Markross121_ No Comments

Uber Unveils New Division

Elon Musk introduced us to the hyperloop. Now, thanks to Uber, we have a Powerloop, too.

That’s the name of the new service the ridehailing company unveiled Wednesday, which will involve renting pre-loaded trailers to shipping carriers in an effort to help smaller carriers connect to businesses with plenty of goods to move—including Anheuser-Busch, which is one of Powerloop’s first clients. Powerloop will be affiliated with the existing Uber Freight unit, which uses an app to direct truckers with empty trailers to cargo waiting to be hauled.

The announcement came a day after reports emerged indicating that Uber has been in discussions with investment banks regarding a public debut that could be worth up to $120 billion. The San Francisco-based company and its primary rival, Lyft, are both making progress toward enormous IPOs that are expected in 2019.

Uber isn’t the only VC-backed company with its eye on reshaping the world of shipping. Last month, Convoy confirmed it had raised $185 million at a $1.1 billion valuation, essentially tripling its valuation from barely a year prior, while Cargomatic brought in $35 million in August. Both companies have similar aims to Uber Freight, using a platform to connect available trucks to clients with goods to ship.

Powerloop’s trailer-pool services are already available in Texas, with plans to expand throughout the US. The division represents Uber’s latest effort to diversify away from its flagship ridehailing business. That unit, the company’s Freight division and its UberEats subsidiary are all currently unprofitable, per The Wall Street Journal, with UberEats expected to be the first of the units to get into the black.

Read More – www.pitchbooks.com