BetterPlace acquires TROOPERS amid plans to expand footprint in Southeast Asia

The acquisition will see TROOPERS' automated gig matching and rostering features being integrated into BetterPlace's Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform.

BetterPlace, a frontline workforce management SaaS platform founded in India, has announced the acquisition of TROOPERS, a flexi-talent solutions technology platform in Malaysia.

The acquisition will see TROOPERS' automated gig matching and rostering features being integrated into BetterPlace's software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform.

Through this acquisition, BetterPlace looks to accelerate its presence in the region, and "establish a stronger foothold in Southeast Asia", per a press release shared with HRO.

As pointed out by Pravin Agarwala, Co-Founder and Group CEO, BetterPlace (pictured above, left), Southeast Asia is expected to see a significant growth in demand for gig workers in the next five years, with the gig economy growing by 31% since 2017, well ahead of the growth in the conventional workforce. In Malaysia alone, 84% of hiring managers prefer hiring gig workers, he added.

Thus, he shared further, the partnership will see BetterPlace's SaaS platform and AI-based algorithms come together with TROOPERS' flexi-talent solutions to enable enterprises to effectively tackle challenges such as high attrition rates, escalating labour and management costs, and skilled workforce shortages.

"Concurrently, frontline workers can optimise their earning potential through TROOPERS' proprietary gig matching algorithms."

Sharing his views, Joshua Tan, Co-Founder and CEO, TROOPERS (pictured above, right), noted that with the majority of the gig workforce in Southeast Asia falling into the informal category, workers find it difficult to seek supplementary jobs or increase their earning potential. Additionally, workers may not have the necessary skills to match growing enterprise requirements.

"Building on the principles of transparency, accountability, and legitimacy, we started TROOPERS to address talent shortage & workforce productivity for enterprises while creating better livelihoods for workers in Malaysia.

"We are eager to utilise BetterPlace's technological prowess and industry knowledge to scale our offering, potentially transforming the landscape of frontline work in Southeast Asia," he added.

The acquisition of TROOPERS follows BetterPlace’s recent expansion in the region. In February 2023, BetterPlace acquired Indonesia’s blue-collar workforce fulfillment platform, MyRobin, marking the company’s first foray into the Southeast Asian region.

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Photo: PR Newswire Asia