Moving Targets
Emissions goals lack accountability
Steven Lam, BS 10, is nothing if not resourceful. He paid for his education by repairing and selling bikes, computers, and iPhones along with working at a Chinese restaurant. When he returned home to Hong Kong, he jump-started a new venture to personalize restaurant takeout boxes but soon ran into a delivery problem with unreliable van dispatching call centers. So he and two friends bootstrapped GoGoVan, one of the first app-based logistics platforms in Asia, which became Hong Kong’s first unicorn. Now rebranded as GoGoX, the business includes van-hailing, instant delivery, and customized logistics solutions in 370 cities throughout Vietnam, South Korea, India, and China, as well as Hong Kong and Singapore. Here’s a look at its rise to prominence.
2013
Lam helps launch GoGoVan, which uses freelance drivers to transport freight for individuals, small companies, and large corporations—like ride-hailing services but for logistics.
2014
GoGoVan expands to Singapore, signing 200 drivers in week one. TechCrunch estimates that GoGoVan now controls half of Hong Kong’s van booking market and reports that driver response times average 10–15 seconds versus a 20–30-minute wait via calling centers.
2016
The company now serves 13 cities across East, Southeast, and South Asia with a driver network of 150,000. It’s processed over 20 million orders with an aggregate transaction value of over US$200 million. A Series C funding round helps develop business-centric products and advance engineering capabilities.
2017
GoGoVan merges with mainland Chinese competitor 58 Suyun, creating a $1 billion company with access to more than 300 cities in China—becoming Hong Kong’s first unicorn.
2020
GoGoVan rebrands as GoGoX to convey its diverse logistics offerings and commitment to future logistics innovations.
2022
GoGoX debuts on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, the first IPO ceremonial gong since the pandemic.
2025
The company now has 34 million registered shippers and 7 million drivers. Lam (above), the CEO, is honored as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader for driving change in the logistics industry.
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