Gojek reportedly buys minority stake in local taxi operator Blue Bird for $30m

Indonesian tech giant Gojek has bought a minority stake in local taxi operator Blue Bird for US$30 million, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

Photo credit: Serenity

According to the sources, the ride-hailing unicorn has acquired 4.3% stake in Blue Bird from its holding company Pusaka Citra Djokosoetono. A February 14 stock exchange filing shows that Pusaka Citra sold more than 108 million shares of Blue Bird at 3,800 rupiah (US$0.28) per share without disclosing who the buyer was.

Tech in Asia has reached out to Gojek for a statement.

Bloomberg first reported on the development late last year, saying that Gojek was closing in on a deal to acquire 5% of Blue Bird for US$30 million. The transaction would value the taxi operator at around US$600 million, according to the report.

The deal also builds upon an existing partnership between the two companies, which allows users to book Blue Bird taxis on the Gojek app. The collaboration was announced back in May 2016 but took effect in January the following year.

Gojek’s reported Blue Bird buy is just one of its most recent moves in a bid to scale its services in Southeast Asia.

Early in November last year, it revealed upcoming plans for its business, which included expanding its local services through partnerships with third-party platforms. It is also looking to “invest in other facilities and long-term initiatives that will ensure the best customer experience” for its app.

Later that month, Gojek expanded its fleet in Singapore through a partnership with local taxi company Trans-Cab, giving more than 3,000 Trans-Cab drivers access to bookings made through the Gojek app.

The company also said it is looking to launch new services and features for its users in the city-state, including the option to book different vehicle types and new services.