Uber has inked two new incredible deals with Turkish and Chinese businesses. First, with Türkiye’s Trendyol GO food delivery business, then with three Chinese self-driving startups. What for? Read on.
Collab with a Turkish food delivery business
Today, Reuters reported Uber making the confirmation that it is buying a majority 85 percent stake in Trendyol GO, a Turkish food and grocery delivery platform like Uber Eats and DoorDash. This will help the world’s most popular ridesharing platform tap into new markets amid signs of saturation in its mainstay business in North America.
Ridesharing media stated that the stake investment from the Turkish group will give Uber control of its platform, which serves customers across Türkiye, delivering groceries and meals from more than 90,000 restaurants and markets through 19,000 couriers.
The deal, which is expected to finish in the second half of this year, not too long from now, will immediately add to Uber’s growth in the United States, primarily. Meanwhile, Trendyol GO’s app will continue to operate independently, with Uber integrating features from its delivery arm over time, the report added.
Trendyol GO is an instant food and grocery delivery service in the Middle Eastern country that offers more than just fashion.
Last year, 2024, the platform delivered over 200 million orders, raking up about $2 billion in gross bookings, marking a year-on-year surge of over 50 percent.
Deals with Chinese companies
Uber has also made deals with not just one but three self-driving startups in China to launch robotaxis successfully. These robotaxis will be on the road internationally, such as in European markets and the Middle East.
The three Chinese startups Uber partnered with in China are Pony.ai, Momenta, and WeRide.
“This collaboration enables more riders worldwide to experience affordable autonomous mobility,” stated the chief executive of Uber, Dara Khosrowshahi.
Supported by Toyota and Nio, Pony.ai is an autonomous car technology company with main offices in the Silicon Valley, Beijing, and Guangzhou.
Momenta is also a Chinese autonomous driving startup backed by Toyota, General Motors, and SAIC Motor. Since 2021, it has provided SAIC with self-driving software.
Lastly, WeRide is also a Chinese autonomous driving company that has been offering robotaxis on the Uber platform since September 2024. So, this partnership between Uber and WeRide is more of a renewal.
WeRide is backed by Blackrock, Nvidia, and Bosch. It was founded in Guangzhou in 2017, and currently holds autonomous driving permits across China, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, and Singapore.
Dr. James Peng, the CEO of Pony.ai, spoke about the new deal, “Partnering with Uber accelerates our shared mission to make autonomous mobility a reality. We will start in the Middle East before expanding to new markets.”
Do those excite you about these partnerships? Share your thoughts with the Ridesharing Forum by creating your account today.