Uber

In 2007, both Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp had sold startups they co-founded for large sums. Kalanick sold Red Swoosh to Akamai Technologies, while Camp sold StumbleUpon to eBay (EBAY).

In December 2008, at the LeWeb technology conference, the idea for Uber was first heard by Travis. He appreciated it as a way to lower the cost of black car service using a phone.

Uber, a transportation and logistics services company, was founded in March 2009, marking the beginning of the rise of the sharing economy.

Uber is an American-based ride-sharing company that was founded in 2010. It has a global presence and operates in 900 metropolitan areas and 70 countries.

Uber receives its first ride request and cars hit the road in San Francisco, despite facing a cease and desist order with the threat of fines or prison time.

Uber's automated algorithm led to prices soaring to as much as seven times standard rates on New Year's Eve 2011, sparking negative feedback from users.

On December 9, 2014, an Uber driver in Delhi allegedly rapes a passenger when driving her home late at night.

Uber admitted a data breach that occurred more than nine months prior, compromising the names and license plate information of approximately 50,000 drivers. The company waited over five months to notify the affected individuals.

Uber's operational practices are being questioned for their legality.

Uber's agreement with Didi was seen as beneficial for all parties involved, except for the 'Anti-Uber Alliance'.

The emergence of a new Uber-Didi duopoly was highlighted, leaving Lyft with limited options.

On February 19, 2017, former Uber engineer Susan Fowler published on her website about being propositioned for sex by a manager and threatened with termination of employment. This incident led to a series of events including the resignation of Uber's Senior Vice President of Engineering and the departure of CEO Travis Kalanick.

Travis Kalanick resigned as the CEO of Uber on June 21, 2017, following a shareholder revolt.

On June 22, 2017, Travis Kalanick resigns as CEO.

Transport for London issued the final judgment on Uber's licensing appeal, concluding a significant legal process for Uber's operations in London.

The event marks the creation of the transportation network company Uber.

In February 2018, Uber combined its operations in several countries with those of Yandex.Taxi and invested $225 million in the venture.

In August 2018, the New York City Council voted to put a pause on new licenses issued to ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft, imposing a temporary restriction on their expansion.

A London judge overturned the ban on Uber, allowing the company to operate under a 15-month license with certain conditions, marking a significant legal development for Uber in London.

In July 2018, Uber announced its investment in the electric scooter rental company Lime in collaboration with Alphabet Inc.'s GV (GOOG). Lime's lightweight scooters are available for rent in several major cities, and customers leave them on the sidewalk for the next rider, making for a convenient and clean-energy-based business model. Uber users can book a scooter through their Uber app.

In August 2018, Uber reached a settlement to pay a total of $7 million to resolve claims of gender discrimination, harassment, and a hostile work environment. The settlement included payments to 480 employees and former employees, with additional compensation for 56 individuals.

In the largest multi-state settlement of a data breach, Uber paid $148 million to the Federal Trade Commission and admitted that internal access to consumers' personal information was closely monitored on an ongoing basis was false.

Uber's British divisions were fined £385,000 (reduced to £308,000) by the Information Commissioner's Office.

The CEO of Uber shares insights on choosing a career path based on people rather than job titles in a podcast episode with students.

Uber went public on May 9, 2019, marking a significant milestone in its history. Despite facing challenges, Uber remains a leading company in the ride-sharing space.

On May 10, 2019, Uber became a public company via an initial public offering.

Transport for London's final judgment on Uber's licensing appeal was released, impacting Uber's operations in London.

On October 3, 2019, PBS aired an episode titled 'Driven' as part of the 'Playing by the Rules: Ethics at Work' series, which may have featured discussions about Uber and its impact on the business world.

Transport for London made a significant decision regarding the licensing of Uber London Limited, affecting the company's operations in the city.

Uber's sale of its ATG self-driving business to Aurora for $4 billion.

In January 2021, Uber ATG/Advanced Technologies Group was sold to Aurora Innovation for $4 billion in equity, and Uber invested $400 million into Aurora.

In March 2021, Uber moved to a new headquarters on Third Street in Mission Bay, San Francisco.

In April 2021, an arbitrator ruled that Uber must pay $1.1 million to Lisa Irving, a blind customer, due to discrimination by Uber's drivers. The drivers were found to have denied her rides or verbally abused her multiple times. Uber had contested that it was not accountable for the drivers' actions because they were independent contractors.

In October 2021, Uber acquired Drizly, an alcohol delivery service, for $1.1 billion in cash and stock.

On January 20, 2022, Uber acquired Australian car-sharing company Car Next Door.

Uber in Hong Kong implemented a temporary fuel surcharge to help alleviate the impact of rising fuel prices for its driver-partners.

On September 15, 2022, Uber discovered a security breach of its internal network by a hacker that utilized social engineering to obtain an employee's credentials and gain access to the company's VPN and intranet. The company stated that no sensitive data had been compromised.

Uber and ZA committed to providing HK$8 million to support driver-partners in Hong Kong.

Uber has introduced a new safety feature in the Uber Driver App that monitors driving time to prevent fatigue and reduce the risk of accidents. The feature automatically disconnects drivers from the app if their accumulated driving time reaches 12 hours within the past 72 hours, promoting road safety for all users.

As of Feb. 4, 2024, Uber's market capitalization stood at over $140 billion, indicating its continued significance in the global market.

An exploration of the future prospects and developments in the on-demand taxi business, with a specific focus on the company Uber and its impact on the industry.