Learn how Go-Jek and GrabTaxi are disrupting transportation at Tech in Asia Jakarta 2015

It’s almost impossible to step outside in Jakarta without catching a glimpse of the green on black – or black on green – outfits many motorcycle riders are sporting. Chances are, you’ve even relied on them to get you to your destination swiftly. Naturally, we’re talking about Go-Jek and GrabBike, the most talked about rivalry in Indonesia since Coke and Pepsi.

At Tech in Asia Jakarta 2015, you’ll be able to get up close and personal with the people behind these two companies – which have become famous for disrupting the country’s private transportation industry. Nadiem Makarim of Go-Jek and Cheryl Goh from GrabTaxi will take the stage in two separate sessions.

Nadiem Makarim, founder and CEO of Go-Jek

Nadiem Makarim kickstarted his career at the Jakarta branch of global research and consulting giant McKinsey before enrolling in Harvard Business School in 2009. Right before he graduated, the idea for a market-based solution to tackle the growing chaos of Jakarta traffic struck him, and he ended up running a pilot project for Go-Jek.

It remained largely a side project, however, as Nadiem focused his efforts on his role at Rocket Internet’s Zalora Indonesia. It wasn’t until sometime in mid-2014 that Nadiem, spurred by renewed investor interest in ride-sharing platforms, decided to commit himself full-time to the project he started some years back. In a matter of months, Go-Jek has become a household name in Indonesia, having also extended its service into grocery and parcel delivery.

The startup doesn’t seem to be slowing down. A recent mass-hiring session for drivers, talks with the government on a potential partnership to address traffic, and a possible alliance with Tokopedia all seem to suggest the success Go-Jek has seen to date is only the beginning.

As Nadiem navigates his startup through a landscape unique to Jakarta, he credits the rapid growth of Go-Jek to its variety of offerings – the company recently introduced food delivery service Go-Food and personal shopper delivery services Go-Mart on top of their existing transport and courier services.

Find out how Nadiem revived Go-Jek from the land of forgotten startups, and where he plans on steering it next as he sits in for a fireside chat on day two of the conference.

Cheryl Goh, Vice President of Marketing at GrabTaxi

Scaling a business is something GrabTaxi knows a thing or two about. One of the rare Southeast Asian startups to reach unicorn status, the company has enjoyed immense growth, expanding to 23 cities since its Malaysia launch back in 2012.

If that doesn’t impress you, consider this: the app deals with over 400,000 passengers a day coming from 620,000 monthly active users. That translates to eight bookings every second.

Cheryl Goh, the brains leading the marketing direction of GrabTaxi, will unpack her experiences as important lessons for the rest of us. A few questions Cheryl aims to answer: As a local startup, where do you begin to look when thinking of regional expansion? How does one go about instilling a great company culture? What are some ways of building a smooth user experience that customers will trust?

Come and hear the answers to these questions and more in Cheryl’s keynote speech on the second day of the conference.

GrabTaxi recently rolled out its motorcycle service GrabBike in Jakarta, going head-on with home-grown competitor Go-Jek. However, if the GrabTaxi’s success in other markets is anything to go on, the firm will surely give competitors a run for their money in Indonesia.

Witness the race toward the finish line

Go-Jek and GrabTaxi are both strong contenders in Jakarta, each playing to their own strengths. For those new to the scene, here’s a side-by-side look at the two startups.

Want a behind-the-scenes preview into one of Indonesia’s hottest tech industries right now? Don’t miss Nadiem Makarim and Cheryl Goh in what are bound to be insightful sessions on the current transportation and logistics industries.

Get your passes to catch them on stage as part of our lineup of speakers, across our six stages.

You can get 15 percent off with the code tiajkt15 when you purchase your tickets before October 26.