Grab Indonesia through its venture arm Grab Ventures Velocity (GVV) is teaming up with the University of Indonesia (UI) in order to support the education and research within UI.
Through GVV, Grab has become a strategic partner for UI’s startup development program, which incubates ideas born within UI’s academic community, to provide mentorship in a program called “UI Works”. To enter this program, startups need to have at least a prototype or beta version of its product. A third partner of the program is local co-working space Code Margonda.
Launched in July 2018, Grab Ventures is the company’s venture building and investments arm. According to an official press release, Grab plans to invest IDR3 trillion (USD 250 million) in Indonesian startups in the next three years through Grab Ventures’ Velocity scale-up program.
This partnership is part of the “Grab 4 Indonesia 2020 master plan” that aims to give all Indonesians opportunity to take part in the digital economy, the firm says. Grab’s “master plan” covers three major pillars; technology talent, technology entrepreneurship, and mobile payments.
The partnership with UI also includes an “Engineering Talent Future Leader program” where UI graduates from technical majors get internship opportunities at Grab’s Jakarta or Singapore offices.
Grab engages with educational institutions in several countries. In July 2018, Grab formed a strategic partnership with the National University of Singapore (NUS) to launch an AI Lab, where it works with data scientists on solutions to transform urban transportations.
In Malaysia, Grab has GrabVarsity, an engagement platform to improve the lifestyle of university students through a rewards program, access to safe and convenient transportation, internship opportunities as well as a short-term Grab driver program for students so they can earn additional income to cover tuition or student loans.
Editor: Nadine Freischlad