GrabExpress and Lalamove got competition

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Hello readers,

It’s the second day of December. Is anyone else in the Christmas mood already like me? With 23 days left until the big day, my online shopping cart is filled with potential gifts for my friends: a sake set, a back massager, a desktop punching bag … crucial items for work-life balance.

And instead of reindeers delivering them, we have logistics companies that are riding high on the growing wave of ecommerce this year. One of them is QuadX, a digital logistics company that – get this – had to reject orders because it couldn’t handle the influx of new ones.

Today we look at:

• The Philippines-based logistics company that’s looking to topple GrabExpress
• A new unicorn from the HR tech industry
• Other newsy highlights such as Alibaba’s music-streaming platform reportedly closing down and Stack Overflow making its move into India

PREMIUM SUMMARY

What if Ninja Van and Grab had a baby?

QuadX, which owns a suite of digital logistics products, has seen its number of orders grow by up to 40% this year. The Philippines-based startup is now raising money and eyeing regional expansion to go up against rivals GrabExpress and Lalamove.

• More than just a logistic company: QuadX’s flagship product is GoGo Xpress, an online delivery service for sellers on ecommerce marketplaces and social media platforms. The company also owns ShippingCart and Xpost, which help with traditional pick-and-pack operations.
• What makes GoGo Xpress different? Instead of employing riders, GoGo Xpress crowdsources gig riders to support its average of 1.8 million monthly transactions. The company claimed that with this model and its in-house technology, the average GoGo Xpress rider earns 41% more than the regular delivery rider.
• The big idea for 2021: QuadX plans to roll out social commerce fulfillment tools for GoGo Xpress next year. Social commerce is a growing market in the Philippines, with an estimated gross merchandise volume of US$1.2 billion in 2019 that is projected to grow by 32% by 2025.

Read more: Philippine logistics scion wants to give Grab a run for its money

NEWS SPOTLIGHT

A new unicorn in town

Reskilling and upskilling are going to matter a whole lot more post-Covid-19, especially for those looking to re-enter the job market. This is where newly crowned unicorn HR tech startup Eightfold AI comes in. It recently raised US$125 million to help retain, upskill, and reskill the workforce.

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