The Potential Disruptor: Uber
Uber, founded in 2009 and beta launched in San Francisco in 2010 on an AppShow, raised $8.1B in its IPO last year.
Uber is best-known as a ride-hailing company, the first of its kind in the new generation of gig-economy.
As the company grows, Uber has expanded into other areas, including UberEats.
Ride-hailing, in some way, is delivering people. UberEats, similarly, is delivering food.
Contrast to previous giants that create delivery systems with their own capital & employees, Uber is marching into this playground by facilitating the supply and demand, whether it’s people, food or other things.
During the current coronavirus pandemic, it has become more clear that moving people around is not the fundamental mandate of Uber; but matching the supply and demand is.
Consumers are increasingly using food delivery, grocery delivery and other tools to remain at home. No-contact delivery options have become popular.
In October 2019, Uber acquired the majority ownership of Cornershop, an online grocery provider in Chile, Mexico, and more recently in Peru and Toronto.
In March 19, 2020, on an investor update, Uber said
we’re actually now looking to test delivery, tested delivery and we have a Uber for health
Uber has transformed how people call a taxi; it may again transform the overall delivery system, starting from within cities.