Lalamove, a Hong Kong tech unicorn, continues to broaden its global foothold, launching services in the Europe, Middle East and North Africa (EMEA) market for the first time.

An on-demand delivery platform, Lalamove is now present in 14 markets worldwide after rolling out localised offerings in Türkiye last November and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in May, all sporting the tech company’s distinctive orange livery.

Executives are also looking to bolster their regional ambitions by setting up in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), the largest economy in the Middle East, later this year.

The moves reflect the Hong Kong firm’s aim to launch in growth markets, where e-commerce is commonplace and urban populations are rising.

The development of new transport infrastructure in Türkiye – notably including the China-Europe Middle Corridor trade route – is driving up demand for logistics services, making it an attractive location for Lalamove.

Türkiye is also home to more than 3 million SMEs – a key customer segment for the on-demand delivery platform – which form the backbone of the country’s domestic economy.

The UAE is also a major transport and logistics hub, connecting Asia, Europe and Africa, where SMEs contribute more than 60% to the country’s non-oil GDP. After entering Dubai in May, Lalamove expanded services to Sharjah, another major UAE city, in July.

Data insights and experiences from Türkiye and the UAE can also help finetune strategies for more market launches in other promising geographies, explains Gary Hui, Lalamove’s Director of Driver Operations and Market Expansion.

“We will continue to assess the potential of expanding our operations into neighbouring markets in EMEA.”

International growth

HKTDC’s Istanbul consultant office opened doors to accelerate Lalamove’s EMEA expansion strategy.

The HKTDC introduced the tech company to the Investment and Finance Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye, which shared details of investment incentives and assistance for setting up in the country.

The HKTDC also provided comprehensive business advisory and compiled detailed financial and legal reports – including guidance on setting up a company, taxation and labour law – to help Lalamove bring its innovative tech to Türkiye.

The Middle East has long been on the firm’s radar. Company Founder and CEO Shing Chow joined a mission to KSA and the UAE in 2023 – led by Hong Kong SAR Chief Executive John Lee and organised by the HKTDC – having identified the region as a strategic priority.

Providing further support, HKTDC’s regional office in Dubai introduced the Hong Kong unicorn to the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism and the Ministry of Transport in Saudi Arabia to gather more local policy and business insights from these key stakeholders.

HKTDC’s Dubai team also set up meetings with local business chambers and prospective customers to help facilitate entry into the KSA and UAE, while sharing insights into local regulations, operational requirements and licensing procedures.

Looking to the future

In addition to EMEA, Lalamove is focused on seizing growth opportunities and increasing its market share in two other emerging regions: the ASEAN bloc and Latin America.

The company already runs services in Southeast Asia’s six largest economies as well as in Brazil and Mexico in Latin America.

In addition to its home market of Hong Kong, it is also present in Mainland China, which accounts for the bulk of company revenue, as well as in Bangladesh and Japan.

At the end of last year, Lalamove had 16.7 million monthly active users worldwide, leveraging Hong Kong’s tech-savvy talent pool and financial infrastructure to rapidly scale up since making its debut 12 years ago.

The pioneering tech giant also continues to diversify its service offering and explore new opportunities, testing deliveries via drones in Hong Kong, while providing ride-hailing services beside on-demand delivery services in Southeast Asia.

Hong Kong’s vibrant start-up ecosystem – supported by incubation and acceleration programmes, investor networks and government support schemes – offers a fertile environment for growth and innovation.

“Entrepreneurs in Hong Kong have the vision and talents to expand their business to the international stage,” Mr Hui notes.

“We are thrilled to see the HKTDC provide the springboard for local start-ups and SMEs to grow beyond Hong Kong.”