--- title: "Uber Is Reportedly Planning a Takeover of Scooter-sharing Company Bird" description: "The Conversation reports that Uber is planning a \"multibillion-dollar\" acquisition of popular scooter-sharing company Bird." date: "2018-12-01" modified: "2018-12-01" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/uber-planning-takeover-scooter-sharing-company-bird" categories: - "Advanced Transport" tags: - "bird" - "lime" - "the digest" - "Uber" --- # Uber Is Reportedly Planning a Takeover of Scooter-sharing Company Bird ![The Conversation reports that Uber is planning a "multibillion-dollar" acquisition of popular scooter-sharing company Bird.]() *\Image: Bird\* ## Buying Bird Those [pesky electric scooters]() lining the streets of almost every major city in the U.S. are here to stay — whether you like it or not. And ride-hailing company Uber wants in on the fun. *The Information* reports that the company is planning [a possible “multibillion-dollar”]() takeover of the popular scooter-sharing startup Bird. Bird may be a big player in the scooter-sharing industry, but it’s not the only one around. Other startups like Lime are trying to make their scooters the ubiquitous choice for those who need a ride home from the train station. ## One Stop Shop In fact, as *The Verge* [points out](), Uber already has [significantly invested]() in Lime, not Bird. Since earlier this summer, Uber customers can hail a Lime e-scooter straight from Uber’s ride-hailing app. The news definitely falls in line with Uber's race to become the [ultimate all-in-one transportation provider](). Uber has also purchased an electric-bike rental company called Jump Bikes back in April, and has [started deploying]() both Jump e-bikes and scooters in Santa Monica in October. ## Scooter Wars Will Uber be able to secure a takeover of either Bird or Lime by the end of the year as *The Information* is [suggesting]()? Hard to tell. An acquisition by the de-facto ride-hailing app could turn out to be a pretty lucrative deal to either Bird or Lime. But any company who wants to deploy their scooters at every city corner will have to chose their next move wisely. Scooter-sharing services have already proven [highly controversial](), especially in cities like San Francisco, where both Bird and Lime scooters are [no longer welcome.]() **READ MORE:** [Uber said to be negotiating a multibillion-dollar takeover of scooter-sharing startup]() \[The Verge\] ***More on Uber and e-scooters: [In Uber’s Vision of the Future, Every Form of Transport Is Fair Game]()*** ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()