Global investors will have access to one of Southeast Asia's biggest tech players when Grab lists in the U.S. this year. (Source photos by Ken Kobayashi and Getty Images)

What Singapore's Grab brings to global investors with U.S. listing

Superapp emerges as alternative investment vehicle amid China tech crackdown

KENTARO IWAMOTO, Nikkei staff writer

October 29, 2021 06:00 JST

SINGAPORE -- It was 2018 when Uber Technologies pulled out of Southeast Asia amid stiff competition with local ride-hailing players. Three years on, the company that took over Uber's operations has grown into one of the region's biggest tech groups, nearing a public market debut in the U.S.

When Grab begins trading on Nasdaq, it will not be a simple transport app. It will come with food and grocery delivery, payments and insurance businesses, among others, making it a unique alternative for tech investors who might have liked stocks such as Uber, DoorDash or China's Alibaba and Didi Chuxing.