Gojek, an Indonesia-based company, has transformed into a leading provider of on-demand multi-services and digital payments.
Established in 2009, Gojek began its journey as a simple call center, connecting consumers with courier delivery and two-wheeler ride-hailing services.
In 2015, Gojek launched its first mobile app and introduce
four service categories: GoRide, GoSend, GoShop, and GoFood.
This marked the start of Gojek’s evolution into a Super App.
Over the years, Gojek’s growth has been nothing short of remarkable, with the company now valued at $10 billion.
Who founded Gojek?
If you're curious about the minds behind Gojek, it’s worth noting the impressive story of its co-founders: Nadiem Makarim, Michaelangelo Moran, and Kevin Aluwi.
Among these co-founders, Nadiem Makarim, who holds degrees from Brown University and Harvard Business School, is the foundation.
Before co-founding Gojek, Nadiem gained valuable experience working for three years at McKinsey & Company.
It was during this time he identified a significant problem in Indonesia's transportation sector.
The problem is that drivers spent much of their time searching for passengers, while riders faced the same struggle looking for drivers.
Typical traditional taxi booking problem, right?
This is what inspires Nadiem to create Gojek, along with his co-founders.
Gojek business model - One app, many services
Gojek is often called a “super app,” meaning it offers a whole ecosystem of services within a single mobile application.
Think of it like a Swiss army knife app that can do many things.
You no longer need separate apps for calling a ride, ordering dinner, or paying your electricity bill.
Gojek’s platform provides more than 20 on-demand services under one roof.
This multi-service model makes life easier for consumers: with one login and one wallet (GoPay), you can access transportation, food delivery, parcel delivery, payments, shopping, and other daily needs.
It’s convenient for users and creates a loyal customer base because the more you rely on Gojek for different tasks, the more “locked in” you are to its ecosystem.
What do they offer?
- GoPay - e-wallet service
- GoRide - Motorcycle Taxi service
- Go-car - Raid-hailing service
- Gobluebird - Unlike Go-car, the riders are charged by the meters they travel.
- Go-food - Food delivery service
- Go-Mart - Grocery shopping
- Go-send - Courier delivery service
- Go-Tix - Online ticket booking
- Go-med - An app-based medicine delivery service
- Go-massage - Personal massage service
- Go-clean - Professional house cleaning service
- Go-glam - Beauty service
- Go-auto - Automobile service company
- Go-bills - Bill payment service
- Go-play & Go-service - Video streaming platform
- Go-Pertamina - on-demand fuel delivery service
How Gojek generates revenue
Commissions on services
Gojek takes a commission from each transaction on its platform.
This includes a percentage cut from drivers’ ride fares and from merchants’ food orders.
Every time you take a trip or order food, the provider gives a slice to Gojek for facilitating the deal.
Delivery and service fees
When customers use services like GoFood or GoSend, they often pay added fees (delivery fees, small service charges).
Gojek earns money from these fees on top of the commissions.
For example, each food delivery or parcel delivery has a fee, part of which goes to Gojek.
Digital payment fees
Through GoPay, Gojek earns transaction fees from merchants.
Businesses that accept GoPay may pay a fee, much like a card swipe fee, to GoPay/GoTo Financial.
Additionally, fintech products like GoPayLater generate interest or service fees, contributing to revenue as the user base grows.
Advertising and partnerships
With millions of users, Gojek’s platform is prime real estate for promotions.
The company can earn advertising revenue by featuring restaurants or other businesses in the app.
By late 2024, advertising made up a growing share of Gojek’s food commerce revenue (for instance, ads accounted for around 1.6% of GoFood’s gross merchandise value) and saw 90%+ annual revenue growth.
Subscriptions and memberships
Gojek offers subscription plans, such as GoFood Plus, or possibly a GoRide Pass that users pay for monthly to get benefits like free deliveries or discounts.
These provide recurring income for the company.
There are also loyalty programs that, while mostly about user retention, sometimes have paid tiers.
E-commerce commissions
After the Tokopedia merger, the group also earns marketplace commissions and fees.
Sellers on Tokopedia pay commissions on sales and advertising fees to reach customers, which now indirectly benefit GoTo’s bottom line.
This isn’t “Gojek” alone, but it’s a revenue stream of the combined ecosystem worth noting.
Employees
Gojek’s journey is nothing short of inspiring. What began with a humble partnership with just 20 motorbike drivers has grown into a company employing over 3,000 people.
In 2018, Gojek took a bold step toward further growth by announcing a $500 million investment aimed at expanding into the Southeast Asian market.
This move underscored their commitment to scaling their operations and solidifying their presence in one of the world’s most dynamic regions.
Their achievement
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Gojek ranks 17 in Fortune's 2017 list of "56 Companies that Changed the World
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Also in 2019, they made it into Fortune's Top 50 Companies That Changed The World
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Superior Products and Services Awards 2016
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The BrandZ Top 15 Most Valuable Indonesian Brands 2019
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Top 3 Brand Performers and Top 3 Most Powerful Transportation/Logistic brands
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The Best Indonesia Mobile App 2015
These are all glimpses of their achievement, the real ones stay on enhancing their users' lives by giving access to every service, called super app, and have also created enormous employment opportunities.
Rebranding
Gojek announced its complete rebranding on July 2019, to embody the transformation of being a ride-hailing business to achieve the position of the super app.
Yes, they have done it quite successfully.
Key partner
- Delivery partner
- Banks
- Fundraiser
- Merchant
Key activity
- Advertise & Marketing
- Expansion
- Add more services to the portfolio
- App experience
- Talent acquisition
Value proposition
For consumer
- Wide range of service
- Pleasant app experience
- Customer support
- Secure payments
For merchant
- Provides platforms
- Profit margin
Buzz over the Super App
Statistics show that the average smartphone user has around 40 apps installed but actively uses only a handful.
This highlights the frustration of managing multiple apps.
Super apps eliminate the need to juggle numerous apps for different needs.
Now, every successful company aims to consolidate its product offerings and make them accessible through a single platform.
Transition over the years
2010: Gojek began with the mission to improve the ecosystem of motorbike taxis by connecting riders with their call centers.
2015: They launched their first mobile app, scaling daily orders from 3,000 to 100,000.
2016: Daily orders surged to 300,000, leading to a 150% increase in driver salaries.
2017: Within two years of the app launch, Gojek achieved 30 million monthly bookings and empowered over 30,000 individuals with disabilities.
2018: With 18 products, Gojek crossed 100 million orders and expanded to Vietnam, Singapore, and Thailand.
2019: Their contribution to Indonesia's economy doubled compared to the previous year.
2020: The launch of GoStore enabled local micro, small, and medium enterprises to set up online stores effortlessly.
End note
For business enthusiasts, Gojek’s journey is nothing short of inspiring.
From humble beginnings to becoming a super app, they’ve redefined the traditional playbook and introduced a dynamic new template for success.
Stay tuned for more inspiring stories and business insights in our next blog!