Uber vs Visa: Founders, CEOs and History
Uber was founded in 2009 by Garrett Camp, Travis Kalanick and is led by Dara Khosrowshahi. Visa was founded in 1958 by Dee Hock and is led by Ryan McInerney.
Company facts
Founders
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.
Visa
Dee Hock
Dee Hock (1929-2022) was the founding CEO of National BankAmericard Inc., the bank-owned company that took over the BankAmericard licensing system from Bank of America in 1970 and adopted the Visa name in 1976.
CEOs and their tenures
Uber
- Travis Kalanick2010–2017
CEO
As Co-Founder and CEO, he built Uber into the most valuable startup in history but was ousted by the board in 2017 following severe, highly publicized cultural and legal scandals.
Source - Dara Khosrowshahi2017–present
CEO
Brought in to rescue the company's deeply damaged reputation, he successfully guided Uber through its massive IPO and the catastrophic demand collapse during the COVID-19 lockdowns.
Source
Visa
- Alfred F. Kelly Jr.2016–2023
Chief Executive Officer
Serving as CEO from 2016 to 2023, he heavily modernized the massive legacy network, aggressively integrating fintechs and preparing the network to process highly complex cryptocurrency transactions.
Source - Ryan McInerney2023–present
Chief Executive Officer
McInerney joined Visa in 2013 as president after senior roles at JPMorgan Chase and became chief executive on February 1, 2023, succeeding Alfred F. Kelly Jr.
Source
Timeline: Uber and Visa side by side
1958Visa
BankAmericard launched
Bank of America launched BankAmericard, the direct predecessor to Visa.
1976Visa
Visa name adopted
The network adopted the Visa name to support international acceptance and brand consistency.
2008Visa
Visa IPO
Visa became a public company, changing the economics from a bank association structure to a shareholder-owned company.
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.
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.
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.
2016Visa
Alfred F. Kelly Jr. becomes CEO
Alfred F. Kelly Jr. became CEO of Visa in 2016. Chief executive of Visa from December 2016 to January 2023, when Ryan McInerney succeeded him; Kelly then served as executive chairman.
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.
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.
2020Visa
Acquired Plaid (abandoned)
Visa acquired Plaid (abandoned) for $5.3 billion. Visa agreed in January 2020 to buy US data-connectivity fintech Plaid for USD 5.3 billion.
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.
2022Visa
Tink acquisition
Visa completed its purchase of Stockholm-based open banking platform Tink in March 2022.
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.
2023Visa
Ryan McInerney becomes CEO
Ryan McInerney became Visa's CEO after serving as president.
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.
2025Visa
Revenue reaches $40.0B
Visa reported $40.0 billion in fiscal 2025 net revenue.
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
Uber
- Delivery Hero (pending offer)2026$14.8B
- Drizly2021$1.1B
- Transplace2021$2.3B
- Postmates2020$2.6B
- Careem2020$3.1B
- Otto2016$680M
Questions about Uber vs Visa
Who is the CEO of Uber Technologies, Inc. and Visa Inc.?
Uber Technologies, Inc. is led by Dara Khosrowshahi and Visa Inc. is led by Ryan McInerney. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Uber Technologies, Inc. founded vs Visa Inc.?
Visa Inc. was founded in 1958 — 51 years before Uber Technologies, Inc., which was founded in 2009. Visa Inc.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Uber Technologies, Inc..
How many employees does Uber Technologies, Inc. have compared to Visa Inc.?
Uber Technologies, Inc. employs approximately 34,000 people, while Visa Inc. employs approximately 34,100. Visa Inc. has the larger workforce at 34,100 employees, compared to Uber Technologies, Inc.'s 34,000. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Uber Technologies, Inc. and Visa Inc. headquartered?
Both Uber Technologies, Inc. and Visa Inc. are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded Uber Technologies, Inc. and Visa Inc.?
Uber Technologies, Inc. was founded by Garrett Camp, Travis Kalanick. Visa Inc. was founded by Dee Hock.
Which company has a longer operating history — Uber Technologies, Inc. or Visa Inc.?
Visa Inc. has been operating for approximately 68 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Uber Technologies, Inc. has been in operation for around 17 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 Uber vs Visa overview