An interesting possibility for Uber in China, assuming they "win," is that the timing could work for leapfrogging car ownership. The timing is right for that i

An interesting possibility for Uber in China, assuming they "win," is that the timing could work for leapfrogging car ownership. The timing is right for that in china. They're just entering where more centre of the curve people can afford cars, but most don't yet. It's not ingrained in the culture yet, so they will be more open to alternatives. Also, with driver salaries are lower in China that US & Europe and that will reflect in uber prices. This means that the uber/private car equation is more weighted in Uber's favor. Between those two things, it gives uber a decent shot at becoming a top tier mode of transport. The crazy thing about the market Uber is biting is that it is a massive, massive market. Once you start talking about about market share in transport, you are in crazy territory. Side note: It's pretty wild how much money is available in the "private" markets these days. So, I agree with other commentors that (1) the scale of money coming in is confusing the definition of "startup" stage and (2) I agree that the risks are pretty substantial. That said, (A) the potential reward is pretty hefty too and (B) they seem to be actually operating as an enormously oversized startup. They're taking startup-ey risks and developing the product-market in a startup-ey way. IE, it seems that their current form is not their medium term goal. Say what you will about Uber, they have balls.