Successful unicorn startups in Singapore

Image adapted from: Carouselle27, and Glassdoor

“Two roads diverged in a wood and I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” ~ Robert Frost 

Indeed, those who build startups from scratch walk the path less traveled, detracting from conventional paths of success by striking out on their own. And what a difference it has made – these 8 startups in Singapore have achieved phenomenal success, some even reaching “unicorn” status, valued at over $1 billion today.

Good news for those of you looking to climb, no, fly up the career ladder – these star startups actually have job positions available!

P.S. For those of you who’re trained in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fields, you’re in luck, as your expertise is highly sought after here.

1. Klook – travel platform

Image credit: Klook

When you think of going on that dream vacation, you would fret over what to do and the costs of doing these things. This is where Klook steps in.

Founded in 2014, this travel startup offers attractively low prices on more than 50,000 activities across over 200 Asian destinations on its platform. That means cheaper and fast pass tickets to Universal Studios Japan, or a discounted Swiss Travel Pass for your vacation to Switzerland – all accessible on your phone.

Image credit: Klook

In just four years, Klook has rapidly expanded to Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and even Dubai and Switzerland – and we’re betting it’ll continue to grow, so show ’em how your expertise is needed to move things along. (Free travel doesn’t hurt, too).

Career positions available:

  • Business Analytics
  • Marketing & Growth
  • E-Commerce Optimisation
  • Social Media & Content

Website

2. Go-Jek – taxi, mobile food payments, and food delivery

Image credit: Asean Football

If you think Grab is the only company in Singapore who does it all – taxi transportation, mobile payments, and food delivery – think again. Go-Jek is the next big guy to enter the scene.

Originally from Indonesia, Go-Jek does all that and even provides cleaning and massage services. So, if you’re looking to gain experience in multiple industries within a single company, keep Go-Jek within your sights.

Plus, if you’re a techie who understands the quirks of C++ or Python, Go-Jek is on the lookout for you, rolling out a range of tech roles like iOS/Android Engineers and Software Leads.

Career positions available: 

  • Full Stack Engineer
  • Android Engineer
  • iOS Engineer
  • Software Engineering Lead
  • Office of the CTO – Program Manager

Website

3. Lazada – mobile and online shopping

The office even has a foosball table!
Image credit: Glassdoor

Lazada has become a familiar name for most of us, for it rolls out generous deals on products ranging from beauty & wellness to even baby strollers – all through their app or online portal.

Image credit: YugaTech

Originally launched in 2012, Lazada operates in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines. And of course, the huge diversity of Lazada’s key markets means more job openings. If you have an interest in e-commerce and are keen to work in a pretty sweet office, this might be right up your alley.

Note: Lazada is particularly in need of those among you who’re experts in engineering!

Career positions available: 

  • Data analysis
    • BI Analyst – Customer Care
    • Associate, Strategy & Planning (BI) – Commercial
  • Ethical hacking / computer science
    • System Engineer – Corporate IT
    • Machine Learning Engineer
    • Network Engineering Lead

Explore the full range of Lazada’s jobs here.

Website

4. Sea – gaming and online & mobile shopping

Image credit: e27

It’s okay if Sea doesn’t ring a bell with you, but if you happen to be a gamer, a shopper, or better still, a combo of both, you’ll have heard of their digital platforms: Garena and Shopee. Sea was originally just Garena when it was founded in 2009, but it has since then expanded to include online shopping (Shopee), and more recently, digital finances (AirPay).

With operations extending all over Asia in China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam, Sea is set to continue growing and expanding its operations. Translation: more job openings for you, especially in data and software development areas.

Career positions available: 

  • Data Analyst
  • Software engineers for:
    • Android
    • iOS
    • Data
    • DevOps
    • Quality Assurance
    • Server
    • Web Backend
    • Web Frontend
    • Web Fullstack
    • C++ Software Engineer
  • Biz dev (with Shopee)
    • Regional Business Development Intern
    • Business Development Intern
    • Business Intelligence Intern

Explore the full range of Sea’s jobs here.

Website

5. 99.co – real estate portal

Image credit: 99.co

99.co has made its mark as a successful real estate startup in Singapore.

Founded in 2014, it’s basically a property search portal that helps buyers and tenants find properties that match their needs. A simple concept, yes, but one that has been very successful, with 99.co not just incorporating a whopping 100,000 of Singapore’s properties on its portal, but also succeeding in entering Indonesia’s market.

Career positions available: 

  • Digital marketing
    • Advertising Operations Intern
    • Agent Marketing Intern

Website

6. Chope – restaurant reservation

Image credit: Glassdoor

We all know how frustrating it can be to make restaurant reservations the good ol’-fashioned way: by phone. We can’t call them when they’re closed, and even when they’re open, they usually can’t pick up the phone because they’re busy.

Image credit: Chope on App Store

Chope was born in 2011 to tackle this issue – simply use their smartphone app and you can chope a good seat anytime, anywhere.

Chope’s success is so great that by 2017, it has expanded to engage more than 3,000 F&B clients across Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Indonesia, and Thailand.

Career positions available: 

  • Data Scientist
  • Ecommerce Operations Intern

Website

7. Paktor – mobile & online dating

So you just spent an entire afternoon drawing up these plans for a memorable date – except the effort’s wasted as you don’t have a date. Here’s where Paktor enters the scene. An alternative to Tinder and OKCupid, Paktor sets itself apart by providing a more localised, made-in-SG mobile dating experience.

The Paktor office even has cosy consultation rooms!

And Paktor has grown significantly, now spreading the love to Taiwan, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand, with its user base expanding to over 15 million. With Paktor’s success, of course, comes the opening of jobs – so if you’re that friend who’s forever trying to matchmake others, this might just be your calling.

The business of matchmaking has definitely expanded far beyond the days of bringing 2 people together physically IRL – you can now do that digitally! If the idea of helping people find their S.Os in this digital age attracts you and you are a computer science specialist, good news: Paktor is looking for you, offering Android Engineer and Junior Web Developer positions.

Career positions available: 

  • Android Engineer (computer science)
  • Junior Web Developer (computer science)

Website

8. Carousell – mobile & online marketplace

Image credit: Carousell

Snap. List. Sell. That’s all you need to do to start decluttering your room, and Carousell is THE go-to avenue to make money off all those unwanted stuff you hoard. It’s amazing how far Carousell has come, starting from 3 friends who just wanted to declutter their homes.

Today, Carousell has expanded to become a massive online marketplace selling everything from appliances to makeup and even property. It also has a presence in other Asian cities, including Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Taipei, Hong Kong, and Manila.

Career positions available: 

  • Marketing Manager
  • Data Analyst
  • Software Engineer

Website

Get your STEM qualifications at PSB Academy

If you’ve noticed, besides marketing and business development skills, the above startups are looking for people with skills in data analysis, software development and even ethical hacking.

These more technical skills generally fall under a degree in STEM courses (Science, Tech, Engineering, Math) and will help you gain an edge over the competition when applying for these coveted jobs.

Image credit: PSB Academy

Luckily for you, private education institution PSB Academy offers comprehensive courses that’ll help you develop the skills needed for the above jobs:

  • Business plan development and pitching skills: PSB Academy will link up with Coventry University MBA in Global Business, where you’ll learn to craft a solid business plan to launch your own startup. You’ll also learn how to pitch effectively – great in the meeting room when you want to persuade others on your award-winning idea.
  • Digital marketing: PSB Academy’s new digital marketing diploma will give you an added edge of credibility as you’ll be certified with Google Analytics Individual Qualification (GAIQ). You’ll also learn the best practices in Search to Email marketing.
  • Ethical hacking/computer science: To level up the technology that safeguards the private data of customers like you and me, PSB Academy is offering EC-Council certification programmes – these are endorsed by the US Government National Security Agency (NSA) and the Committee on National Security Systems (CNSS).
  • Data analysis: PSB Academy is collaborating with Massey University to develop postgrad programmes in analytics, arming you with the ability to visualise and predict any company’s next big move in marketing or sales.

Being expertly skilled is one thing, but there is just one more crucial component that you need to really complete the puzzle of excelling at your job: human connections. And what better way to meet and network with the right people than through industry events?

Attend PSB Academy’s student chapters, industry talks & visits, and career fairs, where you’ll get to meet some of the field’s top guys. Just this September, PSB Academy organised an industry visit to Indonesia, where unicorn startups like Bukalapak and Go-Jek were explored!

The new STEM campus is about 20 minutes away from town by train, sitting neatly between Braddell and Toa Payoh MRT station. And it’s renovated just this year, meaning that you’ll gain access to fully-equipped labs, spacious discussion pods for late-night mugging, and even a sports science lab for aspiring physiologists. Check out these facilities via a virtual tour here.

Check out PSB Academy’s full range of STEM courses here!


This post was brought to you by PSB Academy.

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