Bonbon Mobility has secured a $500,000 pre-seed funding round led by Tasco, while Grab and OpenAI have launched a regional programme to equip 30,000 driver, delivery and merchant partners across Southeast Asia with practical AI skills over the next two years.
Tasco leads pre-seed round in Vietnam’s Bonbon Mobility
Vietnamese automotive services platform Bonbon Mobility has secured a $500,000 pre-seed funding round led by Tasco CVC, with Southeast Asia-focused GenAI Fund participating as a co-investor, according to an announcement.
Bonbon operates an online-to-offline platform connecting car owners with garages and automotive care service providers. The startup plans to use the funding to expand its network of partner garages, further develop its technology platform, improve user experience and broaden its service offerings.
The startup emerged from Tasco Foundry Wash3000, a venture-building programme jointly run by Tasco and GenAI Fund that sought to develop solutions for Vietnam’s automotive services market.
The company is initially focusing on car-wash and vehicle-care services, connecting customers with existing independent garages rather than developing its own physical service network. The programme estimates Vietnam has more than 12,500 car-wash and vehicle-care facilities.
Bonbon plans to expand into maintenance, detailing, and other services across the vehicle lifecycle.
“The investment and support from Tasco and GenAI Fund provide Bonbon with additional resources as we enter our next stage of development,” said Bonbon founder and CEO Nguyen Chi Dung.
Grab partners OpenAI to launch regional AI programme
Grab and OpenAI have launched a regional programme to equip 30,000 driver, delivery and merchant partners across Southeast Asia with practical AI skills over the next two years. The “GO Forward with AI” programme, offered through GrabAcademy, will start in Singapore before expanding to Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines later this year.
The initiative builds on a partnership between the two companies that began in May 2024. Their projects include Grab’s Driver AI Assistant, an in-app tool powered by OpenAI models that provides drivers with personalised guidance on demand, earnings and day-to-day queries. The tool has reached nearly 500,000 drivers.
Under the new programme, participants will learn to use AI for tasks ranging from business planning and sales analysis to inventory management and building simple websites. OpenAI and Grab will conduct in-person masterclasses across participating markets and train GrabAcademy’s regional trainers to extend the programme to more partners.
