The founders who hail from Grab and Gojek

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Hello readers,

When I joined Tech in Asia. I discovered that two of my teammates had attended the same secondary school as I did, and that several others had gone through the same diploma program. While our experiences may have taken place years apart, there’s still a sense of connection because we came from the same school.

Alumni networks can be pretty powerful. Being in a particular school or company gives you a unique perspective and set of skills, and having that connection can open doors and generate opportunities. So perhaps it’s no surprise that some ex-Grab and former Gojek employees have gone on to start some exciting businesses.

Today we look at:

• The Grab and Gojek mafia
• What fresh funding could do for this Indian wireless access startup
• Other newsy highlights such as Luckin Coffee’s new funds and Grab’s potential secondary listing in Singapore

PREMIUM SUMMARY

The founders hailing from the ranks of Grab and Gojek

It’s not uncommon for employees of tech giants to strike out on their own, using the lessons gleaned from their stints at those companies to power their new ventures. Here in Southeast Asia, we’ve got the Lazada mafia – and now, the mafias of the region’s two decacorns, Grab and Gojek, are entering the spotlight.

• Many and varied: Companies founded by Grab and Gojek alumni appear to be spread across various verticals, a testament to the tech firms’ super-app status. Often, the inspiration for these new startups often comes from seeing pain points while working for either of the two decacorns.
• The power of a name: A Grab or Gojek affiliation has certainly opened doors for these founders, making it easier to raise capital. Some of the startups that have come out of the Grab and Gojek alumni network, such as AwanTunai, BukuWarung, and Igloo, have banked significant funding. Plus, having connections to other folks in the startup ecosystem is always a bonus.
• It’s early days yet: It’s too soon to tell if Grab and Gojek’s alumni network will reach PayPal mafia levels, but with the impending initial public offerings of these two companies, there will be more smart – and much-needed – money for Southeast Asia’s tech ecosystem.

Read more: Uncovering Southeast Asia’s hidden Grab and Gojek mafia

STARTUP SPOTLIGHT

Look ma, no keys!

The future is wireless and almost certainly keyless, with the rise of smart home technology that will make losing your keys a thing of the past. So it’s great news that India-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) startup Spintly has raised US$615,000 in an extended seed round led by Silicon Valley-based Riso Capital.