Geolah founder on constructing superapp

Established in 2020 by Deniel Singh and George Lim Ting, Geolah is touted to be a “next-gen tech platform” that gives a wide selection of transportation providers together with ride-hailing, personal chauffeur, carpool and parcel supply.

The 2 founders had first met again in 2018 when Deniel was a vp in a tech firm, aiding startups and enormous enterprises to examine, innovate and construct net and cellular platforms.

With over 23 years of expertise in each enterprise and IT, he possesses a deep understanding of the business and a powerful ardour for creating service platforms to digitise totally different domains.

In the meantime, Lim Ting is a self-made entrepreneur who has traveled the world whereas managing a number of companies. His aim is to make use of digital transformation to make transportation and meals extra accessible and reasonably priced for everybody, significantly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Geolah was born through the ‘circuit breaker’ interval, and the enterprise thought took place because of Deniel’s private expertise as a private-hire car (PHV) driver. He had recognized a number of challenges and gaps inside the conventional ride-hailing enterprise mannequin, so the duo got down to discover options.

I realised there have been floor challenges and gaps inside the enterprise mannequin. We finally discovered potential options, and Geolah was then based by locals for locals.  

– Deniel Singh, co-founder and COO of Geolah

With Geolah, their mission is to create a superapp that gives a variety of reasonably priced transportation providers and introduce zero fee price for partner-drivers.

Drivers don’t should pay any fee charges

In response to Deniel, a few of the standout components of Geolah is that it presents versatile work hours and a greater work-life steadiness for its drivers, in addition to reasonably priced experience fares and a digital driver onboarding course of.

In addition they launched zero-commission charges for its driver-partners — which means all experience fares goes on to the drivers, empowering them to satisfy their every day fundamental bills resembling every day automobile rental, petrol, parking et cetera.

Because of the excessive value of automobile rental and petrol, [it] results in decrease earnings [for drivers]. We would like our pool of partner-drivers to attain most earnings to satisfy their every day fundamental wants.

– Deniel Singh, co-founder and COO of Geolah

In distinction, main platform gamers cost drivers between 10 and 20 per cent fee charges, that are deducted from every journey. Drivers solely take pleasure in rebates or incentives after they full a sure variety of journeys inside a stipulated interval.

Deniel added that since Geolah permits most earnings for partner-drivers, they monetise by means of rebates from strategic companions as a substitute. Geolah permits huge manufacturers to launch focused promoting campaigns and promotions on its platform and over time, it hopes that it will develop into a big income by changing into a channel for sponsored content material for each passengers and drivers.

With an intention to supply reasonably priced fares for passengers, Geolah’s experience fares are calculated based mostly on driver availability, distance, and the kind of service.

To this point, the startup has recruited over 540 drivers, and it goals to recruit 2.5 per cent of the entire TDVL and PDVL pool of native drivers inside the subsequent 24 months. Citing statistics from the Land Transport Authority, Deniel stated that there are at the moment roughly 90,000 TDVL and 47,000 PDVL drivers in Singapore.

Enterprise roadmap for the subsequent two years

Within the subsequent two years, Geolah will likely be progressively introducing different providers resembling carpool, AirportXpress, CrossBorder, land excursions, parcel, meals and grocery supply providers.

Its ride-hailing service GeoRide will launch its beta trial on 14 February 2023, permitting passengers to e book a experience for private-hire automobiles, fixed-meter taxis and personal chauffeurs for one, 4, or eight-hour durations.

Its ride-hailing service Geolah will likely be launching its beta trial on 14 February 2023, permitting passengers to e book a experience for private-hire automobiles, mounted meter taxis and personal chauffeurs for one, 4, or eight-hour durations.

Within the third quarter of this 12 months, Geolah can even be rolling out “group rides” with the aim of offering subsidised and free rides.

We are going to educate and encourage our pool of partner-drivers to provide again and volunteer to supply rides, resembling fetching and sending animals from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) to vets. We’re additionally participating different non-profit associations to supply group experience service for the much less lucky, disabled and aged who wants to maneuver round.

– Deniel Singh, co-founder and COO of Geolah

Then within the early fourth quarter of this 12 months, Geolah will roll out its on-demand parcel supply service, GeoMove.

Subsequently, from 2025 onwards, its on-line grocery supply service GeoMart, on-line meals ordering service GeoBites, and transportation service GeoTrans will likely be rolled out.

Particularly, GeoTrans is a function that’s distinctive to Geolah, which presents heavy trucking providers resembling ambulance, buses and vans, for each the B2C and B2B segments.

With these slew of providers, together with its zero-commission charges and reasonably priced fares, Geolah hopes to draw extra customers and drivers onboard. By the top of 2023, it hopes to succeed in “1000’s of customers”.

Finally, it goals to form itself to develop into a ‘superapp’ as it really works on constructing a big person base, excessive engagement mannequin, and a powerful ecosystem of strategic companions.

We should proceed to innovate and evolve to supply a greater person expertise and a dependable infrastructure. [As part of] our technique to [gain more] market share, we emphasise in educating our partner-drivers on adopting our zero-commission charges and be open to suggestions. We strongly imagine this helps to determine areas of enchancment to develop the Geolah group.

– Deniel Singh, co-founder and COO of Geolah

As a self-funded startup, Deniel claims that the founders have sufficiently invested to maintain the enterprise for 5 years. As a part of their progress plans, they’re at the moment increasing the staff and searching for nice skills to affix the corporate.

Moreover, they’re exploring new markets throughout Southeast Asia and Asia Pacific to extend its person base and income streams. Particularly, they’re anticipating to launch in Brunei, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

They’re additionally engaged on figuring out new applied sciences and developments to introduce to the platform, and is open for collaborations and partnerships.

Featured Picture Credit score: Geolah