Underscores commitment to nurture tech talent, develop the entrepreneurial ecosystem, and create job opportunities as Shopee expands in Southeast Asia
Singapore, September 3, 2019 – Shopee, Southeast Asia and Taiwan’s leading e-commerce platform, today announced the opening of its new regional headquarters in Singapore at Kent Ridge. The move reflects the homegrown company’s commitment to invest and innovate in Singapore and the region -- to nurture tech talent, develop the entrepreneurial ecosystem, and create job opportunities.
“Shopee’s rapid growth since its inception and their new headquarters here is a testament to the strength and vibrancy of Singapore’s technology ecosystem. We’re heartened by their commitment to build a strong pool of tech talent, not just for their own needs, but also for the larger ecosystem here. We look forward to Shopee’s contribution to Singapore’s growing digital economy, as they continue to innovate and expand their footprint in the region using Singapore as a springboard,” added Mr Kiren Kumar, Chief Digital Industry Officer, Digital Industry Singapore.
Zhou Junjie, Chief Commercial Officer, Shopee, said, “Shopee has grown from a start-up to the region’s leading e-commerce platform in less than four years. Establishing our base of operations in Singapore was a strategic choice, even when we were just 10 employees strong. This new office marks a significant milestone in our journey thus far, and sets the stage for us to solidify our leadership position.”
Elevating Tech and Entrepreneurial Ecosystems
Based on a recent Salary Benchmark report1, demand for tech jobs in Singapore has risen by 20 per cent in the last 12 months. To address this need, homegrown tech company Shopee has introduced nation-wide initiatives to upskill local tech talent such as the National Data Science Challenge (NDSC) and the upcoming I’m the Best Coder! Challenge.
“Our new office reaffirms our long-term commitment to the country and elevates Singapore’s attractiveness as the Silicon Valley of Southeast Asia. Expanding the tech talent pipeline and nurturing an entrepreneurial ecosystem for sellers and SMEs will continue to be areas of focus for us. As the e-commerce landscape evolves, Shopee will continue to invest ahead of demand and build more advanced capabilities to better serve our users,” Junjie added.
This year’s inaugural NDSC was designed to expose students to the technical skill sets essential for tech jobs of the future. The competition was the largest national data science competition in Singapore, and attracted around 5,000 students, tech professionals, and non-tech professionals. The winners were offered full-time or internship opportunities to join Shopee.
Riding on the positive feedback and strong momentum from NDSC, Shopee will launch the I’m the Best Coder! Challenge in October this year, targeting coders and programmers at all levels, from junior college, polytechnic, and university students to professionals from all fields.
In addition, Shopee continues to invest in empowering and educating sellers and SMEs to grow their online businesses with Shopee University, which provides a comprehensive suite of tools and the latest e-commerce know-how.
Shopee’s Growth in the E-commerce Landscape
In less than four years, Shopee has become the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan. In Q2 20192, Shopee achieved 246.3 million orders regionally and recorded a gross merchandise volume of US$3.8 billion. Adjusted revenue was US$177.4 million for Q2 2019, up 201.7 per cent year-on-year. According to the latest report by App Annie3, Shopee is the number one shopping app in Southeast Asia by average monthly active users in Q2 2019. In the same period of time, Shopee also ranked first for ‘Total Time in App’ and was the most downloaded shopping app in the region.
Shopee’s new headquarters spans 244,000 square feet, and will be able to accommodate up to 3,000 employees, contributing to its strong established presence in seven markets across Southeast Asia and Taiwan. The purpose-built space boasts a host of features to facilitate a more collaborative and creative working environment, including a marketing studio where Shopee LIVE and Shopee Quiz are filmed, a gym, and a fun zone where employees can relax over a game of darts, air hockey, or table tennis. With local offices operated mainly by homegrown talent, Shopee has a deep and nuanced understanding of users’ market-specific needs, enabling the brand to adopt a hyper-localised approach and roll out campaigns that target the needs of local shoppers.
____________
1 https://www.straitstimes.com/business/companies-markets/demand-for-tech-jobs-in-singapore-grew-20-over-last-year-report
2 All figures are from Q2, from 1 April to 30 June 2019
3 App Annie’s State of Mobile Q2 2019: https://iprice.sg/insights/mapofecommerce
About Shopee
Shopee is the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan. It is a platform tailored for the region, providing customers with an easy, secure and fast online shopping experience through strong payment and logistical support. Shopee aims to continually enhance its platform and become the region’s e-commerce destination of choice.
Shopee has a wide selection of product categories ranging from consumer electronics to home & living, health & beauty, baby & toys, fashion, and fitness equipment.
Shopee, a Sea company, was first launched in Singapore in 2015, and has since expanded its reach to Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Sea is a leader in digital entertainment, e-commerce, and digital financial services across the region. Sea's mission is to better the lives of consumers and small businesses with technology, and is listed on the NYSE under the symbol SE.
