Private Equity News: Uber on the Fast Track to Growth
Posted by Louie Drake on Tuesday, November 17, 2015 Under: Business
According to CB Insights, a venture capital base and private equity news source, there are currently more than 140 “industry unicorns” like Uber; private equity companies, which are valued at $ 1 billion dollars or more. As the stock market becomes inhospitable to initial public offerings, these companies are staying private longer than ever, leading to a steady rise in their private equity values.
Leading the pack of highly-valued private companies
Uber, a ride-hailing service, is one of the most watched companies in the private equity industry of late. The company aims to raise almost $1 billion in new venture capital from investors on their 8th round of fundraising. Investors are looking at a valuation of about $60 billion. If this new round of fundraising proves successful, Uber would become the world’s most valuable private start-up to date.
According to Uber founder and chief executive, Travis Kalanick, the company has no plans to go public anytime soon. Though being compared to Facebook in terms of successful fundraising attempts right before going public, Kalanick insists that the company is not ready for such a move yet.
Aggressively expanding its global reach
Instead, Uber is focusing on expanding their overseas reach. The company has already succeeded in creating footholds in the U.S. and Europe, but is pushing to establish its presence in Asia. Uber has spent over $1 billion facing regulatory fights in Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Uber has also set its eyes on the ride-hailing market in China and India, where its goal is to become a household name.
The cost of beating competitors
Uber’s ambition to go global is not without its challenges. Regulatory fights in South East Asia have been costly and dragging. China already has a leading ride-hailing service, Didi Kuaidi, which will be hard to top. In India, there is Ola, an already relatively established transportation service brand. Such undertakings require a consistent stream of funding, which Uber has so far had no trouble acquiring. Since its founding, Uber has raised more than $8 billion from a number of investors, including Benchmark, Google Ventures, and Goldman Sachs.
Still dipping its toes
Uber will not disappear from the circulation of private equity news anytime soon. Investors and industry watchers see a lot of potential in Uber. The company has only just dipped its toes in the pool of opportunities. The company has strong roster of budding projects such as Uber Eats, a food delivery service, Uber Rush, a service for companies to deliver goods on the retailers’ behalf, and Uber Pool, a car-pooling service. The on-demand transportation market holds a lot of promise for a young tech company like Uber and investors are eager to be a part of its rapid growth.
Leading the pack of highly-valued private companies
Uber, a ride-hailing service, is one of the most watched companies in the private equity industry of late. The company aims to raise almost $1 billion in new venture capital from investors on their 8th round of fundraising. Investors are looking at a valuation of about $60 billion. If this new round of fundraising proves successful, Uber would become the world’s most valuable private start-up to date.
According to Uber founder and chief executive, Travis Kalanick, the company has no plans to go public anytime soon. Though being compared to Facebook in terms of successful fundraising attempts right before going public, Kalanick insists that the company is not ready for such a move yet.
Aggressively expanding its global reach
Instead, Uber is focusing on expanding their overseas reach. The company has already succeeded in creating footholds in the U.S. and Europe, but is pushing to establish its presence in Asia. Uber has spent over $1 billion facing regulatory fights in Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Uber has also set its eyes on the ride-hailing market in China and India, where its goal is to become a household name.
The cost of beating competitors
Uber’s ambition to go global is not without its challenges. Regulatory fights in South East Asia have been costly and dragging. China already has a leading ride-hailing service, Didi Kuaidi, which will be hard to top. In India, there is Ola, an already relatively established transportation service brand. Such undertakings require a consistent stream of funding, which Uber has so far had no trouble acquiring. Since its founding, Uber has raised more than $8 billion from a number of investors, including Benchmark, Google Ventures, and Goldman Sachs.
Still dipping its toes
Uber will not disappear from the circulation of private equity news anytime soon. Investors and industry watchers see a lot of potential in Uber. The company has only just dipped its toes in the pool of opportunities. The company has strong roster of budding projects such as Uber Eats, a food delivery service, Uber Rush, a service for companies to deliver goods on the retailers’ behalf, and Uber Pool, a car-pooling service. The on-demand transportation market holds a lot of promise for a young tech company like Uber and investors are eager to be a part of its rapid growth.
In : Business
