Skip to main content
C
CorpDigest
Search

Uber Technologies, Inc.

MobilityFounded 2009
Reviewed by Swet Parvadiya
Company data updated: October 2026

Acquisitions

Uber Acquisitions

7

Major Deals Covered

$24.6B

Disclosed Deal Value

What are Uber's biggest acquisitions?

Uber's largest disclosed acquisition here is Delivery Hero (pending offer) for $14.8B in 2026. This page covers 7 major deals from 2016 to 2026, each with its price where disclosed and the reason behind it.

Major deals covered
7
Largest deal
Delivery Hero (pending offer) ($14.8B)
First deal
2016
Most recent
2026
CompanyYearPricePurpose
Delivery Hero (pending offer)2026$14.8BUber offered €41.50 per share in cash for Delivery Hero, an implied equity value of $14.8 billion ($13.7 billion adjusted for shares Uber already held), to expand its delivery footprint and add markets where it can offer both rides and delivery.
Drizly2021$1.1BUber acquired Drizly to enter alcohol delivery more and expand Uber Eats beyond restaurant meals. Drizly brought relationships with local alcohol retailers and compliance experience in a regulated category.
Transplace2021$2.3BUber Freight acquired Transplace to add managed transportation software, enterprise shipper relationships, and logistics execution capabilities. The goal was to move Uber Freight beyond spot-market brokerage into a fuller shipper-to-carrier operating system.
Postmates2020$2.6BUber acquired Postmates to strengthen its position in the United States food delivery market. The deal provided access to Postmates' strong presence in key cities such as Los Angeles. It also helped consolidate market share against competitors like DoorDash. The acquisition aimed to improve unit economics through scale and operational efficiency.
Careem2020$3.1BUber acquired Middle East rival Careem to deepen its position across the Middle East, North Africa, and Pakistan after years of costly competition in international ride-hailing. The transaction combined Uber's global platform with Careem's local brand, payments knowledge, and regional operating relationships.
Otto2016$680.0MUber acquired autonomous trucking startup Otto to accelerate its self-driving ambitions and bring in engineering talent for the Advanced Technologies Group. The deal was part of Uber's earlier belief that owning autonomous technology could eventually reduce driver-related costs.
Geometric Intelligence2016UndisclosedUber Technologies, Inc. acquired Geometric Intelligence in 2016.
What companies has Uber bought?
Major acquisitions by Uber documented here include Delivery Hero (pending offer) (2026), Careem (2020), Postmates (2020), Transplace (2021) and Drizly (2021).
What is Uber's most recent acquisition?
The most recent Uber acquisition documented here is Delivery Hero (pending offer), in 2026, for $14.8B.

Delivery Hero (pending offer)

2026

$14.8B

Why

Uber offered €41.50 per share in cash for Delivery Hero, an implied equity value of $14.8 billion ($13.7 billion adjusted for shares Uber already held), to expand its delivery footprint and add markets where it can offer both rides and delivery.

Impact

If completed, the transaction would add Delivery Hero operations across 50 markets, while 14 overlapping markets are planned to be sold separately to SSW Partners.

Outcome

Pending. Delivery Hero's management and supervisory boards recommended the offer on September 2, 2026, and Uber launched the tender on September 18, 2026. Uber expects closing in the second half of 2027, subject to regulatory approvals.

Source →

Drizly

2021

$1.1B

Why

Uber acquired Drizly to enter alcohol delivery more and expand Uber Eats beyond restaurant meals. Drizly brought relationships with local alcohol retailers and compliance experience in a regulated category.

Impact

The acquisition gave Uber expertise in beverage alcohol delivery, but the standalone Drizly model did not fit as cleanly into Uber's courier-led marketplace as Postmates did. Cybersecurity scrutiny around Drizly and the complexity of alcohol regulation reduced the attractiveness of maintaining a separate app.

Outcome

Uber shut down the standalone Drizly service in 2024 and shifted focus to alcohol ordering inside Uber Eats. The acquisition therefore produced category learning and merchant relationships, but it was not a successful standalone brand investment.

Source →

Transplace

2021

$2.3B

Why

Uber Freight acquired Transplace to add managed transportation software, enterprise shipper relationships, and logistics execution capabilities. The goal was to move Uber Freight beyond spot-market brokerage into a fuller shipper-to-carrier operating system.

Impact

Transplace gave Uber Freight scale with enterprise customers and a broader managed transportation offering. It also increased exposure to freight cycles, enterprise implementation work, and lower-margin logistics services.

Outcome

The acquisition improved Uber Freight's strategic credibility but has produced a more complex profitability picture than Uber's consumer marketplace businesses. Its long-term success depends on whether Uber can use data, automation, and shipper density to improve profitability through freight cycles.

Source →

Postmates

2020

$2.6B

Why

Uber acquired Postmates to strengthen its position in the United States food delivery market. The deal provided access to Postmates' strong presence in key cities such as Los Angeles. It also helped consolidate market share against competitors like DoorDash. The acquisition aimed to improve unit economics through scale and operational efficiency.

Impact

The acquisition significantly increased Uber Eats' market share in the United States and improved competitiveness. Uber integrated Postmates' merchant network into its platform, expanding restaurant options for users. Cost combined benefits were achieved by combining logistics and marketing operations. The deal contributed to improved delivery segment performance. It also accelerated Uber's path toward profitability in delivery services.

Outcome

Postmates became a useful density acquisition rather than a separate long-term brand strategy. Uber kept parts of the consumer experience for a period but used the deal mainly to expand merchant selection, courier supply, and U.S. Delivery liquidity. The acquisition achieved its main defensive purpose by strengthening Uber Eats during the pandemic-era delivery surge.

Source →

Careem

2020

$3.1B

Why

Uber acquired Middle East rival Careem to deepen its position across the Middle East, North Africa, and Pakistan after years of costly competition in international ride-hailing. The transaction combined Uber's global platform with Careem's local brand, payments knowledge, and regional operating relationships.

Impact

Careem gave Uber a stronger regional base in markets where local trust and localization mattered. It also showed a more selective international strategy after the China exit, with Uber choosing acquisition over prolonged subsidy conflict.

Outcome

The deal largely achieved its strategic purpose because Careem continued operating as a regional brand while Uber gained ownership of a major local competitor. It did not remove all regulatory and profitability challenges, but it gave Uber a more durable platform in a region where building from scratch would have required years of spending.

Source →

Otto

2016

$680M

Why

Uber acquired autonomous trucking startup Otto to accelerate its self-driving ambitions and bring in engineering talent for the Advanced Technologies Group. The deal was part of Uber's earlier belief that owning autonomous technology could eventually reduce driver-related costs.

Impact

Otto became costly after Waymo sued Uber over alleged trade-secret theft involving a former Waymo employee. The dispute damaged Uber's autonomy credibility and contributed to a broader reassessment of internal self-driving development.

Outcome

The acquisition did not deliver the autonomous advantage Uber sought. Uber settled the Waymo case and later sold its Advanced Technologies Group, shifting from internal development to partnerships with companies such as Waymo.

Source →

Geometric Intelligence

2016

Why

Uber Technologies, Inc. acquired Geometric Intelligence in 2016.

Source →

Uber Technologies, Inc.'s Growth & Acquisition Strategy

Uber's growth strategy centers on cross-platform engagement between Mobility and Delivery, Uber One membership, advertising, autonomous-vehicle partnerships, and international delivery scale. The €41.50-per-share Delivery Hero tender, launched September 18, 2026 after Delivery Hero's boards recommended it on September 2, would extend delivery density; Uber expects closing in the second half of 2027.

How Uber Technologies, Inc. Makes Money

Uber does not own most of the cars, restaurants or trucks on its platform. It matches riders with independent drivers (Mobility), consumers with restaurants, grocers and couriers (Delivery), and shippers with carriers (Freight), and keeps a share of each transaction as revenue. On top of those take rates it sells in-app advertising to merchants and brands and charges for Uber One, a membership bundling ride discounts and delivery-fee waivers. In Q2 2026, Mobility produced about $7.36 billion of revenue and Delivery about $5.25 billion, with Freight making up most of the rest.

Uber Acquisitions FAQ

What was the strategic rationale behind acquiring Postmates for $2.65 billion in 2020?

In July 2020, Uber acquired on-demand delivery pioneer Postmates for $2.65 billion in stock, eliminating a major US competitor and securing dominant food delivery market share in Los Angeles and the American Southwest.

Why did Uber acquire Careem for $3.1 billion in 2020?

Completed in January 2020, the $3.1 billion buyout of Careem made Uber the dominant ride-hailing and delivery platform across the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia, operating Careem as an independent regional brand.

What are the details of the $14.8 billion Delivery Hero tender offer in 2026?

In September 2026, Uber launched a cash tender offer of €41.50 per share valued at $14.8 billion to acquire German food delivery giant Delivery Hero, consolidating delivery operations across Europe, Latin America, and Asia.

What was the acquisition of Transplace for Uber Freight in 2021?

Uber Freight acquired managed transportation logistics provider Transplace for $2.25 billion in 2021, creating an enterprise logistics software powerhouse with over $17 billion in freight under management.

Why did Uber shut down alcohol delivery platform Drizly in 2024?

Uber acquired alcohol marketplace Drizly for $1.1 billion in 2021, but shut down the standalone app in early 2024 following FTC cybersecurity settlement orders and to consolidate all beverage delivery directly into Uber Eats.

What was the controversial acquisition of autonomous truck startup Otto in 2016?

Uber acquired Anthony Levandowski's Otto for $680 million in 2016, which triggered a massive intellectual property lawsuit from Alphabet's Waymo alleging stolen LiDAR trade secrets, settled in 2018 for a 0.34% equity stake in Uber.

What were the strategic equity swaps with Didi, Grab, and Yandex?

Instead of burning cash fighting local rivals, Uber sold its regional operations in China to Didi (2016), Southeast Asia to Grab (2018), and Russia to Yandex (2018), converting costly operating losses into valuable passive minority equity stakes.

Why did Uber divest its flying car division Elevate and jump-bike business?

As part of CEO Dara Khosrowshahi's profitability pivot in 2020, Uber sold its flying taxi unit Elevate to Joby Aviation and transferred its Jump electric bike business to Lime, shedding cash-burning hardware divisions.

How does Uber evaluate prospective acquisitions under current leadership?

Uber requires acquisitions to expand local marketplace density, accelerate cross-platform customer frequency, and achieve clear financial accretion to adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow.

What antitrust hurdles do Uber's mega-acquisitions face globally?

Deals like Delivery Hero and Postmates undergo rigorous scrutiny from US, European, and regional competition authorities focused on restaurant commission caps, courier wages, and consumer pricing power.

How did Uber integrate Postmates technically while preserving its brand?

Uber merged Postmates' backend merchant databases and courier dispatch routing onto the unified Uber tech stack, while maintaining the distinct consumer-facing Postmates app to retain loyal users.

What is Uber's future M&A and capital allocation strategy?

Uber balances selective, scale-enhancing delivery acquisitions (such as Delivery Hero) with multi-billion-dollar share repurchases, returning excess free cash flow directly to shareholders.

Related M&A Histories

Compare corporate acquisition records, deal values, and strategic targets

Competitor

Lyft

View M&A Histories
Competitor

Doordash

View M&A Histories
Competitor

Airbnb

View M&A Histories

Explore Uber

Core profile pages, founders and related research hubs for this company.

Content is for informational purposes only. Not financial advice. Data sourced from SEC filings, annual reports, and public records. See our full disclaimer and methodology.