Grab deepened its partnership with London-based global mobility marketplace Splyt Technologies to provide Grab users access to ride-hailing services anywhere in the world, the Singapore-headquartered ride-hailing firm announced in a statement.
The ride-hailing company already has an existing partnership with Splyt that allows Grab users to book ride-hailing services in 336 cities in eight Southeast Asian countries. Ctrip and AliPay customers visiting Southeast Asia can also book a Grab ride through their own apps, whereas Booking.com users will soon be able to book Grab rides through the Booking.com app by the third quarter of 2019.
Targeted for completion next year, the newly announced enhanced collaboration will allow Grab users traveling beyond Southeast Asia to book a ride through its platform and have Splyt’s partner companies–which include regional players like Lyft and Careem–fulfill the bookings.
Additionally, travellers will also be able to use their app in their native language and pay in their home currency. Grab also plans to add in features such as in-app travel tips, restaurant reviews, and attraction recommendations.
Aggregating ride-hailing services under one roof and making them accessible via cross-overs with other apps is a big trend in ride-hailing right now. It could significantly improve the ease-of-use of these services, especially for frequent travelers.
In the same statement, Grab also disclosed that is has invested in Splyt’s USD 8 million Series A funding round. The funding round brought the total amount Splyt has raised to USD 14 million. For Grab, working with Splyt is a way to formalize alliances with ride-hailing companies in different countries. Most of the major ride-hailing firms share investor DNA anyway. SoftBank has significant stakes in Uber, Grab, Ola, Didi, and others.