Indonesia Digest: Traveloka opens R&D centre; Salim Group forays into eSports

Employees work in front of computers at the office of Traveloka Indonesia PT in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2017. Photographer: Graham Couch/Bloomberg

By Ardi Wirdana

January 30, 2019

Online travel startup Traveloka has set up a new engineering facility in Bangalore, India, while conglomerate Salim Group has ventured into eSports through a JV with a German gaming firm.

Traveloka launches R&D facility in India

Indonesian online travel unicorn Traveloka has announced the opening of new R&D centre in Bangalore, India.

In an official release, Traveloka said its team in Bangalore will be working in the area of discovery/user engagement and other core capabilities.

The new R&D centre is the sixth international centre for Traveloka after Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, and the Philippines. It is the unicorn’s second technology centre after the one in Singapore.

Traveloka said its Bangalore centre started its operations early this year and today has a team of 60+ engineers.

By setting up an engineering facility in India, Traveloka has followed the lead of fellow Indonesian unicorn Go-Jek, which set up its facility, also in Bangalore, back in 2016.

Traveloka is reportedly in talks to raise a $400-million round led by Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC.

Salim Group inks JV with ESL for foray into eSports

Indonesian conglomerate Salim Group has set up a joint venture with German gaming company ESL in a move to dive into the eSports business.

According to a report by Nikkei Asia Review, Salim and ESL signed a strategic partnership in September to host eSports championships in Indonesia.

By tapping into eSports, Salim hopes to seize an opportunity in a market that has been growing rapidly in the region. According to Dutch research specialist Newzoo, Southeast Asia’s eSports community is estimated to grow at a 36 per cent CAGR between 2015 and 2019 to 19.8 million by the end of this year, making it the world’s fastest-growing population of esports enthusiasts.

This is the latest in a number of joint venture deals Salim has forged over the last few years. In the second half of 2018, Salim signed a joint venture agreement with Singapore’s Keppel Group to develop and operate a high-availability data centre in Bogor, about 35 km from Jakarta. Before that, it announced an e-commerce JV with Korea’s Lotte group, iLotte, with an investment of $100 million.

Also Read:

Indonesia’s traveltech unicorn Traveloka said to have acquired three regional rivals

Indonesian unicorn Traveloka’s co-founder steps down from CTO role

Indonesia’s Salim Group signs JV with Singapore’s Keppel to develop data center

Singapore Reporter/s

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Following vacancies can be applied for (only in Singapore).   

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Singapore Reporter/s

In Singapore, we are looking to double our reporting team by this year-end to comprehensively cover the fast-moving world of funded startups and VC, PE & M&A deals. We want reporters who can tell our readers what is really happening in these sectors and why it matters to markets, companies and consumers. The ability to write precisely and urgently is crucial for these roles. Ideal candidates must have to ability to work in a collaborative, dynamic, and fast-changing environment. We want our new hires to be digitally savvy and ready to experiment with new forms of storytelling. Most importantly, we are looking for hard-hitting reporters who work well in a team. Collaboration and collegiality are a must.

Following vacancies can be applied for (only in Singapore).

Following vacancies can be applied for (only in Singapore).   

  • A reporter to track companies/startups that have raised private capital, and have the potential to become unicorns. SEA currently has over 40 companies with a valuation of over $100 million and under $1 billion.
  • A reporter who can get behind the scenes and reveal how funding rounds are put together, or why they’ve failed to materialise. She/he in this role will largely focus on long-format stories. 
  • A journalist to track special situations funds, distressed debt and private credit (from the PE angle) across Asia.
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