As popular as Uber is around the world, its business model has also inspired others to come up with alternatives. In the US alone we have several alternatives to Uber, and the same can be said in other countries, such as China where the country has its own take on Uber called Didi. In fact in China, it seems that Didi is more popular than Uber.So much so that as much as Uber has tried, they have not managed to surpass their Chinese rival to the point where according to a report from Bloomberg, they have decided to sell their business in China to Didi. So far neither Uber nor Didi have confirmed anything, but if the reports are true, part of this deal will see Didi invest a whopping $1 billion into Uber.
Bloomberg also obtained a blog post that was allegedly penned by Travis Kalanick, Uber’s CEO, which reads, “As an entrepreneur, I’ve learned that being successful is about listening to your head as well as following your heart. I have no doubt that Uber China and Didi Chuxing will be stronger together.”
It certainly sounds that way, especially when you consider that last year, Didi and their rival Kuaidi merged to form Didi Chuxing, so if the reports of them absorbing Uber’s business in China, there would certainly be no mistaking who is the dominant ride-hailing service in the country.