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Uber’s been facing crisis after crisis at home, but its rivals around the world aren’t slowing down.
Didi Chuxing is leading the international fight against Uber. The Chinese ride-hailing giant is using its considerable influence to shore up other regional ride-sharing competitors—with three global investments in markets Uber competes in over the past two months.
And that’s just the start. From strategic partnerships in the Middle East to investments in Southeast Asia, Uber is facing serious competition. These alliances among regional competitors may be fragile, especially since many of these companies compete against each other too, but they’re the best the rest of the ride-hailing world has got against Uber.
So who are the ride-hailing companies that have staked out claim over parts of the world where Uber’s either given up or is still battling it out?
Image: bob al-greene/mashable
Didi Chuxing
Uber’s most well-known—and most aggressive—global rival is Didi Chuxing. After a long battle that cost Uber millions and millions of dollars, Uber ceded its efforts in China to the company a year ago. The 5-year-old ride-hailing app had the home-field advantage in China, and Uber realized it couldn’t win. Instead, Uber combined its business with Didi’s and took a 20 percent stake in their new venture.
Since then, Didi has continued to dominate ride-hailing in China. The app raised $5.5 billion in April and was valued at $50 billion—compared to Uber’s $70 billion. Its next step is going global. The ride-hailing giant has already started its global expansion through partnerships with and investments in Uber’s other competitors around the world.
Careem
Careem is Uber’s biggest rival in the Middle East. The Dubai-based ride-hailing startup founded in 2012 serves 80 cities in 12 countries and is valued at $1 billion.
To take on Uber, Careem focuses on winning in its region. The startup pays particular attention to the unique needs of the Middle Eastern ride-hailing market, including payments infrastructure and cultural attitudes toward women driving and taking transit alone.
Didi entered a strategic partnership with Careem this month. With its recent $500 million funding round and that influx of support from Didi, Careem continues to be a real competitor in one of Uber’s major markets.
Image: AP/REX/Shutterstock
Grab
In Southeast Asia, Grab is Uber’s biggest rival. The Malaysian company operates in cities across Malaysia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
Like Careem, Grab got a major investment from Didi Chuxing. The company raised $2 billion in July in a round most notably funded by Didi and…