Life without Uber should be simple for Grab, but a battle with regulators in Singapore could see the company’s acquisition of Uber’s Southeast Asia business unwound while some consumers have voiced concern around a lack of competition. Grab co-founder Hooi Ling Tan recently claimed competition remains in the market, but that hasn’t stopped another consumer backlash… Continue reading Southeast Asia’s Grab hit by backlash over changes to customer loyal program
Author: Tech Crunch Online News
Volta’s ad-supported electric vehicle charging service raises $35 million
As increasing numbers of electric vehicles are expected to hit the streets, thanks to new models from big automakers soon hitting the market, charging networks like Volta Charging are raising new cash to meet the expected demand. The company today said it raised $35 million from investors led by the Invenergy Future Fund, the technology investment arm… Continue reading Volta’s ad-supported electric vehicle charging service raises $35 million
Lime hits six million rides
Lime, the bike and scooter-share company that recently raised $335 million from GV, Uber and others, has hit six million rides since launching last June. Lime, which first launched in Greensboro, N.C., has since expanded to 70 cities. In comparison, Bird announced in April it hit 1 million rides since launching in November. Lime’s ridership in… Continue reading Lime hits six million rides
Uber’s Indian rival Ola is aiming for an IPO in 3-4 years
Ola, Uber’s chief rival in India, is planning to go public potentially as soon as in three years time, according to its CEO. Co-founder and chief executive officer Bhavish Aggarwal told the audience at an event in Bengaluru last week that seven-year-old Ola is poised to become a cash flow positive business — having recently hit operational… Continue reading Uber’s Indian rival Ola is aiming for an IPO in 3-4 years
Waymo’s autonomous vehicles are driving 25,000 miles every day
Waymo, the former Google self-driving project that spun out to become a business under Alphabet, has driven 8 million miles on public roads using its autonomous vehicles. Waymo CEO John Krafcik shared the company’s milestone Friday while on stage with Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval at the National Governors Association conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The figure… Continue reading Waymo’s autonomous vehicles are driving 25,000 miles every day
Euro startup FlixBus expands its $10 bus service in California
FlixBus, the low-cost bus service out of Europe, is doubling down on its U.S. launch. The parent company, FlixMobility, started cheap bus routes between Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Tucson just two months ago. Now it’s adding another 16 connections throughout central and northern California. as well as Nevada and Arizona. The new connections,… Continue reading Euro startup FlixBus expands its $10 bus service in California
Self-driving car startup Voyage brings on ex-Tesla, Cruise and Uber exec as CTO
Voyage, the autonomous driving startup that currently operates self-driving cars in retirement communities, has brought on its first CTO, Drew Gray. Gray most recently worked at Uber as its director of engineering, leading the deep learning and perception team in San Francisco, according to his LinkedIn. This comes shortly after the company poached Uber’s head… Continue reading Self-driving car startup Voyage brings on ex-Tesla, Cruise and Uber exec as CTO
China’s Didi Chuxing is close to launching a taxi-booking service in Japan
Days after raising $500 million via a strategic investment from travel giant Booking Holdings, Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing has continued its international push with the launch of a local business in Japan. Its new Japan-based unit is a joint venture with SoftBank, a longtime Didi investor, which has been in the works since an announcement back… Continue reading China’s Didi Chuxing is close to launching a taxi-booking service in Japan
Uber hires first chief privacy officer
Uber has hired its first chief privacy officer, as well as a former TomTom executive in charge, ensuring the ride-hailing company complies with the EU’s data protection laws. The new hires, which were announced to Uber employees in an internal email, aim to help the company strengthen its privacy standards and data protections. Ruby Zefo,… Continue reading Uber hires first chief privacy officer
Self-driving car startup Zoox is raising $500 million at a $3.2 billion valuation
Zoox, a once-secretive self-driving car startup, is closing a $500 million at a $3.2 billion post-money valuation, Bloomberg Businessweek reports. Prior to the deal, Zoox was valued at $2.7 billion, Zoox confirmed to TechCrunch. The round, led by Mike Cannon-Brookes of Grok Ventures, brings its total amount of funding to $800 million. Zoox’s plan, according… Continue reading Self-driving car startup Zoox is raising $500 million at a $3.2 billion valuation