Thailand-Based Staffing Platform Enters Indonesian Market

Thailand-based startup Helpster, the main focus of which is to connect blue collar workers and employers, has just received US$2.1 million from Indonesia’s Convergence Ventures and Singapore’s Wavemaker Partners, as well as several other strategic investors.

The funds will be used mainly to develop products and expand into the Indonesian market, said Helpster.

The startup, which was founded in January, uses a website and mobile applications -- now available in the Indonesian language -- to connect food and beverage, hospitality, event and logistics businesses with laborers, whether for temporary or permanent jobs.

“Traditional methods, such as information in brochures or labor brokers are deemed unsatisfactory in terms of the received labor’s quality,” Helpster co-founder Mathew Ward stated, noting that they are set to change the ways of labor recruitment.

The company is aware that reaching out to the entire blue collar worker population is challenging. However, it also sees a potential to grow. Adrian Li, managing partner of Convergence Ventures, stated that the growth of the food and beverage and hospitality sectors in Indonesia would provide great opportunities for Helpster to grow in the country.

The Helpster mobile app is available for both Android and iOS operating systems.

– Disclosure: The original article is in Indonesian and syndicated in English by The Jakarta Post