An Uber Japan employee holds an iPhone 5S showing a map on the Uber application during a demonstration in Tokyo in March. Uber Technologies Inc. is a booking-app developer backed by Google’s investment arm and Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos. ( Bloomberg)
Uber Technologies, the U.S.-based Silicon Valley start-up, said it has launched its application for smart transportation solutions and services in Beijing.
The Chinese capital city is the 100th city in which the company ― backed by Google Ventures and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos ― has introduced its app since it was founded in 2010.
Uber’s mobile app allows passengers to connect with private drivers of sedans for hire via smartphones to pick them up and take them to their destination.
“Beijing is the capital for a quarter of mankind. We couldn’t be more excited about this,” Ryan Graves, Uber’s head of global operations, said in a statement.
“With Uber, residents and visitors can tap a button on their phone and a driver will turn up to take them to Tiananmen Square or the Great Wall or for a business meeting or dinner anywhere in this great city.”
Beijing is Uber’s 21st city in Asia following its arrival in Singapore, Seoul and Taipei last year, the company said.
Launched in 2010 in San Francisco, Uber was selected as the Most Mobile Innovative Company and ranked sixth among the Most Innovative Companies of 2013 by Fast Company, a U.S. business publication.
Uber’s other investors include TPG Capital, Goldman Sachs, Benchmark Capital and MenloVentures.
By Park Hyong-ki (
hkp@heraldcorp.com)