Pintarnya Raises $16.7M to Improve Job and Financial Services in Indonesia

Pintarnya, an innovative job marketplace from Indonesia that combines financial services with both full-time and gig employment opportunities, has successfully raised $16.7 million in its Series A funding round.

This funding was led by Square Peg, with participation from existing investors Vertex Venture Southeast Asia & India and East Ventures.

Founded in 2022 by Ghirish Pokardas, Nelly Nurmalasari, and Henry Hendrawan, Pintarnya aims to tackle two critical challenges in Indonesia: securing sufficient income and encouraging responsible borrowing practices.

“Traditionally, job seekers in Indonesia rely on offline methods like job fairs or personal referrals, resulting in numerous paper applications and inefficient candidate tracking. Similarly, borrowing often depends on personal connections or predatory lenders,” stated Henry Hendrawan, co-founder of Pintarnya, in a conversation with TechCrunch. “By utilizing AI, we improve job matching, streamline hiring processes, and provide safer, more responsible lending options that focus on affordability to reduce the risk of increasing debt.”

Approximately 59% of Indonesia’s 150 million workforce is employed in the informal sector, making their access to formal financial services challenging due to irregular income and lack of official employment records.

To address this issue, Pintarnya partners with asset-backed lenders to provide secured loans using collateral such as gold, electronics, or vehicles, as noted by Hendrawan.

Since its inception in 2022, the platform has connected over 10 million job seekers with 40,000 employers across the country. Its annual revenue has nearly increased fivefold, with expectations to reach break-even by year-end, according to Hendrawan. Pintarnya primarily serves users aged 21 to 40, predominantly those with high school education or less, concentrating on this underserved segment of Indonesia’s extensive blue-collar and informal labor market.

“As we broadened our employment services, we recognized that our users needed more than just job placements—they required access to essential financial services often unavailable through traditional banking,” explained Hendrawan. “By digitizing job matching with AI, we can accelerate the hiring process while offering safer, more sustainable lending solutions that align with workers’ financial realities, rather than exacerbating their debt burdens.”

Unlike platforms like JobStreet, Kalibrr, and Glints, which focus primarily on white-collar jobs—representing only a small portion of the total workforce—Pintarnya specifically caters to blue-collar workers. The platform offers tailored features such as expedited application processes for walk-in interviews, easily accessible e-learning resources, in-app channels for additional income, and straightforward access to financial services like loans.

This trend is mirrored in Indonesia’s fintech sector, which has predominantly targeted white-collar or upper-middle-class clients. Standard credit evaluations often neglect blue-collar workers who lack stable monthly incomes or established banking histories, according to Hendrawan.

When questioned about the most requested fintech services by users, Hendrawan replied, “Considering their employment situations, lending is the most sought-after financial service among Pintarnya’s user base. We aspire to help them transition to micro-savings and investment opportunities in the future through innovative partnerships.”

The latest funding will strengthen Pintarnya’s technological infrastructure and expand its financial services through strategic collaborations. With most Indonesian workers involved in blue-collar and informal jobs, the co-founders anticipate significant growth prospects in the domestic market, with plans for regional expansion when the time is right, leveraging their extensive experience in managing operations across Southeast Asia.

“Our vision for Pintarnya is to be a daily ally that empowers Indonesians not only to meet their immediate needs but also to plan for, nurture, and enhance their quality of life over time. In five years, we aim for Pintarnya to evolve into the essential super app for Indonesian workers—an indispensable tool for income opportunities and a trusted partner in financial matters,” concluded Hendrawan. “We intend to be the primary resource for job seekers, a facilitator for skill development, and a reliable advisor in financial decision-making.”