JAKARTA -- Two of Indonesia's largest tech companies, Gojek and Tokopedia, are in discussions over a merger, with a view to an initial public offering, as they gear up to confront the region's biggest tech company, Singapore's Sea, Nikkei Asia has learned.
The talks come as superapp provider Gojek's merger negotiations with Singapore-based rival Grab hit a snag, due to Grab founder and CEO Anthony Tan playing hardball and Grab's biggest financial backer SoftBank Group's Masayoshi Son losing patience, according to two people familiar with the matter. SoftBank is also Tokopedia's largest shareholder, and one person said Son has "given his blessing" to a Gojek-Tokopedia deal.
