Uber: the ride-hailing and delivery platform and what it does

Uber Technologies, Inc. is a technology company based in San Francisco whose apps connect riders with drivers, customers with restaurants and stores, and shippers with freight carriers. Its services run in more than 70 countries and over 15,000 cities.

The company matters now because of its scale and its turn to profit. Uber reported revenue of $52.0 billion for 2025 on gross bookings of $193.5 billion, and it is building a network of self-driving car partners on its platform.

Overview and Founding

Uber was founded in 2009. According to its annual report, it was incorporated in Delaware as Ubercab, Inc. in July 2010 and changed its name to Uber Technologies, Inc. in February 2011. Its co-founder Travis Kalanick led the company through its early expansion.

The service started with booking a car through a phone app and grew into a wider platform. Delivery, freight and a membership programme were added over time, and the company now describes itself as a platform that powers movement from one place to another.

In 2016, while still private, Uber raised $3.5 billion from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, in a financing round that valued the company at $62.5 billion. Yasir Al Rumayyan of the fund took a seat on Uber’s board as part of the deal.

Key Milestones

• 2009: Uber is founded.
• 2011: Ubercab, Inc. changes its name to Uber Technologies, Inc.
• 2016: Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund invests $3.5 billion.
• 2017: Dara Khosrowshahi becomes chief executive in September.
• 2019: Shares begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange on 10 May under the symbol UBER.
• 2020: Uber completes its $3.1 billion purchase of Careem and sells its self-driving research unit to Aurora.
• 2023: Uber posts its first annual profit as a public company.
• 2025: Riders in Austin, Texas, begin taking fully autonomous Waymo rides through the Uber app.
• 2025: Revenue reaches $52.0 billion and Uber One membership reaches 46 million.

What It Does

Uber’s business has three main parts. Mobility connects riders with independent drivers for car trips and also links users to public transport. Delivery connects customers with restaurants, grocers and other stores, with couriers making the deliveries. Freight connects shippers with carriers and offers booking and logistics services.

The Uber One membership ties these together. Members get discounts, cash back, special pricing and priority service across rides, delivery and grocery orders, and the programme had 46 million members at the end of 2025. The company also sells advertising inside its apps to merchants and brands.

In the Middle East, Uber owns Careem, which kept its own brand after the deal closed in January 2020. The purchase covered Careem’s ride-hailing, delivery and payments businesses in the wider region, with major markets including Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan. Ride-hailing in the Kingdom has other players too, as shown by inDrive’s licence to operate in Saudi Arabia.

Self-driving cars are a growing focus. After selling its own research unit in 2020, Uber moved to partnerships with companies that develop autonomous vehicles, including Waymo, with which it began working in 2022. In August 2026 its chief executive said Uber aims to build the largest platform for autonomous vehicles in the world.

Growth has continued in 2026. In the second quarter, trips rose 18% to 3.9 billion and gross bookings rose 24% to $58.0 billion, while revenue grew 12% to $14.2 billion and income from operations rose 30% to $1.9 billion. The company said free cash flow over the previous twelve months had passed $10 billion for the first time.

In Numbers

• Revenue: $52.0 billion (2025)
• Gross bookings: $193.5 billion (2025)
• Trips: about 13.6 billion (2025)
• Monthly active platform consumers: 202 million (fourth quarter of 2025)
• Income from operations: $5.6 billion (2025)
• Employees: about 34,000 (31 December 2025)

Leadership

Uber is led by Chief Executive Officer Dara Khosrowshahi, who has held the post and a seat on the board since September 2017. Balaji Krishnamurthy has been chief financial officer since February 2026.