Feb. 5, 2015—Uber’s biggest supporter could soon become its largest competitor, according to a report from Bloomberg News.
Google Ventures invested $258 million in the rideshare service back in 2013, and sunk in more funds less than a year following its initial investment. David Drummond, Google’s chief legal officer and senior vice president of corporate development, joined the Uber board of director soon after. Drummond still sits on the Uber board.
That may change, however, as Google is preparing its own rideshare service, thought to work in conjunction with its driverless car project. Drummond apparently informed the Uber board of Google’s intentions, according to the report, and now Uber is deciding whether or not Drummond should continue to serve on the board.
Uber is also teaming up with Carnegie Mellon University for a research facility in Pittsburgh to develop its own autonomous vehicle technology, according to the report.
If Google and Uber were to cut ties, the problems would go beyond finances for Uber. Uber’s smartphone applications for drivers are based on Google Maps, which gives Google all the data it could ever ask for in regards to transportation patterns within cities.
