Workmate operates a digital workforce management platform and marketplace that helps informal workers find jobs, get paid on time, and demonstrate work quality to employers. The platform focuses on essential services such as warehousing and delivery and currently operates in Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia. Workmate says it grew 200% during the COVID-19 crisis and highlights that its placed workers in Thailand are 63% female; its data shows women are more reliable across both markets. The company aims to onboard more workers in Indonesia and Thailand and to ensure fair, timely wage payments through its product. The platform targets inefficiencies in the informal labor market, which Workmate says causes ~30% productivity loss for businesses, and serves a sizable addressable market of roughly 160 million informal workers in Southeast Asia. Workmate positions itself as a market leader for informal-worker financial inclusion and quality matching while deepening country-level operations. Workmate operates a mobile platform that connects pre-screened informal workers with nearby employers, automating services traditionally provided by manpower agencies. The app matches workers to job offers and manages contracts, attendance, timesheets and payments. It offers protections against wage fraud and provides social security; the company plans to add insurance and access to financial support. Workmate serves clients such as aCommerce, JD Central, Lazada, Grab, NinjaVan, Kopi Kenangan and Ismaya Group. The startup will use the new funding to grow its tech team, strengthen sales, and expand into new cities by 2020. The company was founded in January 2016 (originally named Helpster) and rebranded to Workmate in November 2019. Helpster operates a mobile app that vets and matches semi-skilled, temporary workers with employers, handling hiring, attendance and payment in one place. The startup runs in Thailand and Indonesia with about 50 staff split between Bangkok and Jakarta and has served over 500 clients, primarily in F&B and hospitality. Workers choose schedules and jobs via the app, keep their full wage (Helpster charges clients separately), and can earn bonuses, health insurance and social security after working set days. Helpster estimates that 40% of the region’s 100 million semi-skilled workers take casual work and uses this as its addressable market thesis. The company plans to double down on technology—particularly machine learning and data services to predict worker reliability and fit—and may expand to additional cities such as Bali and Phuket next year while focusing on gaining share in Thailand and Indonesia first. Helpster operates a platform that helps companies find blue-collar candidates for temporary and full-time roles across industries such as food and beverage, warehouse, hospitality, customer service and retail. The company was founded in January 2016 by Matthew Ward (CEO) and John Srivorakul (CTO) and employs about 35 staff, the majority of whom are based in Thailand. Helpster recently entered the Indonesian market and plans to use new funding to grow its position there while increasing its presence in Thailand. It raised $2.1 million in funding to support expansion across Southeast Asia. The founders estimate the regional industry comprises around 100 million workers and represents roughly $200 billion per year in wages. Helpster sees rising smartphone adoption in markets like Thailand and Indonesia as creating new opportunities to reach job seekers and employers.

Total raised

$20M

Funding rounds

4

Latest round

Debt Financing

Latest activity

Jul 2021