Ola vs Uber: Founders, CEOs and History
Ola was founded in 2010 by Bhavish Aggarwal, Ankit Bhati and is led by Bhavish Aggarwal. Uber was founded in 2009 by Garrett Camp, Travis Kalanick and is led by Dara Khosrowshahi.
Company facts
Founders
Ola
Bhavish Aggarwal
Bhavish Aggarwal co-founded Ola in 2010 and leads ANI Technologies. He also founded and runs Ola Electric, which listed in August 2024, and the AI company Krutrim.
Ankit Bhati
Ankit Bhati co-founded Ola with Bhavish Aggarwal in 2010 and served as its chief technology officer, building the original booking and dispatch systems that let Ola scale across Indian cities. He later stepped back from an executive role.
Uber
Garrett Camp
Garrett Camp is a Canadian entrepreneur who conceived Uber after struggling to find taxis in San Francisco. He co-founded StumbleUpon, funded the first UberCab prototype in 2009, and recruited Travis Kalanick to help build it.
Travis Kalanick
Travis Kalanick was the executive who turned Uber from a clever premium-car idea into a global transportation challenger.
CEOs and their tenures
Ola
- Bhavish Aggarwal2010–present
Co-Founder; leads ANI Technologies
Built Ola from an outstation booking site into a national ride-hailing app, then restructured it after 2024.
Source - Ankit Bhati2010–present
Co-Founder and former CTO
Built Ola's early booking and dispatch technology.
Source - Hemant Bakshi2024–2024
Chief Executive Officer, Ola Cabs
Former Unilever executive appointed CEO in early 2024 to prepare for an IPO.
Source
Uber
- Travis Kalanick2010–2017
CEO
Led Uber's aggressive global expansion, UberX launch, and founder-era growth before governance and culture issues forced a leadership reset.
Source - Dara Khosrowshahi2017–present
CEO
Professionalized governance, took Uber public, pushed marketplace discipline, expanded delivery, and led Uber into sustained GAAP profitability.
Source
Timeline: Ola and Uber side by side
2009Uber
UberCab idea takes shape
Garrett Camp and Travis Kalanick developed the Uber idea after discussing the difficulty of getting a reliable ride in Paris and San Francisco.
2010Ola
Ola founded in Mumbai
Bhavish Aggarwal and Ankit Bhati launch Ola as a cab and outstation booking service.
2010Uber
San Francisco service launch
Uber launched service in San Francisco in 2010, proving that riders would pay for visible arrival times, stored payment, and digital receipts.
2012Uber
UberX expands the addressable market
UberX brought lower-priced rides from personal vehicles into the product mix. That shift moved the company beyond premium black cars, increased driver supply, and opened the larger regulatory debate over licensing, insurance, and worker classification.
2014Ola
Ola Auto launched
Ola adds app-booked auto-rickshaws, opening ride-hailing to mass-market commuters.
2015Ola
TaxiForSure acquired
Ola buys rival TaxiForSure in a deal reported at about $200 million.
2016Uber
China exit through Didi deal
Uber exited China by selling its local operation to Didi Chuxing after an expensive subsidy fight. The retreat showed that local payments, regulation, mapping, and distribution could outweigh global capital and brand recognition.
2017Uber
Dara Khosrowshahi becomes CEO
Dara Khosrowshahi replaced Travis Kalanick as CEO after a year of cultural, legal, and regulatory crises. The transition mattered because Uber needed a more credible operating and governance model before entering public markets.
2018Ola
International expansion
Ola launches in Australia, New Zealand and the UK.
2019Uber
Uber becomes a public company
Uber completed its initial public offering in May 2019 and later reported roughly $8.0 billion in net IPO proceeds. The listing forced the company to explain its economics to public investors and shifted attention from geographic expansion to profitability.
2020Uber
Postmates acquisition strengthens U.S. Delivery
Uber agreed to acquire Postmates for approximately $2.65 billion in an all-stock transaction. The deal added U.S. Delivery density, local merchant relationships, and delivery-as-a-service capabilities as Eats became more important during the pandemic.
2021Ola
Peak $7.3 billion valuation
ANI Technologies reaches its highest private valuation.
2021Uber
Uber One launches
Uber One launched as a paid membership connecting rides, delivery, and groceries. The product mattered because it gave frequent users a reason to keep more transactions inside one account instead of switching between single-category rivals.
2021Uber
Uber Freight agrees to buy Transplace
Uber Freight agreed to acquire Transplace for approximately $2.25 billion. The deal moved Freight deeper into managed transportation and shipper software, a different business from consumer rides but tied to the same broader logistics ambition.
2023Uber
Waymo partnership brings autonomous rides to Uber
Waymo and Uber announced a multi-year partnership to make the Waymo Driver available through the Uber platform, starting in Phoenix. The deal showed Uber's post-ATG autonomy strategy: partner with vehicle specialists while keeping the marketplace relationship.
2024Ola
CEO exit, layoffs and global exit
CEO Hemant Bakshi leaves after about four months, around 10% of staff are cut and the UK, Australia and New Zealand businesses close.
2024Uber
$44.0 billion revenue year
FY2024 revenue reached $44.0 billion, up from $37.3 billion in FY2023. The result showed that mobility had recovered after the pandemic while delivery remained a larger and more durable part of the business.
2025Uber
$52.0 billion revenue and $193.5 billion gross bookings
FY2025 revenue reached $52.0 billion, gross bookings reached $193.5 billion, and annual trips rose to 13.6 billion. The milestone mattered because it showed growth alongside GAAP operating income, adjusted EBITDA, and free cash flow at significant scale.
2026Ola
FY25 results and IPO preparations
Late-filed FY25 accounts show revenue down 42% to ~$136 million (₹1,170.9 crore) and a ~$76.8 million (₹662.4 crore) loss; the board approves IPO preparations.
2026Uber
$14.8 billion Delivery Hero offer and 3,300-role restructuring
Uber offered €41.50 per share for Delivery Hero in July 2026 and launched the tender in September after Delivery Hero's boards backed it. The same month it announced about 3,300 corporate job cuts to remove management layers.
Acquisitions
Ola
- GeoSpoc2021Undisclosed
- Ridlr2018Undisclosed
- Foodpanda India2017Undisclosed
- TaxiForSure2015$200M
Uber
- Delivery Hero (pending offer)2026$14.8B
- Drizly2021$1.1B
- Transplace2021$2.3B
- Postmates2020$2.6B
- Careem2020$3.1B
- Otto2016$680M
Questions about Ola vs Uber
Who is the CEO of ANI Technologies (Ola Consumer / Ola Cabs) and Uber Technologies, Inc.?
ANI Technologies (Ola Consumer / Ola Cabs) is led by Bhavish Aggarwal and Uber Technologies, Inc. is led by Dara Khosrowshahi. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was ANI Technologies (Ola Consumer / Ola Cabs) founded vs Uber Technologies, Inc.?
Uber Technologies, Inc. was founded in 2009 — 1 year before ANI Technologies (Ola Consumer / Ola Cabs), which was founded in 2010. Uber Technologies, Inc.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger ANI Technologies (Ola Consumer / Ola Cabs).
How many employees does ANI Technologies (Ola Consumer / Ola Cabs) have compared to Uber Technologies, Inc.?
Uber Technologies, Inc. employs approximately 34,000 people. A verified employee count for ANI Technologies (Ola Consumer / Ola Cabs) is not currently available.
Where are ANI Technologies (Ola Consumer / Ola Cabs) and Uber Technologies, Inc. headquartered?
ANI Technologies (Ola Consumer / Ola Cabs) is headquartered in India and Uber Technologies, Inc. is headquartered in United States. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded ANI Technologies (Ola Consumer / Ola Cabs) and Uber Technologies, Inc.?
ANI Technologies (Ola Consumer / Ola Cabs) was founded by Bhavish Aggarwal, Ankit Bhati. Uber Technologies, Inc. was founded by Garrett Camp, Travis Kalanick.
Which company has a longer operating history — ANI Technologies (Ola Consumer / Ola Cabs) or Uber Technologies, Inc.?
Uber Technologies, Inc. has been operating for approximately 17 years, making it the more established of the two companies. ANI Technologies (Ola Consumer / Ola Cabs) has been in operation for around 16 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
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 Ola vs Uber overview