Uber for Business: where we’re headed

When I reflect on the state of the world today, it’s evident that so much has changed over the past 6 months: markets shuddered and then began to rebound; people in every country and city adapted to new working and living requirements; essential employees worked hard to keep business and everyday life moving forward, while healthcare providers fought to keep us safe. 

For businesses in particular, the way work gets done looks a lot different today than it did at the start of 2020. Yet, the fundamental goals and deliverables have remained more or less the same: continue building an amazing product and grow the user base, while uncovering new ways to delight customers and keep employees happy.

This all may seem obvious, but it’s no easy task. Today’s business leaders must continue to hit all of these core success metrics, while being more mindful of resources and efficiency than they’ve ever needed to be. Executives need to be decisive, without ever losing sight of their company’s long term objectives. They need to think strategically about who they partner with and how those partnerships will be able to drive the maximum amount of value for their users, customers, and employees.

Our mission is to help move the business world forward, and today, that mission has never felt more immediate. As the Global Head of Uber for Business, I’m proud to say that tens of thousands of companies are using the platform to find ways to stay flexible and adapt to the changing needs of their customers and employees, throughout the pandemic and beyond. 

The reason we’re able to help so many businesses across such a vast range of industries comes down to the sheer versatility of our platform: Uber for Business brings the best of Uber’s innovations and solutions to the world’s organizations at scale. In practice, this means Uber for Business helps companies tackle some of the biggest challenges they face, using proprietary technology to address those problems.

We do this through three core, interconnected solutions: rides, meals and delivery. At a fundamental level, our ride solutions give companies the ability to move their customers and employees efficiently and comfortably; our meal solutions give companies the ability to order delicious meals no matter where they are; and our delivery solutions enable businesses to execute on same-day delivery (where available) either within their own facilities or directly to their customers. By design, Uber for Business is a single platform, but our applications for companies are almost endless.

In the early weeks and months of the pandemic, we used the power of our platform to help provide free transportation for frontline healthcare workers; we opened up commute alternatives and meal delivery solutions to help businesses navigate uncertainty; we launched access to prescription delivery in pilot markets to address the current needs of vulnerable populations; and we began to help companies plan their return to work strategies. Businesses such as Samsung, the Golden State Warriors, and the Coca-Cola Company have all found new, creative ways to stay connected with customers and employees with our solutions.

So, what’s on the horizon for Uber for Business? And how will we continue building on our mission to help move the business world forward? 

In order to understand where we’re going, we have to understand where we’ve come from. And where we’ve come from stems from the “original promise” of Uber: the simple, but incredibly powerful idea that you could easily find a ride to where you need to go at the tap of a button. 

At Uber for Business, we internalized that promise and have opened it up to companies everywhere, in every industry. We’ve built a solution that replicates the ease and simplicity of Uber at scale, addressing the immense amount of time businesses pour into administrative work and logistics. We’ve brought the magic of Uber into businesses and created a seamless way for companies to improve operations at the same time as supporting and delighting their customers and employees. 

As we think about where we’re heading, Uber for Business will continue to be a conduit for Uber’s most exciting innovations in the enterprise. Beyond access to rides, eats, and delivery, there is still a world of opportunity for Uber’s technology and I’m excited to continue on this journey towards fundamentally making businesses better.

I’m looking forward to the road ahead.