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Go-Jek said to field bank pitches amid $3 billion funding drive

Go-Jek is Indonesia’s most valuable startup. (Photo: Reuters/Beawiharta)
Go-Jek is Indonesia’s most valuable startup. (Photo: Reuters/Beawiharta)

By Crystal Tse, Yoolim Lee and Manuel Baigorri

(Bloomberg) — Go-Jek, Indonesia’s most valuable startup, is choosing an adviser to help with fundraising as it expands rapidly in the competitive Southeast Asian ride-hailing industry, people with knowledge of the matter said.

The firm recently asked investment banks to pitch for a role working on its ongoing financing round, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the information is private. Go-Jek could seek to bring in as much as $2 billion additional capital from new investors, the people said, which would take the total haul from the current round to around $3 billion.

Go-Jek has already raised just over $1 billion at the first close of the ongoing Series F round, Bloomberg News reported earlier this month. Mitsubishi Corp. and Provident Capital participated alongside existing investors Google, JD.com Inc. and Tencent Holdings Ltd.

The Jakarta-based startup is intensifying its push against larger rival Grab. The two most valuable startups in Southeast Asia are going head-to-head in everything from ride hailing to mobile payments and food delivery in Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand. Grab said last month it raised more than $3 billion in 2018 as part of its Series H financing round.

No final decisions have been made, and the eventual size of the fundraising will depend on investor demand, the people said. A representative for Go-Jek declined to comment.

© 2019 Bloomberg L.P