Grab CEO, DPM Wong recount Grab’s early days – A look at its new S’pore HQ at one-north

Southeast Asia’s leading superapp Grab, officially launched its new Singapore headquarter (HQ) today (August 11). This is its second HQ in the region, following its other one in Jakarta, Indonesia, which serves as Grab’s regional innovation hub for small businesses.

Located at one-north business park, this new nine-storey facility spans more than 42,000 sqm. The building houses about 3,000 Grabbers, including its newly-formed digibank team. It also features a R&D Centre, as well as its first GrabMerchant Centre.

“It seemed like only yesterday that our early Grab team and I worked out of the driver’s room in a rental car office. At that time, our v1 app did only one thing — book a ride. It didn’t even give an estimated time of arrival or offer cashless payments, which are features we take for granted today,” said Anthony Tan, co-founder and Group CEO of Grab at the opening event today.

“We wouldn’t have imagined that one day, we’d have our own campus in the tech hub of Singapore, housing an R&D team that is developing hyperlocal solutions to solve real problems for Southeast Asia. I am so grateful to our private sector and government partners, as well as our Grabbers, for having worked so hard to make this campus a reality.”

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong, who graced the event, commented that Grab’s journey for the past decade has indeed been an inspiring one. Just like the Singapore story, Grab adopts a similar narrative — an “underdog [that succeeds] against all odds and [make] the impossible possible.”

Grab had humble beginnings and has successfully grown “from virtually nothing” into a tech giant, as it confronts and overcome challenges along the way.

“10 years ago, most of us used our phones to talk, maybe to search the internet, but certainly not to purchase goods and services. [Grab] had to convince both drivers and riders to use a new platform no one had heard of. And [it] had to confront the complex and fragmented Southeast Asian market, which was difficult to penetrate and expand into, as well as face larger competitors,” said DPM Wong.

“But like Singapore, Grab addressed [its] challenges head on — [it] converted vulnerabilities into opportunities. And like Singapore, Grab survived and prospered through the sheer grit, ingenuity and hard work of its people. That is why today, Grab has grown from a small ride-hailing platform to a leading super-app in Southeast Asia.”

An inside look of the Grab office

Neon lights at reception area / Image Credit: GrabSeats at the reception area / Image Credit: GrabGrab offers flexible workspaces. Employees are free to seat anywhere within a designated area in the office / Image Credit: GrabThere’s also a co-working area / Image Credit: GrabBeyond the more open and collaborative spaces, the office also offers private cubicles and booths / Image Credit: Vulcan PostThere is also a “non-bookable cockpit” for those who wants a more quiet space to work in / Image Credit: Vulcan PostSince the Grab office is big on hot desking, it provides a wide array of lockers for employees to store their belongings / Image Credit: Vulcan PostEvery level of the Grab office has two pantries, stocked with free-flow snacks and beverages / Image Credit: Vulcan PostThis UX Lab lets Grab host focus groups for research purposes / Image Credit: Vulcan PostBroadcast studio for livestream sessions, which is something new that Grab is exploring to empower its merchants / Image Credit: GrabGrab has a pro-family office culture, in which it allows employees to bring their kids to the office / Image Credit: GrabThis is a dedicated ‘Kidzone’, which is essentially a play area for children / Image Credit: GrabThere’s also a nursing room on every level for mothers to pump breastmilk, feed their babies, or change diapers / Image Credit: GrabAll Grab employees can also utilise this free gym, which is open from 7am to 10pm daily / Image Credit: GrabThere’s also a separate fitness corner for Grabbers to conduct other forms of exercises like yoga / Image Credit: Grab Names of Grab’s meeting rooms have Southeast Asia influences. For instance, one level features meeting rooms that are named after words of affirmation in different languages across the region / Image Credit: GrabMeanwhile, this seating area in its office are named after different dishes found in Southeast Asia / Image Credit: GrabThere are several ‘chill’ corners littered around the Grab office. This particular one features a Grab wall made out of LEGO, as well as a book exchange shelf / Image Credit: GrabThere’s also another corner that has a foosball table / Image Credit: GrabEmployees are also free to hang out at the Sky Garden to relax amidst the greenery / Image Credit: GrabThe Grab office is so expansive that it even has a digital wayfinder so Grabbers can easily navigate their way around the office / Image Credit: Vulcan PostGrab also has an in-house cafeteria at another part of its building, called makan@Grab, which is also open to the public / Image Credit: GrabIt houses several F&B stalls, including a bubble tea stall / Image Credit: GrabGrab employees are entitled to a staff discount when they dine here / Image Credit: Grab

What’s next for Grab?

Grab started out as a mere ride-hailing company, but it has since expanded its services to cover a wide range of verticals, including deliveries and financial services.

Today, it is present in 480 cities in eight countries across SEA, with millions of users onboard.

Last month on July 4, Grab achieved its 10 billionth journey, making it a “happy convergence of serving 10 billion rides and orders in 10 years”. It was a huge milestone for the company, which Tan feels is only made possible with everyone’s “unwavering trust, partnership and support”.

This latest unveiling of Grab’s Singapore HQ is another milestone that the company is proud of, and it’s a testament of how far they’ve come for the last decade.

As it seeks to foster a strong pipeline of local tech talent, Grab is also actively hiring across the company — this is a continuous effort on its part.

“Together, let’s continue to leverage tech for good and create opportunities for everyone to grow in this digital economy, to shape a better, and more sustainable Southeast Asia,” summed up Tan in his opening speech.

Featured Image Credit: Grab