Yeah, this is a good point. They were able to get enough VC money, for long enough, to actually affect the existing monopoly (taxi industry) in many countries.

Yeah, this is a good point. They were able to get enough VC money, for long enough, to actually affect the existing monopoly (taxi industry) in many countries. That being said, I wonder how much money the founders spent on private security for themselves meanwhile? Unions (including taxi unions) are known to play funny buggers in the real world against those they perceive as threats.