You know the feeling – it’s late at night, the cab company won’t pick up, you’re stuck waiting around trying to get home, possibly after a few drinks… it’s obnoxious, right? Thanks to the now-ubiquitous company Uber, now you can avoid that stuck feeling almost anywhere in the world. With nearly 2 million rides per day all over the planet, Uber has come forth as a business behemoth with no end in sight.
Uber’s classic start-up success story (the founder dropped out of school and lived with his parents after other business failures), easy accessibility, and user-friendly policies have let to its contemporary vibe over the years.
Young people all over the world know what it means to “call an Uber”, and social media can back up its popularity is one of their main marketing strategy.
Despite lawsuits, bans, and other legal hurdles, Uber continues to prosper as the go-to rideshare service in major countries like the U.S., Canada, and Australia, with no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Now you can get an UberChopper helicopter ride, UberFresh lunch delivery, and even UberKitten – adoptable kittens delivered right to your doorstep! However you choose to use Uber, here are 39 cool facts that will acquaint you with this killer company.
Some Uber Facts:
- Before founding the company Uber, Travis Kalanick dropped out of college, was arrested, and lived with his parents [ Tweet]
- On average, there are 93,897 Uber rides per day in New York [ Tweet]
- UberKITTEN, an extension of the car service Uber, delivers kittens to your doorstep. [ Tweet]
- The most Uber bookings take place between the hours of 8 p.m. and 2 a.m [ Tweet]
- With $6.61 billion in funding, Uber has a higher valuation than GM, TimeWarner, Paypal, and 21st Century Fox [ Tweet]
The Infographic
Created by MisterBeep.com
Conclusion
It’s hard to believe that a company as simple as a car service could be so phenomenally successful, but Uber continues to leave its competition in the dust with no signs of slowing down. The company reached a record-breaking $41 billion market capitalization in less than 6 years – way faster (and more valuable) than other popular companies like Twitter, LinkedIn, and WhatsApp. With a cool vibe and major benefits for drivers and riders, it’s hard to argue with Uber’s business plan.
The closest competition Uber has (at least in the U.S.) is Lyft, but Uber has dominated the marketplace on social media and in trip earnings. The sharing-oriented company has nearly quadruple the amount of Facebook and Instagram followers, and Uber drivers generally make more than their Lyft counterparts throughout the country.
The Uber drivers are also highly satisfied with their gigs – 91% say they’re happy with Uber, and roughly half only drive 10 or fewer hours per week. Employees have plenty of people to shuffle around, too – with over 8 million users and 160,000 drivers, Uber’s pretty much everywhere.
Even high-profile celebrities have abandoned their typical private car services and opt for the more populist car service. Mega-ranking CEOs and thinkers like Marissa Mayer and Elon Musk have been known for utilizing Uber, plus some of the cultural heartbeats of the U.S. are among the top Uber-using cities (like San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.).
Uber has expanded internationally, too, with countries like France, Australia, South Africa, and India jumping on the Uber bandwagon. Uber has 2 million or more rides per day, and China makes up about half of them. Founder Travis Kalanick (who was a college dropout) has even considered moving to China because of the company’s growth there. Crazily enough, if you added up every Uber trip in the past five years, the total distance covered is more than a trip to Saturn and back.
The journey hasn’t been easy as Uber has battled countless bans, limits, and lawsuits, but the company has certainly made its mark on the sharing economy in the last few years. Whether you’re down to join the movement or not, Uber isn’t going anywhere soon.
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