Grab raised its full-year forecast after saying AI is speeding product development and efficiency.
Why it matters: The quarter offers a concrete test of whether AI is creating operating leverage at a scaled Southeast Asian platform. For investors and operators, Grab is now tying AI directly to faster shipping, higher margins and stronger guidance.
- Q2 2026 revenue rose 22% year over year to $997 million.
- Adjusted EBITDA climbed 54% to $168 million, with margin expanding to 16.9% from 13.3%.
- Grab raised full-year 2026 guidance to $4.10 billion-$4.15 billion in revenue and $720 million-$740 million in adjusted EBITDA.
- CFO Peter Oey said AI is helping Grab ship products three times faster.
Grab said second-quarter results showed its AI push is starting to show up in execution and financials. The Singapore-based superapp reported record Q2 2026 revenue of $997 million, up 22% year over year, and lifted its full-year outlook.
Adjusted EBITDA reached $168 million, up 54% from a year earlier, while the margin expanded to 16.9% of revenue. CFO Peter Oey said Grab had delivered its eighteenth straight quarter of adjusted EBITDA growth, and CEO Anthony Tan said the company's Grab intelligence layer is embedded across the platform and improving operating efficiency.
In an interview reported by CNBC, Oey said AI is helping Grab ship products three times faster. The company has been rolling out AI features throughout 2026, including 13 AI-powered experiences unveiled at GrabX in April for consumers, merchants and drivers.
Grab also said on-demand GMV grew 21% to $6.5 billion, and group monthly transacting users hit a record 53.9 million. The company authorized an additional $750 million in share repurchases, bringing cumulative authorization since 2024 to $1.75 billion.
The biggest caveat: the quarter clearly showed growth, margin expansion and higher guidance, but Grab has not separately quantified how much of the improvement came from AI versus scale or other business factors.
By the numbers
- $997 million - Q2 2026 revenue, up 22% year over year
- $168 million - Q2 2026 adjusted EBITDA, up 54% year over year
- 16.9% - Q2 2026 adjusted EBITDA margin, up from 13.3%
Yes, but: Grab has not quantified how much of the margin expansion came specifically from AI rather than scale or other operating factors.
What's next: Grab's raised full-year 2026 guidance now calls for $4.10 billion-$4.15 billion in revenue and $720 million-$740 million in adjusted EBITDA.