Grab takes strategic stake in Ninja Van

RIDE-hailing unicorn Grab has made a strategic investment into logistics provider Ninja Van for an undisclosed amount, the companies announced on Thursday.

As part of the strategic partnership, Grab will also integrate Ninja Van's services into its mobile app via GrabExpress, Grab's on-demand parcel and courier delivery service, from the second quarter of 2019, and will be rolled out in phases across the region, the companies said.

Ninja Van will also work towards adopting GrabPay, Grab's mobile payments service, across its platform, and both sides will collaborate to roll-out lending and insurance products offered by Grab Financial Group to its merchants and delivery partners, the companies noted.

The alliance will allow Grab to boost its regional logistics capacity given Ninja Van's existing reach in South-east Asia. For Ninja Van, the deal gives it access to the growing Grab ecosystem.

"As e-commerce and social commerce become increasingly ubiquitous in South-east Asia, Grab is committed to enabling millions of e-commerce micro-entrepreneurs scale their businesses across the region via GrabExpress," said Adelene Foo, who heads GrabExpress.

"This partnership with Ninja Van enables us to offer the widest range of delivery options in South-east Asia from within the Grab app, and make it easy for sellers, buyers and merchants to send and receive parcels."

Lai Chang Wen, co-founder and chief executive of Ninja Van, said: "We're excited about this partnership, and how it will change the game for smaller businesses, and social selling communities in South-east Asia, even for consumers who may send parcels from time to time. By leveraging Grab's wide user base, we can offer users the most convenient way to access our full suite of logistics services, and provide reliable, hassle-free delivery services powered by technology."

GrabExpress is currently available in 150 cities across Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia among others.

Grab, which began as a ride-hailing service, has been transitioning into a multi-service platform, with food delivery and financial services among its key new product lines.

Earlier this week, the firm announced that it will add Agoda, Booking.com, BookMyShow and HOOQ to its super app ecosystem.