Uber in the crosshairs as Japan's SoftBank helps rivals raise $9 billion

Jul 26, 2017 | News On Japan

Jul 26, 2017 (Japan Times) - Uber Technologies Inc. is at risk of losing out on another big chunk of the global market.

Grab, the leading provider of ride-hailing services in Southeast Asia, said Monday it raised $2 billion from SoftBank Group Corp. and China's Didi Chuxing and expects to receive another $500 million from new and existing backers.

The money will help Grab, which already dominates the region, defend its turf against Uber in one of the San Francisco company's most important global markets after retreats from China and Russia.

Uber's rivals are piling on a company in crisis. While a series of scandals at Uber culminated in the ouster of Chief Executive Officer Travis Kalanick in June, its competitors in China, India, Brazil and Singapore have raised a total of about $9 billion to accelerate their expansions. The money, primarily from Masayoshi Son's SoftBank, jeopardizes Uber's push for global dominance and its $69 billion valuation.

International markets have proven brutal. Uber sold its business in China to Didi after a fierce battle that saw each company burning through more than a billion dollars a year at one point as they fought for drivers and riders with rich subsidies. Uber negotiated a similar move in Russia this month as it seeks to narrow losses.

Now, Uber is trying to compete with its leadership in turmoil. Kalanick stepped aside after a lawsuit by Alphabet Inc.'s Waymo over trade secrets, a U.S. criminal probe over a software tool for evading regulators and an investigation into alleged sexual harassment and discrimination. Several lieutenants, including ally Emil Michael, have also left.

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