Will Grab’s investors end the trip or stay along for the ride?

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Hi readers,

Grab is one of the most popular companies we feature here at Tech in Asia.

However, in an increasingly saturated and competitive landscape, we are acutely aware that we need to bring you analysis that is either quicker or somehow differentiated from what’s already out there.

Our story on the expiry of the lock-up agreements for Grab’s major investors required us to dive into the details of the company’s regulatory filings and analyze the different considerations that each investor faces.

In some ways, the identities of these investors also tell the story of Grab.

Uber secured its 14% stake in exchange for selling its Southeast Asia unit to Grab, which got the US-based company’s ride-hailing business and its food delivery business. This enabled the Singapore-headquartered firm to supercharge GrabFood.

SoftBank’s investment, meanwhile, provided the fuel that Grab needed to become the region’s dominant super app – all those incentives to consumers and partners had to come from somewhere!

As a result, the Japanese conglomerate is now Grab’s largest shareholder, owning 18% of the company.

With Grab’s share price at rather depressed levels, we don’t think any of these investors will want to sell at this point, unless they have to. But their decisions will continue to have an impact on Grab’s future.

— Simon, journalist at Tech in Asia

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