糖心视频

TL;DR: Alphabet , a contra-Uber move that epitomizes 2017.

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The ridesharing wars are showing few聽signs of slowing down as car makers and technology conglomerates continue to pour money into the space. All are hoping to ensure that they are not left out of whatever becomes the future of transportation.

That big tech shops like Alphabet and Apple care about cars at all might feel odd, but bearing in mind the average technology giant now goes in today’s market to maintain its competitive position, the move isn’t as odd it might seem. Tech companies are pushing their own in-car phone and computer technologies, further justifying their interest in the space.

But mere intellectual consistency doesn’t erase all the ironies. The mega-corps that often fund ridesharing companies also provide a goodly chunk of the supply, with their workforces using the services to get to work. And as every major ridesharing company loses money, the big tech companies paying for their growth are effectively subsidizing their own employees to an extent.

With that, let’s untangle the myriad of ties between major tech corporations and the ridesharing companies they subsidize.

Google-Uber v. Alphabet-Lyft viz Waymo v. Uber

We’ve written extensively on Crunchbase News about the between the ridesharing companies of the world.

For instance, Apple has , the Chinese ridesharing player. Didi itself has聽聽after the American company folded its Chinese operations into Didi in exchange for an equity stake of the combined entity. Meanwhile, Didi has , Uber’s chief rival in the United States. Lyft is now reportedly .

So where does that put Uber? In its corner was Google (now part of the holding company Alphabet), which into Uber at a $3.5 billion valuation several years ago. But that relationship has famously soured, with Alphabet-subsidiary Waymo in a very public manner. And, of course, Alphabet is now threatening to it spent on its Uber bet into Lyft.

That would put Apple and Alphabet on the same side of the United States ridesharing war. That said, 聽Apple still owns part of Uber through its Didi stake, and presumably Google (an Alphabet company, like Waymo) still retains at least some of its Uber stake. So if the Alphabet wager comes into play, then both Apple and Alphabet could both be on both sides of the United States ridesharing war at the same time.

Makes perfect sense.

But before we close the book on this silly damn space for the day, we need to phone a friend.

Enter Softbank

Softbank, which is in the middle of one of the most expensive gambling runs in the history of our species, has its sights trained on Uber equity. Maybe.

础虫颈辞蝉’蝉听 had some good words on the potential deal this morning. Take care to note who comes up at the end:

Lyft! Who would have thought that the perennial聽number-two player in the United States would become the repository for anti-Uber bets by people that are either cross with Uber (Alphabet via Waymo) or bargain-hunting (Softbank via Saudi Arabia’s money).

All this sums to the fact that there is too much capital seeking return and too few good ideas鈥攁t least in proportion. Add in the fact that major tech companies are terrified at being disrupted from the outside, the sums of money available, both intelligent and dumb, is astounding.

Small question: What happens to the torrent of cash needed to keep the global ridesharing market afloat if there is a correction? How many companies could die, how many billions of dollars of value could disappear, and how quickly?

iStockPhoto / Antagain