In brief: Go-Jek ‘said to launch beta app’ in Singapore tomorrow

Indonesia’s Go-Jek plans to roll out a preliminary version of its ride-hailing app in Singapore on Thursday, bringing fresh competition to the hometown of archrival Grab, according to people familiar with the plan.

Go-Jek’s beta app will be available to a limited number of consumers before expanding it to a wider population as testing progresses, said the people, who asked not to be named because the information is not public.

Source: Bloomberg

The Indonesian ride-hailing giant indicated in May that it would launch in Singapore as part of a US$500 million expansion plan that would also take it to Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

It later unveiled local brands in Thailand and Vietnam – Get and Go-Viet, respectively – with the latter commencing ride-hailing and food delivery operations from August.

See: Go-Jek’s hands-off approach to regional expansion may be a risky gamble

In October, Go-Jek began pre-registration of drivers in Singapore, apparently under its own brand. This month, Go-Jek announced a partnership with Singaporean bank DBS, under which the two companies will collaborate on payments services and customer benefits.

Go-Jek and DBS are holding a joint press conference in Singapore tomorrow, and they’re expected to share further details on their alliance and the ride-hailing service’s launch in the city-state.