Grab: The Most Valuable Startup in Southeast Asia

Ridesharing and Finance SuperApp

My name is Mikal — I’m an early-stage tech investor and I was born in Asia, grew up in Africa and now live in the US. Every week I break down a fast-growing business in an emerging market to understand its product, market and growth strategy.

This week I’m breaking down Southeast Asian SuperApp Grab. This piece was originally published here.

Southeast Asia is the most dynamic internet economy in the world outside of the United States and China. The number of internet users in the region has soared from 260 million in 2015 to 400 million by 2020. The region as a whole has a population of 650 million — about 9% of the total population of the world.

Data from Economy 2020 Report

With tens of millions getting mobile phones and coming online every year, Southeast Asia has proven to be fertile ground for a new wave of locally-founded startups. Today, the region’s most valuable startup is Grab.

Grab is a Southeast Asian SuperApp offering users ridesharing, food delivery, financial services and much more. Grab was…