Uber Technologies
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Formerly called
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UberCab (2009–2011) |
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| Privately held company | |
| Industry | |
| Founded | March 2009 |
| Founders | Travis Kalanick, Garrett Camp |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California |
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Area served
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Worldwide, 633 cities |
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Key people
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| Products | Mobile app, website |
| Services | |
| Revenue |
 US$ 6.5B (2016) |
 US$ -2.8B (2016) |
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Number of employees
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More than 12,000 |
| Divisions | UberEATS, Otto (company) |
| Website | www |
Uber Technologies Inc. is an American technology company headquartered in San Francisco, California, United States, operating in 633 cities worldwide. It develops, markets and operates the Uber car transportation and food delivery mobile apps. Uber drivers use their own cars, although drivers can rent a car to drive with Uber.
The name "Uber" is a reference to the common (and somewhat slangy) word "", meaning "topmost" or "super", and having its origins in the German word , meaning "above".
Uber has been a pioneer in the sharing economy and the changes in industries as a result of the sharing economy have been referred to as "Uberification" or "Uberisation". Uber has also been the subject of protests and legal actions.
The Uber app software requires the drivers to have a smartphone, and users must have access to either a smartphone or the mobile website.
In most cities, Uber offers "upfront pricing"; the rider is quoted the fare that he or she will pay before requesting the ride. In some cities, Uber does not offer upfront pricing and instead calculates the price of a ride similar to a taximeter; the rider is charged based on the time and distance of the ride. Uber also offers promotional rates on rides to/from certain areas at certain times. At the end of the ride, payment is made based on the rider's pre-selected preferences, which could be a credit card on file, cash, or, in certain cities, other methods such as via Google Wallet or Airtel mobile wallet. After the ride is over, in some cities, the rider is given the opportunity to provide a gratuity to the driver, which is also billed to the rider's payment method.
Uber fares are based on a dynamic pricing model, in which fares are higher during periods of high demand for rides. The same route costs different amounts at different times as a result of factors such as the supply and demand for Uber drivers at the time the ride is requested. When rides are in high demand in a certain area and there are not enough drivers in such area, Uber fares increase to get more drivers to that area and to reduce demand for rides in that area. The rate quoted to the rider will reflect such dynamic pricing.
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Wikipedia