SoftBank’s Son is said to press Grab for truce with rival Gojek

A Grab Holdings Inc rider (left ) and a Gojek rider waiting for orders in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Sept 24. — Dimas Ardian/Bloomberg

SoftBank Group Corp’s Masayoshi Son is stepping up pressure on Grab Holdings Inc co-founder Anthony Tan to work out a ceasefire with archrival Gojek, according to people familiar with the matter.

South-East Asia’s two most valuable startups are actively engaged on regular Zoom calls after months of off-and-on discussions and making progress toward an agreement, said the people, asking not to be identified because the talks are private. A key sticking point remains whether the two companies merge all operations or whether Grab acquires Gojek’s business only in Indonesia.