Asian startups step out of Silicon Valley's shadow

Solving local problems turns regional tech companies into global competitors

20170412_Gojek

A Go-Jek driver ferries a passenger through the traffic-choked streets of Central Jakarta.

SHOTARO TANI and TSUBASA SURUGA, Nikkei staff writers

TOKYO/JAKARTA Nur Dwi Sasi's daily commute to her workplace in South Jakarta used to be a daunting task. The 47-year-old office worker had to walk in the scorching heat to catch a jam-packed minibus before changing to another, equally crowded bus. The trip could sometimes take up to three hours, and she was lucky if even one of those buses had air conditioning.

Her commute got a lot more comfortable a year ago, when she began using a smartphone app to hail motorbike taxis from startup Go-Jek Indonesia.

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