[Profile] Kevin Aluwi: The Architect of Gojek's Super App Empire

The Profile Snapshot

In the high-stakes arena of Southeast Asia's tech unicorns, Kevin Aluwi stands as a foundational pillar. As the co-founder and former co-CEO of Gojek, he is the engineering and product visionary who helped architect the region's first and most formidable 'super app'. His journey is a masterclass in translating local complexity into scalable, world-class technology.

• 👨‍💼 Name: Kevin Aluwi
• 🏷️ Role: Co-Founder & Former Co-CEO, Gojek (now GoTo Group)
• 🔑 Key Superpower: Product-Centric Tech Visionary

The Catalyst: Why It Matters

Kevin Aluwi re-enters the spotlight amidst reports that he and other early executives are selling portions of their stakes in GoTo, the entity formed from the merger of Gojek and Tokopedia. This move coincides with a new funding round valuing the combined entity at a staggering US$10 billion. For observers in Malaysia's burgeoning tech scene, this isn't just a financial transaction; it's a pivotal moment of value realization for a founder who dared to reimagine how an entire region moves, pays, and eats. It prompts a deeper look at the mindset that built an empire from Jakarta's chaotic streets.

The Leadership Dialogue: Inside The Mindset

Reflecting on Gojek's origins, Aluwi often circles back to a principle of profound simplicity: solving a real, daily problem. The initial motorbike-hailing service wasn't conceived in a Silicon Valley boardroom but from a visceral understanding of Jakarta's gridlock. He emphasizes with conviction that true disruption isn't about importing foreign models, but about deep, empathetic localization powered by robust technology. When speaking about the super app strategy, his perspective is that of a systems architect—seeing payments, logistics, and food delivery not as separate services, but as interconnected nodes in a network designed to unlock greater efficiency and convenience for millions.

He candidly admits that the path was never linear. The decision to step down from the co-CEO role in 2021, transitioning to a board position, was framed not as an exit but as an evolution. For a builder like Aluwi, the company's maturation required different skills. His focus shifted from day-to-day operations to safeguarding the long-term technological vision and culture of innovation he helped instill. This self-awareness—knowing when to build, when to scale, and when to empower—defines a mature founder's journey.

Career Milestones & Achievements

• Architected the Super App: Led the transformation of Gojek from a simple ride-hailing call center into a multi-service platform integrating payments (GoPay), food delivery (GoFood), and dozens of other on-demand services, creating a new paradigm for Southeast Asian tech.
• Engineered Hyper-Growth: Scaled Gojek's engineering and product teams from a handful to thousands, building the robust, scalable infrastructure that supported exponential growth across Indonesia and later, international markets like Vietnam and Thailand.
• Pioneered a Leadership Model: Successfully co-piloted the company as co-CEO alongside Andre Soelistyo, demonstrating a unique, collaborative executive framework that balanced technological vision with operational and financial strategy.
• Orchestrated a Landmark Merger: Played a key role in the historic US$18 billion merger with Tokopedia in 2021, forming GoTo Group, Southeast Asia's largest digital ecosystem.
• Catalyzed Regional VC Growth: Through Gojek's success and his subsequent angel investments, he has become a benchmark and indirect catalyst for venture capital confidence in Malaysia and the wider ASEAN startup ecosystem.

The Editor's Take

Kevin Aluwi represents the archetype of the modern ASEAN tech founder: globally-minded in ambition, yet ruthlessly local in execution. He is less the flamboyant frontman and more the master builder operating in the engine room. His leadership is characterized by a quiet intensity focused on product integrity and systemic thinking. For Malaysian entrepreneurs, his story is particularly resonant—it proves that world-class, category-defining companies can be built by solving ASEAN's unique challenges, not just by copying Western blueprints.

• 👁️ Visionary Thinking: 9/10
• ⚡ Execution Capability: 8/10
• 🌟 Industry Influence: 8/10

"The best solutions aren't invented; they're observed. Our role is to build the technology that unlocks what already exists."