According to a New York Times report, Uber is in talks with company founder Travis Kalanick to acquire the US operations of Chinese self-driving startup Pony.ai. This move not only marks a potential return for Kalanick after eight years away from the company, but also underscores Uber's determination to accelerate its self-driving deployment strategy amidst competition from rivals like Waymo.
Sources familiar with the matter revealed that the two parties are still in the preliminary stages of negotiations. If the deal goes through, Travis Kalanick will lead the actual operations of Pony.ai's US subsidiary, while Uber may acquire shares as an investor, providing funding and platform support. However, the specific details of the transaction and the roles of both parties remain to be determined.
As the autonomous driving competition heats up, Uber plans to accelerate its layout
Founded in 2016 and headquartered in China and the US, Pony.ai holds operating licenses for self-driving taxis and freight trucks. Last year, it went public in the US, raising $2.6 million. Its current market capitalization is approximately $45 billion. Reports indicate that Pony.ai has been internally discussing the sale or spinoff of its US operations.
The potential deal comes as Uber faces pressure from rivals like Waymo and Tesla. Waymo's robotaxi service has expanded in cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles, while Tesla has also launched a small-scale test of driverless self-driving taxis in Austin, Texas.
As driverless taxis become a reality, Uber's original sharing economy model is facing a new round of challenges.
Under the leadership of current CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber has established partnerships with over 18 self-driving technology companies worldwide, including Wayve, WeRide, and May Mobility, and is actively promoting driverless taxi pilots in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Khosrowshahi stated that Uber will continue to deploy both human and machine drivers to maximize platform flexibility and scale.
The relationship between the founder and the current CEO has warmed up, and the cooperation has taken another turn for the better.
Interestingly, the key figure behind this negotiation is Travis Kalanick, the founder and former CEO of Uber. He stepped down in 2017 due to internal board pressure and later establishedCloud KitchensFocusing on the virtual kitchen and food delivery industries, in recent years it has also begun to invest in robotic applications and automated kitchen research and development, and has gradually rekindled its interest in autonomous driving.
Reports indicate that the relationship between Travis Kalanick and Dara Khosrowshahi has recently warmed significantly, with the two sides engaging in frequent discussions on automated kitchens, growth strategies for the delivery platform Uber Eats, and the future of self-driving cars. Past disagreements have gradually given way to shared strategic goals, potentially allowing the founder, once dismissed by the board, to return to the Uber ecosystem through this acquisition.
