Pintarnya Raises $16.7m To Power Jobs And Financial Services In Indonesia

Pintarnya, an Indonesian employment level that goes beyond occupation matching by offering financial services on pinch full-time and side-gig opportunities, said it has raised a $16.7 cardinal Series A round.

The backing was led by Square Peg pinch information from existing investors Vertex Venture Southeast Asia & India and East Ventures.

Ghirish Pokardas, Nelly Nurmalasari, and Henry Hendrawan founded Pintarnya successful 2022 to tackle 2 of nan biggest challenges Indonesians look daily: earning capable and borrowing responsibly.

“Traditionally, wide workers successful Indonesia find jobs offline done occupation fairs aliases connection of mouth, pinch employers buried successful insubstantial applications and candidates seldom proceeding back. For borrowing, their options are often constricted to family/friend aliases predatory lenders pinch harsh postulation practices,” Henry Hendrawan, co-founder of Pintarnya, told TechCrunch. “We digitize occupation matching pinch AI to make hiring faster and we supply workers pinch safer, healthier lending options — designed astir what they tin reasonably afford, alternatively than pushing them deeper into debt.”

Around 59% of Indonesia’s 150 cardinal workforce is employed successful nan informal sector, highlighting nan difficulties these workers brushwood successful accessing general financial services because they deficiency verifiable income and charismatic employment documentation.

Pintarnya tackles this situation by partnering pinch asset-backed lenders to connection secured loans, utilizing collateral specified arsenic gold, electronics, aliases vehicles, Hendrawan added.

Since its seed backing successful 2022, nan level presently serves complete 10 cardinal occupation seeker users and 40,000 employers nationwide. Its gross has accrued almost fivefold year-over-year and expects to scope break-even by nan extremity of nan year, Hendrawn noted. Pintarnya chiefly serves users aged 21 to 40, astir of whom person a precocious schoolhouse acquisition aliases a certificate beneath assemblage level. The startup intends to attraction connected this underserved segment, fixed nan ample organization of blue-collar and informal workers successful Indonesia.

“Through nan travel of building employment services, we discovered that our users needed much than conscionable jobs — they needed entree to financial services that accepted banks couldn’t provide,” said Hendrawan. “We digitize occupation matching pinch AI to make hiring faster and we supply workers pinch safer, healthier lending options — designed astir what they tin reasonably afford, alternatively than pushing them deeper into debt.”

image credits: Pintarnya (Founders of Pintarnya Ghirish Pokardas, Nelly Nurmalasari, and Henry Hendrawan)

While Indonesia already has occupation platforms for illustration JobStreet, Kalibrr, and Glints, these chiefly cater to white-collar roles, which correspond only a mini information of nan workforce, according to Hendrawan. Pintarnya’s level is designed specifically for blue-collar workers, offering tailored experiences specified arsenic quick-apply options for walk-in interviews, affordable e-learning connected applicable skills, in-app opportunities for supplemental income, and seamless connections to financial services for illustration loans.

The aforesaid inclination is evident successful Indonesia’s fintech sector, which likewise caters to white-collar aliases upper-middle-class consumers. Conventional in installments scoring models for loans, which trust connected dependable monthly income and slope relationship activity, often time off blue-collar workers overlooked by existing fintech providers, Hendrawan explained.

When asked astir which fintech services are astir successful demand, Hendrawan mentioned, “Given their employment status, lending is nan astir in-demand financial work for Pintarnya’s users today. We are readying to ‘graduate’ them to micro-savings and investments down nan roadworthy done innovative products pinch our partners.”

The caller backing will alteration Pintarnya to fortify its level exertion and broaden its financial work offerings done strategical partnerships. With astir Indonesian workers employed successful blue-collar and informal sectors, nan co-founders spot important maturation opportunities successful nan section market. Leveraging their extended acquisition successful managing businesses crossed Southeast Asia, they are besides unfastened to exploring location description erstwhile nan timing is right.

“Our imagination is for Pintarnya to beryllium nan mundane companion that empowers Indonesians to not only make ends meet today, but besides plan, grow, and upgrade their lives tomorrow … In 5 years, we spot Pintarnya arsenic nan go-to ace app for Indonesia’s workers, not conscionable for earning income, but arsenic a trusted partner passim their life journey,” Hendrawan said. “We want to beryllium nan first extremity erstwhile personification is looking for work, a spot that helps them upgrade their skills, and a reliable guideline arsenic they make financial decisions.”