(Bloomberg) -- Ninja Van, a Southeast Asian logistics company that’s just raised $578 million from investors including Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., plans to hire 200 engineers to beef up its technology ahead of a potential initial public offering in the U.S. within two years.
Most Read from Bloomberg
The Country That Makes Breakfast for the World Is Plagued by Fire, Frost and Drought
Wall Street Titans Warn of the Next Big Risks for Investors
The Unstoppable Appeal of Highway Expansion
HSBC Bets Big on China as Pressure Mounts in London
How Los Angeles Became the City of Dingbats
The new hires across Singapore, Vietnam and Indonesia would double the startup’s engineering workforce to 400 in the next 18 months, Chief Executive Officer Lai Chang Wen, 34, said in a video interview.
Alibaba Invests in Singapore Logistics Unicorn Ninja Van
Ninja Van, which is 40% owned by European logistics company GeoPost/DPDgroup, plans to invest in technology and automation to improve its parcel delivery services as Southeast Asia’s e-commerce industry expands rapidly. It plans to allocate the bulk of the funds on Ninja Direct, a relatively new business that allows online sellers in the region to buy products from China and other markets. The service includes customs clearance, delivery and financing, Lai said.
“I see so much potential in the Ninja Direct business and so much more room for growth in our core business,” the CEO said. “We need to execute first, but I don’t think we’re too far away. We can push to an IPO” within two years, he said.
Seven-year-old Ninja Van is among the biggest Southeast Asian startup employers with 61,000 workers across six countries, including 46,000 who work as truck drivers, warehouse staff and in other operational roles. The company has raised a total of $974.5 million from investors including Monk’s Hill Ventures, B Capital Group and Zamrud, according to Crunchbase.
Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek
‘Most Americans Today Believe the Stock Market Is Rigged, and They’re Right’
A Tiny Piece of Plastic Is Helping Farmers Use Far Less Water
The Energy Future Needs Cleaner Batteries
Evergrande Debt Crisis Is Financial Stress Test No One Wanted
Microsoft and an Army of Tiny Telecoms Are Part of a Plan to Wire Rural America
©2021 Bloomberg L.P.
