SEA Digest: Grab, BRI Ventures launch Batch 4; Shopee boosts Latam presence

Grab and BRI Ventures have launched Batch 4 to support Indonesian startups while Shopee, the e-commerce arm of Sea Ltd, will launch in Colombia and Chile.

Grab, BRI Ventures launch Batch 4 to support Indonesian startups

Southeast Asian super app Grab and BRI Ventures, the venture capital arm of Indonesia’s largest state-owned bank Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI), have launched Grab Ventures Velocity (GVV) Batch 4 x Sembrani Wira to support Indonesian startups, according to an announcement. 

The programme will identify and develop post-seed startups in Indonesia whose products and services serve merchants and micro-entrepreneurs. 

GVV, which was started in 2018, has seen 20 startups graduate from its programmes. Last year, GVV in partnership with BRI Ventures opened the third batch of its early-stage accelerator in the region. GVV Batch 3 focused on startups providing value-add services for the restaurant businesses and B2B logistics space.

Sembrani Wira, an accelerator by BRI Ventures, facilitates the development of digital startups in Indonesia.

Shopee to launch in Colombia and Chile

Sea Group’s e-commerce platform Shopee will launch in Colombia and Chile as it continues its push into the Latin American market, Reuters reported.

Social media pages for Shopee Colombia and Shopee Chile created on Wednesday said the company would offer free shipping in the countries.

In February, Shopee launched an app for Mexico, where it plans to offer online sales in what would be its second market in the Americas.

Shopee entered Brazil in October 2019, aiming to boost the company’s cross-border business.

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