Indonesian employment platform Pintarnya has raised a $16.7 million Series A round led by Square Peg, with participation from existing investors Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia & India and East Ventures. Founded in 2022 by Ghirish Pokardas, Nelly Nurmalasari, and Henry Hendrawan, Pintarnya goes beyond traditional job matching by combining work opportunities with access to financial services. The platform seeks to address two of Indonesia’s toughest challenges: earning enough income and borrowing responsibly.
“Traditionally, mass workers in Indonesia find jobs offline through job fairs or word of mouth, with employers buried in paper applications and candidates rarely hearing back,” co-founder Hendrawan explained. “We digitize job matching with AI to make hiring faster and we provide workers with safer, healthier lending options designed around what they can reasonably afford, rather than pushing them deeper into debt.”
With around 59% of Indonesia’s 150 million workers employed in the informal sector, many face difficulties securing formal financial services due to a lack of verifiable income. Pintarnya addresses this gap by partnering with asset-backed lenders to provide secured loans using collateral such as gold, electronics, or vehicles.
Since its seed funding in 2022, Pintarnya has grown to serve over 10 million job seekers and 40,000 employers nationwide. Its revenue has increased nearly fivefold year-over-year, and the company expects to break even by the end of this year. The platform primarily targets users aged 21 to 40, many of whom have only a high school education or vocational diploma.
Unlike existing platforms such as JobStreet, Kalibrr, and Glints, which focus on white-collar roles, Pintarnya is designed for blue-collar workers. Features include quick-apply options for walk-in interviews, affordable e-learning programs, in-app side-gigs, and seamless access to financial products.
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The Series A funding will help Pintarnya enhance its technology, expand its financial services, and deepen strategic partnerships. While the startup’s immediate focus is on Indonesia, the co-founders are open to regional expansion in the future. “Our vision is for Pintarnya to be the everyday companion that empowers Indonesians to not only make ends meet today but also plan, grow, and upgrade their lives tomorrow,” said Hendrawan. “We want to be the first stop when someone is looking for work, a place to upgrade their skills, and a trusted partner for financial decisions.”
