East Ventures, Vertex back Indonesian blue-collar jobs platform’s $8m raise

Pintarnya, an Indonesia-based job platform focused on blue-collar workers, has raised US$8 million in the second tranche of its seed funding round from investors such as East Ventures and Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia & India (VVSEAI).

Pintarnya co-founders (from left) Ghirish Pokardas, Nelly Nurmalasari, and Henry Hendrawan / Photo credit: Pintarnya

The deal brings the startup’s total funds raised for the round to US$14.3 million, which it said is one of the largest seed funding rounds in Southeast Asia to date. In May, the job platform secured US$6.3 million in a seed round led by Sequoia Capital India and General Catalyst.

Founded by Nelly Nurmalasari, Henry Hendrawan, and Ghirish Pokardas, Pintarnya helps blue-collar workers to find job opportunities based on their skill sets and location. It also works with employers to select the right applicants for their needs.

Since its launch in May, the platform has connected more than 6,000 employers with over 100,000 job seekers, covering sectors such as F&B, retail, logistics, and hospitality.

The company will use the funds to grow its ecosystem of job seekers and employers across different cities in Indonesia, as well as to invest in its tech and data capabilities.

Pintarnya is also expanding its team as it looks to hire engineers, product managers, designers, marketers, and operations and business development professionals based in Jakarta.

Joo Hock Chua, managing partner of VVSEAI, said the current job searching and hiring practices in Indonesia are rather antiquated, adding that Pintarnya’s use of technology and data makes the process more efficient and cost-effective.

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