[Watch] Scaling a superapp: Grab’s formula for growth and innovation

The key to winning Southeast Asia

Grab started as a taxi-hailing app in Malaysia and grew organically by addressing hyperlocal needs. For instance, drivers’ downtime inspired food delivery, while their financial needs led to lending products. Features like cash payments and custom-built maps for motorcycles reflect Grab’s deep focus on local consumer behaviors.

“We obsess about each market’s needs,” says Kandal. This hyperlocal approach sets Grab apart, enabling operations across eight countries with [now over 44 million monthly users*]. Grab’s product teams are structured into “tech families” to balance regional strategy with market-specific customization.

Immersive product development

Kandal’s team regularly immerses themselves in the daily work of drivers and merchants, gaining firsthand insights to improve products. Experiences like delivering food in heavy rain inform solutions that enhance efficiency and user satisfaction. Grab also learns from global leaders like DoorDash and Uber to complement its hyperlocal strategy.

Driving impact with tech

Grab uses cutting-edge technology like proprietary maps, AI-powered computer vision, and multilingual generative AI to solve real-world problems.These innovations make services accessible to Southeast Asia’s diverse population, where smartphone adoption is high.

As a public company valued [over US$20 billion as of May 2025*], Grab has achieved profitability while looking ahead to emerging technologies like self-driving cars and advanced AI.

Kandal views these advancements as opportunities to tackle previously unsolvable challenges. “The last few years in tech have been the most fun for me,” he shares.

Catch Philipp Kandal’s episode on The Product Podcast via all major platforms.

*These figures have been updated and deviate slightly from those mentioned in the interview