delivery .
That ’ s the case with ride-hailing giants Grab of Singapore and Gojek of Indonesia , who have found success at the expense of foreign competitors such as Uber thanks to their knowledge of local markets . It ’ s an expertise they are also leveraging for the success of compatriot startups in their own incubator programs , with Grab ’ s Seed Accelerator Program and Gojek ’ s GO-Academy operating in Singapore and Indonesia respectively .
39
asia . businesschief . com