Grab opens platform to third-party developers, goes grocery shopping with HappyFresh

Photo credit: Grab

Grab took a major step in its mission to become Southeast Asia’s “everyday super-app” today as it unveiled a new, open-platform strategy.

GrabPlatform will allow third-party businesses to integrate their own offerings with the Grab app by granting them access to the ride-hailing firm’s “core assets.” It consists of a bunch of APIs that allow partners to tap into Grab’s tech in areas such as logistics and payments.

Among the first of those partners is Indonesian grocery-delivery startup HappyFresh. It’s joining hands with Grab to launch GrabFresh, a new on-demand grocery-delivery service within the main Grab app.

In addition to GrabFresh, Grab unveiled a few other updates to its main app. Users will now have single-tap access to GrabPay digital payments and will supposedly have an easier time accessing other on-demand services.

A news feed has also been added, giving users location-specific information such as restaurant and store reviews as well as more general updates like sports results. In Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines, news updates will be offered through a content partnership with Yahoo. Further news partnerships in other countries where Grab operates will be launched.

HappyFresh CEO Guillem Segarra (L), Grab group CEO Anthony Tan (C), and Grab head of product Jerald Singh (R) / Photo credit: Grab

The company also said that it expects to become the first in Southeast Asia to hit US$1 billion in annual revenue by the end of this year – though the Philippines’ Revolution Precrafted is among the others that may yet claim that title.

Meanwhile, Grab’s core ride-hailing business crossed two billion rides on July 7, with one billion of those happening in the past nine months. Its on-demand meal-delivery service, GrabFood, saw a ninefold increase in gross merchandise volume over the past year – though that growth may largely be explained by GrabFood’s absorption of UberEats and expansion to several new countries.

Grab Financial – the company’s financial services platform which includes digital wallet GrabPay – experienced a doubling of its total payment volume between January and May. However, Grab did not share any more specific figures.

Open innovation for growth

GrabPlatform represents the company’s second open-development play following the launch of its incubator arm Grab Ventures last month.

Grab Ventures’ three-pronged game plan includes venture investing, in-house project incubation, and an accelerator for external startups. Speaking at the time, Grab co-founder and CEO Anthony Tan indicated that the company was incorporating an open-innovation approach into its growth strategy.

“We’re always open to partnerships where it makes sense […] to expand our business quickly, explore new technologies, and build new capabilities,” he said.