UberX rides into Silicon Valley with Box CEO Levie as 'Rider Zero'
- Cromwell Schubarth
- Senior Technology Reporter- Silicon Valley Business Journal
- Email | Twitter | Google+
The San Francisco-based startup led by CEO Travis Kalanick is offering rides in mid-range cars instead of his startup's signature black Town Cars at fares that he says are about 10 percent cheaper than taking a cab.
In a statement sure to endear him to Silicon Valley cabbies, Uber's San Francisco General Manager Ilya Abyzov said, "I lived in Palo Alto and can vouch for the fact that the South Bay has some of the most expensive and least reliable taxis in the country. The launch of uberX here finally gives South Bay residents an option that's better, faster, and cheaper than a taxi."
The company said a typical ride between Palo Alto and San Jose will cost $55 and a ride from Mountain View to SFO will cost $78.
An informal poll I've been conducting among Silicon Valley VCs and angels I talk to has revealed a definite City-Valley split in which transportation apps they use most. If they are in San Francisco most of the time they say they use Uber most. Valley folks tend to use crowd-sourced traffic app Waze most.
But Uber has plenty of Valley VCs on board as investors. It has raised more than $57 million in funding, including money from Menlo Ventures and Benchmark.
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Cromwell Schubarth is the Senior Technology Reporter at the Business Journal. His phone number is 408.299.1823.
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