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Simon Huang · · 5 min read

Superbank’s digital leap

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Hello reader,

I’m not one for superlatives. For example, when I’m asked to rate something on a scale of 1 to 10, I seldom give a 10. Though I may regard it highly, a 10 just seems too extreme – is anything ever perfect?

So if I were to suggest a name for a bank, Superbank probably wouldn’t make my shortlist.

But Superbank’s shareholders – four listed companies – clearly felt otherwise. Grab (GRAB, NDAQ), Singtel (Z74, SGX), Emtek Group (EMTK, IDX), and Kakaobank (323410, KRX) undoubtedly have high expectations for their Indonesian digital banking venture.

In this week’s featured story, Superbank’s president-director Tigor Siahaan opens up on what it’s like to lead one of Indonesia’s first digital banks. While Siahaan had spent 30 years in traditional banking, he needed to go back to basics to build Superbank from scratch.

At least Superbank can rely on the ecosystems of its more established shareholders, drawing from Grab’s vast troves of user data or Kakaobank’s digital banking expertise.

It certainly helps to have super shareholders.

— Simon


THE BIG STORY

Image credit: Timmy Loen

From bricks to clicks: Superbank’s digital rise

Having officially launched its services in June, Superbank has gained traction and has about 2 million registered users.


3 Trends to keep an eye on

Hot stocks, earnings reports, restructuring, pressure from activist investors, and more.


2 Eye-popping facts


The one you didn’t see coming


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TIA Writer

Simon Huang

Exploring the impact business and technology will have on Southeast Asia