Balancing the scales, one opportunity at a time

• Students and small businesses in Southeast Asia can look forward to better access to education and economic opportunities, thanks to 500-backed superapp Grab!
• On its 10th anniversary, the company announced two new initiatives in its continued mission to drive inclusive growth in Southeast Asia: a US$1 million GrabScholar program for students in the region, and a new GrabMerchant Centre to help small businesses grow online.
• Anthony Tan, Co-founder & Group CEO said, “We hope that our announcements today will help small businesses and our future workforce upskill, and maximize their opportunities, even in this challenging macro environment.
• “Providing access to digital tools can be a powerful way to ensure all Southeast Asians can equally participate in – and benefit from – the rising digital economy, the same way 10 years ago when our driver-partners learned how to use their smartphones to earn incomes,” he added.
• The GrabScholar program plans to award over 2,000 scholarships and bursaries annually, covering tuition and study-related expenses for underprivileged children to attend school as well as university.
• What’s more, internship opportunities will also be offered to tertiary students to develop their professional aptitude and prepare them for full-time roles when they graduate.
• For small businesses, Grab’s first-ever GrabMerchant Center will provide one-on-one business consultation services dedicated to helping SME merchant-partners optimize their online presence, as well as maximize Grab services such as GrabFood, GrabMart, GrabFin, and GrabAds.
• The center will also regularly organize upskilling workshops to help merchant-partners stay abreast of the latest industry trends and developments. These will also serve as networking sessions to facilitate business connections and a small business community for collective learning.
• Read the full announcement here.