Indonesia Digest: Grab partners ITB for R&D; Telkomsel backs PrivyID Series A2

Grab has partnered with Bandung Institute of Technology to conduct R&D while Jakarta-based digital signature firm PrivyID has secured its Series A2 funding from Telkomsel Mitra Inovasi.

Grab partners Bandung Institute of Technology

Southeast Asian ride-hailing app Grab has established a partnership with Bandung Institute of Technology or ITB to conduct research and development for electric-based transportation, the company said in a statement.

The partnership, which was signed on Tuesday, will cover the creation and development of electric-based vehicle prototypes, research, and development of spare parts and the creation of joint R&D publications.

The agreement is also part of an electric scooter service or GrabWheels that was launched at the ITB campus in Bandung, West Java. Grab deploys 50 electric scooters that are available across five locations on campus.

“After being present in many locations in Jabodetabek, we are very happy to bring GrabWheels to Bandung and choose ITB Campus as our first location here,” Grab Indonesia executive director Ongky Kurniawan said.

PrivyID snags Series A extension funding from Telkomsel arm

Jakarta-based digital signature firm PrivyID has secured an undisclosed Series A extension round from Telkomsel Mitra Inovasi, the venture arm of state-controlled telco operator Telkomsel.

Established in 2016, PrivyID’s digital signature platform, which is certified by The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, enables individuals and enterprises to digitally sign and transfer documents online, with an integrated audit trail using electronic identity verification technology.

PrivyID also works with the nascent technology partners, including AI-driven document checkers, liveness detection, facial recognition, public key infrastructure, and smart authentication gateway.

The startup now has over 4.5 million customers, and tie-ups with over 200 institutional clients including Telkom Group, BRI, Mandiri, Investree, BCA Finance, and Adira Finance.

Previously, DealStreetAsia reported that PrivyID was targeting to secure $5 million in a Series A funding round. The startup had already managed to bag $3 million.

The company is backed by existing investors MDI Ventures and Mandiri Capital Indonesia.

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