IN FOCUS
Hello Betamax,
A few months ago, Indonesia capped the commissions that ride-hailing platforms can charge for two-wheeler services at 8%. This raised concerns about the potential impact on the operators’ financial performance.
But so far, it seems that players have emerged unscathed. After GoTo continued its profitability streak, Grab also posted a profit of US$18 million in the third quarter of 2026.
Apart from that topline profit number, Grab hit a significant milestone in the quarter.
In today’s Top Story, we take a look at Grab’s Q3 2026 financial performance through charts. For the first time, all of its core segments – mobility, deliveries, and financial services – turned profitable on a segment-adjusted EBITDA basis.
Financial services recorded US$12 million in segment-adjusted EBITDA compared with a US$28 million loss in Q3 2025. The segment looks set to become stronger following Grab’s announcement in September that it would acquire buy now, pay later firm Atome.
Meanwhile, Grab CEO and co-founder Anthony Tan shared updates on the company’s AI initiatives during the earnings call. One of the highlights was the partnership between Grab and Meta’s Muse in Singapore.
Users can access Muse’s AI assistant to discover and use services such as GrabMart and Grab Dine Out. Read on to explore how this tie-up could ramp up Grab’s AI implementation across its platform.
Jofie Yordan, journalist
TOP STORY
Grab’s financial health in 8 charts
Grab’s latest earnings point to a bigger shift in Southeast Asia’s digital economy, with the battle among super apps now hinging on how effectively they can make money from existing users.
Financial services allow Grab to go beyond rides and food orders, but its rapid expansion into loansalso increases its exposure to credit risks. Grab needs to prove that it can turn its millions of users into a profitable banking and lending customer base, rather than simply adding more services to its app.
SPOTLIGHT
Grab meets Muse
 Image credit: Meta Grab’s partnership with Muse in Singapore could pave the way for the wider adoption of shopping via AI agents on super apps. This also marks a shift for platforms, which are beginning to use AI tools not just for internal operations but also to serve end customers.
During Grab’s Q3 earnings call, CEO Anthony Tan said users can ask Muse to build a basket from a GrabMart store. The basket then appears in their Grab app, where they can review and approve the purchase. While the service is currently being piloted in Singapore, Tan said Grab could cover more services and markets “when the time is right.”
Rather than competing to own every customer interaction, Grab appears willing to let platforms such as Meta handle product discovery while retaining control of merchants, inventory, payments, and fulfillment.
This could help Grab reach customers beyond its app without having to spend as much on customer acquisition, although the impact on orders and revenue remains unproven.
TRENDING NEWS
1️⃣ MoneySmart reports customer data breach in Singapore, HK
An investigation confirmed that an unauthorized party copied personal data belonging to some customers in both markets.
2️⃣ Oracle plans to raise $20b for AI, cloud expansion
The tech giant’s shares have fallen roughly 33% this year, with investors focused on its high exposure to OpenAI.
3️⃣ Binance faces $4.7b in outflows after crypto theft
The net withdrawal of US$4.72 billion comes after about US$6.3 billion in crypto were stolen from the trading platform. The FBI has blamed the theft on state-sponsored North Korean hackers.
4️⃣ Nvidia-backed Cohere launches defense AI accelerator in SG
The accelerator is aimed at helping defense organizations and government customers move AI projects from pilots to deployment in secure environments. Toronto-based Cohere, which specializes in sovereign AI for regulated industries and governments, said the program will support on-premises, hybrid, and air-gapped deployments.
5️⃣ Vietnam’s Viettel unveils VGC v1.0 chip for secure government systems
The chip passed technical tests in the first quarter of 2026. Its release is in line with Vietnam’s efforts to develop its semiconductor sector.
THE REAL ROI OF EVENTS ISN’T WHAT YOU THINK IT IS
The dust has settled on Tech in Asia Conference 2026. Now comes the inevitable post-event question: “Did we actually get ROI?”
When leadership expects immediate closed-won deals from a spreadsheet of badge scans, it’s easy to treat events like expensive ad spots. But after walking 40,000 steps on-site and hosting 1,500+ enterprise decision-makers, we had to reevaluate what event success actually looks like.
Between lead scanner glitches at previous conferences and our strategy of trading massive crowd sizes for curated, closed-door rooms (like filtering 100+ signups into an intimate 20-person lunch), our biggest takeaway was simple: the era of the generic 10,000-person mega-hall is over.
Click here to read our behind-the-scenes review, the candid feedback from our sponsors and team, and why the real ROI of any event is the community you build.
PRESS PEEKS
The following press releases were published as they were received, without any editing from the Tech in Asia team. You, too, can publish your own press release on our site by simply filling out this form. Our team will get back to you by the next business day.
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WHO'S HIRING
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Customer Service Agent (REMOTE) at Deliveree On-Demand Logistics (Southeast Asia)
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Digital Marketing Intern at Ematic Solutions
| Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
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IT Project Manager at PT Allo Bank Indonesia Tbk
| Jakarta, Indonesia
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