Kia vs Uber: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
Kia reported ~$81B of revenue in FY2025 and ~$5.4B of net income. Uber reported $52B of revenue in FY2025 and $10.1B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
Financial summary
Kia
Kia's revenue has risen every year since 2020: from ~$49.6 billion (KRW 69.9 trillion) in 2021 to ~$76.3 billion (KRW 107.4 trillion) in 2024 and a record ~$81 billion (KRW 114.1 trillion) in 2025 (+6.2%). Profit has not kept up. Operating profit fell 28.3% in 2025 to ~$6.45 billion (KRW 9.08 trillion), and the margin dropped from 11.8% to 8.0% as US tariffs and incentives ate into earnings. Net profit was about $5.36 billion (KRW 7.55 trillion). The squeeze continued into 2026. Q1 revenue was a record ~$20.9 billion (KRW 29.50 trillion) (+5.3%), but operating profit fell 26.7% to ~$1.57 billion (KRW 2.21 trillion). Q2 revenue reached ~$23.5 billion (KRW 33.04 trillion) (+12.6%) while operating profit fell 4.9% to ~$1.87 billion (KRW 2.63 trillion). The shares dropped about 13% on the day of the Q2 results. Shareholder returns are still high: the 2025 dividend was KRW 6,800 per share, a 35% consolidated payout ratio, and Kia has been cancelling treasury shares, cutting issued shares from 405.4 million in 2022 to 390.4 million at the end of 2025.
Uber
Uber moved from years of heavy losses to steady profitability. Revenue grew from $37.3 billion in FY2023 to $44.0 billion in FY2024 and $52.0 billion in FY2025, while net income attributable to Uber was $10.053 billion in FY2025 (FY2024's $9.856 billion included a large tax valuation allowance release). Growth continued into 2026: Q2 2026 gross bookings rose 24% year over year to $58.0 billion and revenue rose about 12% to roughly $14.2 billion, and trailing twelve-month free cash flow passed $10 billion. The pending Delivery Hero deal, valued at $14.8 billion in equity, would be Uber's largest acquisition.
Revenue and profit by year
Kia
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | ~$81B | ~$5.4B | 6.6% | +6.2% | Source |
| FY2024 | ~$76.3B | ~$6.9B | 9.1% | +7.7% | Source |
| FY2023 | ~$70.9B | ~$6.2B | 8.8% | +15.3% | Source |
| FY2022 | ~$61.5B | ~$3.8B | 6.2% | +23.9% | Source |
| FY2021 | ~$49.6B | ~$3.4B | 6.8% | — | Source |
Uber
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $52B | $10.1B | 19.3% | +18.3% | Source |
| FY2024 | $44B | $9.9B | 22.4% | +18.0% | Source |
| FY2023 | $37.3B | $1.9B | 5.1% | +17.0% | Source |
| FY2022 | $31.9B | -$9.1B | -28.7% | +82.6% | Source |
| FY2021 | $17.5B | -$496M | -2.8% | +56.7% | Source |
| FY2020 | $11.1B | -$6.8B | -60.8% | -14.3% | Source |
| FY2019 | $13B | -$8.5B | -65.4% | +24.6% | Source |
| FY2018 | $10.4B | $997M | 9.6% | +31.5% | Source |
| FY2017 | $7.9B | -$4B | -50.8% | — | Source |
Where the revenue comes from
Kia
- Global Vehicle Sales
primary revenue source
Kia generates most revenue from selling SUVs, passenger cars, hybrids, EVs, and commercial vehicles through regional subsidiaries, importers, dealers, and fleet channels.
- Parts, Service, and Accessories
recurring support revenue
Genuine parts, aftersales service, accessories, and warranty-related activity provide higher-repeat revenue tied to Kia's installed vehicle base.
- Future Mobility and PBVs
emerging growth area
Dedicated EVs, software-defined vehicles, purpose-built vehicles, and connected services support Kia's longer-term mobility strategy.
Uber
- Mobility
~52% (Q2 2026)
Fees from ride-hailing trips, including UberX, Uber Black, taxis and autonomous rides on partner vehicles. About $7.36B of Q2 2026 revenue.
- Delivery
~37% (Q2 2026)
Fees from Uber Eats restaurant, grocery and retail orders, plus delivery advertising. About $5.25B of Q2 2026 revenue.
- Freight
~11% (Q2 2026)
Uber Freight brokerage and managed transportation services for shippers.
Business model and strategy
Kia
How it makes money
Kia makes money mainly by building and selling vehicles wholesale to its regional sales subsidiaries, importers and franchised dealers, which then sell to retail and fleet buyers. SUVs and RVs such as the Sportage, Sorento, Seltos, Carnival and Telluride make up most of the mix and earn more per unit than small sedans.
Growth strategy
Kia's current strategy, set out at the 2026 CEO Investor Day, uses several powertrains instead of only EVs. It plans to grow EVs (EV3, EV4, EV5, EV6, EV9 and later models) and hybrids together, add a PBV line of modular electric vans starting with the PV5, and build up software-defined vehicles, autonomous driving and robotics as longer-term businesses.
Competitive advantage
Kia's main advantages are its scale inside Hyundai Motor Group and the way it can switch powertrains easily. Sharing platforms, the E-GMP 800V EV architecture, batteries, chips and logistics (Hyundai Glovis) with Hyundai lowers development and purchasing costs. Factories in Korea, the US (Georgia), Mexico, Slovakia and India let Kia shift production between combustion, hybrid and electric models.
Uber
How it 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.
Growth 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.
Competitive advantage
Uber's advantage comes from local marketplace liquidity, brand recognition, routing data, payments, driver and courier networks, merchant relationships, subscriptions, and cross-sell between Mobility and Delivery.
Questions about Kia vs Uber
Which company has higher revenue — Kia Corporation or Uber Technologies, Inc.?
Kia Corporation reported ~$81B (FY2025), while Uber Technologies, Inc. reported $52.0B (FY2025). By last reported revenue, Kia Corporation is the larger business, with Uber Technologies, Inc. reporting a smaller revenue base.
What is the market cap of Kia Corporation vs Uber Technologies, Inc.?
Kia Corporation's market capitalisation stands at $32.4B, while Uber Technologies, Inc.'s is $142.0B. Uber Technologies, Inc. carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to Kia Corporation.
Which is more financially efficient — Kia Corporation or Uber Technologies, Inc.?
Kia Corporation generates $1.52M / employee in revenue per employee, while Uber Technologies, Inc. generates $1.53M / employee. Uber Technologies, Inc. shows higher revenue efficiency per headcount, though this reflects business model differences — capital-light software companies routinely outperform labour-intensive manufacturers on this metric.
How do Kia Corporation and Uber Technologies, Inc. make money?
Kia Corporation and Uber Technologies, Inc. generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. Kia Corporation: Kia makes money mainly by building and selling vehicles wholesale to its regional sales subsidiaries, importers and franchised dealers, which then sell to retail and fleet buyers. Uber Technologies, Inc.: Uber does not own most of the cars, restaurants or trucks on its platform.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — Kia Corporation or Uber Technologies, Inc.?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, Kia Corporation trades at 0.4x P/S and Uber Technologies, Inc. at 2.7x P/S. Uber Technologies, Inc. commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to Kia Corporation. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is Kia Corporation bigger than Uber Technologies, Inc.?
By last reported revenue, Kia Corporation (~$81B (FY2025)) is the larger company compared to Uber Technologies, Inc. ($52.0B (FY2025)). Revenue scale is one dimension of size — market capitalisation, employee count, and geographic reach are also relevant depending on the context.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Kia vs Uber overview