Uber Eyes E-Scooter Start-Ups Bird and Lime to Expand its Urban Mobility Options
*By Carlo Versano*
Uber is sniffing around a possible acquisition of either Lime or Bird, the leaders in the growing e-scooter rental market, according to a [report](https://www.theinformation.com/articles/uber-exploring-deal-to-buy-bird-or-lime) in The Information. One of the reporters who broke that story told Cheddar on Monday that there is a "growing realization" among ridehailing companies that bike and scooters will continue to be a significant part of the urban mobility landscape.
Uber's ultimate target is "going to come down to price," said The Information's Cory Weinberg.
Both Uber and rival Lyft bought their own bikeshare operators this year ー Uber acquired Jump and Lyft now owns the Citibike-parent Motivate, making it the largest bikeshare in the country.
As for scooters, Uber already has a minority stake in Lime and started renting scooters through its app this summer.
Lyft has also started rolling out scooter rentals in cities including Denver and Washington, D.C, and is expected to expand Lyft-branded scooters under the Motivate umbrella.
Uber is also familiar with the operations and executive teams of both Bird and Lime, according to Weinberg. "They certainly know both of these companies really well." In fact, Bird is even run by a former Uber and Lyft executive, Travis VanderZanden.
Uber's desire to acquire a scooter start-up may also point to a reality of business for the ridehailing company: its U.S. growth has begun to slow, and the scooter space is growing rapidly.
One thing all these transportation companies have in common: they are burning through cash as they build out infrastructure and operations. If Bird or Lime is open to an acquisition, it would raise questions about whether they have hit speed bumps in their financing efforts, Weinberg said. For now, Bird's CEO has said the company is not for sale.
For the consumer, the endgame seems increasingly likely to be a "bundled services" model, Weinberg said, where Uber and Lyft have "multi-modal" apps, in which users can book a car, a bike, or a scooter, all from the same interface ー and maybe even get rewarded for using certain options. Customers getting a credit on a Lyft ride for regularly using a Citibike doesn't seem hard to imagine as the mobility wars evolve.
"Whatever Uber has, Lyft will try to match," said Weinberg. "Which will all be good for consumers."
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/uber-looks-to-acquire-bird-or-lime).
Domino's is planning ahead for surging food costs, anticipating an 8 to 10 percent rise due to inflation and labor shortages. The pizza chain will be changing promotions to offset the overhead, such as making some of its discounts online orders only.
A record 4.5 million Americans quit their jobs in November as people continue to take advantage of red hot job market. The resignation rate is now the highest in the two decades the government has kept records, with many people voluntarily leaving their current jobs for other opportunities. Harley Lippman, CEO of Genesis 10, discusses how why so many people are quitting their jobs right now, and how the tech sector is being impacted.
Michelle Krebs, Executive Analyst at Cox Automotive, discusses the factors that led to Toyotas sales growth and highlights the challenges automakers have shifting to all-electric fleets.
The December jobs report was a mixed bag, with the U.S. adding just 199,000 jobs, less than half of the 422,000 forecasted. But there were some bright spots - the unemployment rate fell to a pandemic-era low of 3.9% and wages increased better than expected to 4.7% year-over-year. Heather Boushey, member of President Biden's council of economic advisers, joined Cheddar to gives her reaction to the jobs report, as well as an update on the state of the Build Back Better bill.
Amy Landers, Director of the Intellectual Property Concentration at Drexel University, breaks down what the Google-Sonos lawsuit means for consumers and addresses concerns about big corporations monopolizing patents within specific industries.
Kris Ruby, CEO of Ruby Media Group, talks about the challenges brands have retaining customers and how crypto is becoming a popular reward among brands.
While the pandemic caused financial troubles for many, the unique circumstances of the last two years proved helpful to many Americans. Whether it was the federal government's stimulus checks, expanded unemployment insurance, or general lockdowns, recent data reveals that the covid-19 pandemic helped many reach financial security. Neale Godfrey, Financial Expert and New York Times #1 Best Selling Author joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
Take-Two Interactive is set to buy Zynga for $12.7 billion. The deal marks the latest blockbuster acquisition in the video game industry. The massive deal will bring the maker of popular mobile games like 'Farmville' and 'Words with Friends' under the scope of Take-Two, the company behind 'Grand Theft Auto' and 'NBA 2K.' Kenny Rovello, President & Co-Founder of Arkadium, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
GameStop is getting into the NFT and crypto space. The video game retailer announced the launch of an entire division aimed at creating a marketplace for NFTs and other crypto partnerships. The move comes as part of a turnaround plan by GameStop which has struggled in recent years as gamers shift away from physical game releases. Patrick McConlogue, CEO, Overline & Former Citadel Investment Group Engineer joined Cheddar's Opening Bell.
Philip Levine, Former Mayor of Miami Beach & Cruise Industry Expert, breaks down the challenges cruise operators are facing as COVID-19 cases rise, and provides insight on what the future of the industry may look like.
