Why Did Google Invest In Uber?

In 2013 Google Ventures put $258M into Uber, in its largest deal ever. Since then Uber, the app-driven system that gets cars to take you places, has been growing like topsy.

Recently I have been using a lot of Uber cars in Austin, Washington DC, and New York City. The service is great, the cars are clean, the drivers are polite. And we all review each other…that’s the modern way of things.

I can’t help thinking Google’s thoughts on the future are a little developed from here. Combine Google Maps, driverless cars and Uber and we are off and running into a different world. Perhaps Google’s current motive is to gather the data on journeys, travellers, routes and trends in preparation for the app requested, driverless taxi of the future.

Whatever happens, Uber is pissing off, sorry, I mean disrupting, traditional taxis in the US. Uber has already arrived in Leeds, London and Manchester in the UK. In fact, Uber is in 50 countries already.

Kevin Harrington

I’m a UK-based B2B marketing consultant, specialising in strategic advice for SME business owners. I bring extensive hands-on expertise to every client engagement. Senior leadership roles across technology, media, payments, and publishing have shaped my practical approach. Highlights include serving as Chief Marketing Officer at The Panoply plc (now TPXimpact), Chief Commercial Officer at Tungsten Network, and Global Marketing Director at BBC Worldwide. Over the years, I’ve guided numerous SMEs through transformation and value creation. Helping businesses evolve and thrive is a genuine passion. Practical marketing insights and succession planning strategies are at the heart of what I do, as I believe growing a business’s asset value should be a rewarding and positive journey for every entrepreneur.

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