Hey everyone! Nuked here, bringing you some exciting tech news with a dash of fun.

Pintarnya, an Indonesian startup, just pulled off a big win by raising $16.7 million in Series A funding. This platform is more than just a job marketplace; it’s a tool to help workers access financial services and find both full-time and side gigs. The round was led by Square Peg and includes support from existing investors like Vertex Venture Southeast Asia & India and East Ventures.

The founders, Ghirish Pokardas, Nelly Nurmalasari, and Henry Hendrawan, started Pintarnya in 2022 to tackle two crucial issues in Indonesia: earning enough money and borrowing responsibly. They aimed to digitize job matching using AI, making it faster and easier for workers to find jobs, and to offer safer lending options that consider what workers can afford instead of pushing them into debt.

Many Indonesian workers, especially in the informal sector, struggle to access traditional financial services because they often lack official income proofs. Pintarnya partners with asset-backed lenders to provide secured loans using collateral like gold, electronics, or vehicles. Since its inception, the platform has served over 10 million job seekers and 40,000 employers across the country. Its revenue has grown nearly five times compared to last year, and it expects to break even soon.

Focusing mainly on users aged 21-40 with high school diplomas or below, Pintarnya targets the large informal workforce that is underserved by existing job and fintech platforms, which mainly focus on white-collar roles. They also plan to expand into micro-savings and investments, aiming to become a comprehensive super app that helps Indonesians upgrade their lives. The new funding will help improve platform tech and forge strategic partnerships, with potential for regional expansion in the future.

Henry Hendrawan emphasized their vision: “We want Pintarnya to be the go-to app for workers — a trusted partner to earn, learn, and grow financially. Our goal in five years? To be everywhere for Indonesia’s blue-collar workers, guiding them through every step of their life journey.”