SoftBank’s Son ups pressure on Grab to work out merger deal with Gojek

The two ride-hailing giants have been in talks to work toward a potential deal, the sources quoted in the report added.

It was earlier reported that discussions between Grab and Gojek resumed in September this year, with shareholders such as SoftBank pushing the two companies to work out a deal.

It remains unclear as to how such a deal could happen, but a key sticking point in the negotiations remains whether the two entities would fully merge or whether Grab would acquire just Gojek’s Indonesian operations.

According to the report, Grab’s chief exec prefers the narrower deal, which would allow the Singapore-based company to run Gojek’s business in Indonesia as a Grab subsidiary. The deal would also let Tan dilute less of his personal stake.

Meanwhile, Gojek’s shareholders are reportedly pushing for a merger of the two mobility titans throughout the region. This would allow them to end up with more of the combined entity, the sources said, adding that Son also prefers such a deal.

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