An interesting acquisition this week as Uber has scooped mapping / location technology platform company, deCarta...
Via TechCrunch…
DeCarta provides a range of location and map services, including in-map search, location APIs, turn-by-turn navigation and more. A deal to buy the startup was first reported by Mashable, but Uber has confirmed that it is near to closing an undisclosed deal.
An Uber representative told TechCrunch that the acquisition will help “fine-tune” the company’s services:
A lot of the functionality that makes the Uber app so reliable, affordable and seamless is based on mapping technologies. With the acquisition of deCarta, we will continue to fine-tune our products and services that rely on maps – for example UberPOOL, the way we compute ETAs, and others – and make the Uber experience even better for our users.
There might just be more to it too.
Aside from being Uber’s first public acquisition — a fact that is surprising when you consider the company’s $40 billion valuation and the billions upon billions that it has raised from investors — the deal is notable because it could have the potential to lessen Uber’s reliance on Google, and Google Maps in particular.
For an interesting inside look at the deal read Marc Prioleau’s comments