Pintarnya Secures $16.7M to Advance Job Matching and Financial Services for Indonesian Workers

The Indonesian startup Pintarnya, known for integrating employment opportunities with essential financial services, has completed a $16.7 million Series A funding round. Backed by lead investor Square Peg and continued support from Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia & India and East Ventures, Pintarnya aims to address key challenges confronting Indonesia’s expansive blue-collar and gig workforce.

Expanding Beyond Traditional Job Matching

Founded in 2022 by Ghirish Pokardas, Nelly Nurmalasari, and Henry Hendrawan, Pintarnya set out to solve two persistent problems in Indonesia: access to stable earnings and responsible borrowing. The company leverages AI-driven matching to connect workers efficiently with both full-time and side gigs. Unlike conventional job boards focused on white-collar roles, Pintarnya targets blue-collar and informal workers — a segment that comprises over half of Indonesia’s labor force.

Co-founder Henry Hendrawan highlights, “Job matching in Indonesia was often slow and paper-based. Borrowing options were limited — often to informal or predatory sources. Pintarnya’s digital platform is designed to change that.”

Financial Inclusion for the Underserved

An estimated 59% of Indonesia’s 150 million workers are in the informal sector, where income is difficult to verify and traditional banks are hesitant to lend. Pintarnya collaborates with asset-backed lenders, offering secured loans using collateral such as gold, electronics, or vehicles. This approach is intended to provide safer and more affordable lending alternatives for workers who are frequently excluded by mainstream fintech providers.

To date, Pintarnya serves more than 10 million job seekers and 40,000 employers. Most users are aged 21 to 40 and have a high school diploma or lower. The company has grown its revenue fivefold year-over-year and expects to reach break-even soon. With a focus on blue-collar and non-degree workers, Pintarnya addresses a sizable yet underserved population in Indonesian society.

Diversifying Product Offerings

Pintarnya’s product roadmap is based on continuous user feedback. After initially focusing on job placement, the team realized that their users also needed financial services not offered by traditional banks. Today, lending is the most popular product. Pintarnya plans to partner with financial institutions for new offerings, including micro-savings and investment opportunities specifically tailored for informal workers as their financial stability grows.

Differentiating in the Indonesian Market

While platforms like JobStreet and Glints operate in Indonesia, they predominantly serve white-collar professionals. In contrast, Pintarnya is designed for blue-collar and informal workers, with features such as rapid interview scheduling, e-learning modules for skill-building, and in-app side gig opportunities. It also leverages alternative credit assessments to help users build a digital track record and unlock better financial products over time.

Hendrawan notes, “Most fintechs serve wealthier employees with established income histories. Our purpose is to enable more Indonesians — regardless of background — to access meaningful work and financial uplift.”

Looking Ahead: Scaling and Expansion

The new funds will support the development of Pintarnya’s technology platform and expansion of its financial services partnerships. With Indonesia’s workforce dominated by blue-collar and informal workers, the startup sees substantial growth potential in its home market. The company’s founding team, armed with extensive Southeast Asia experience, remains open to future regional opportunities as its model matures.

“Our vision is for Pintarnya to become an everyday companion for Indonesian workers — not just a way to earn a living now, but a partner in developing skills and planning for the future,” says Hendrawan.

Deep Founder Analysis

Why it matters

Pintarnya’s approach highlights a global shift: digital platforms can bridge the gap between informal workers and formal financial services. For founders, this is evidence that solving fundamental labor and financial problems in emerging markets offers both significant impact and viable business models.

Risks & opportunities

The biggest risk lies in credit risk management and regulatory uncertainty, as seen in other Asian fintech markets with emerging asset-backed lending. However, the opportunity to build a data-driven, user-focused super app for blue-collar workers — in a market as large as Indonesia — could create lasting defensible value, much like Grab or Gojek did for transport and logistics.

Startup idea or application

A founder could explore building modular financial tools for informal workers, such as a micro-savings and micro-insurance API that partners with various employment or gig platforms. Alternatively, verticalizing the approach to focus on a specific trade (e.g., construction, domestic help) could create even deeper network effects and value propositions.

Further Reading

For additional perspectives on Southeast Asia's gig and fintech sectors, see related DeepFounder articles: India's Real-Money Gaming Ban: Industry Impact and Ecosia Proposes Stewardship Model for Chrome.

Indonesia Fintech Gig Economy Startups Financial Inclusion

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