Didi Kuaidi (滴滴快的) raised the target on its latest round of funding to more than US$1.5 billion, according to a person familiar with the matter, as China’s largest ride-hailing service stockpiles cash for its battle with Uber Technologies Inc.
Uber’s largest competitor will be valued at more than US$20 billion in the round, said the person, who asked not to be named because the matter is private. The round will close soon and is multiple times over-subscribed, vice president of strategy Stephen Zhu (朱景士) said on Thursday without naming a target or investors.
Didi needs capital to bankroll an aggressive program for recruiting drivers and keep fares competitive as it strives to hold off a hard-charging Uber. The US start-up, the world’s most valuable, spent more than US$1 billion in the country last year and has said China could eventually become its largest market.
“We believe we will be the last one standing,” Zhu told the Credit Suisse Asian Investment Conference in Hong Kong.
The company will “soon” be profitable, he said, without giving a timeframe.
Didi had been seeking to raise US$1 billion, a person familiar with the matter said in February.
The company’s existing investors include Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (阿里巴巴) and Tencent Holdings Ltd (騰訊), China’s two biggest Internet companies.
Didi is raising cash just as start-up investment recovers from a fourth-quarter downturn. The value of venture deals in China rebounded about 50 percent to US$12.2 billion in the first quarter, according to London consultancy Preqin Ltd.
Both Uber and Didi have raised money at a rapid clip to fuel a costly fight.
On-demand car services have taken off around the world as mobile usage expands and riders seek simpler or quicker alternatives to taxis and public transportation. Yet Uber and its rivals can lose money on rides, because they rely on subsidies to attract customers, especially as they enter new markets.
Didi raised US$3 billion last year, which valued it at US$16.5 billion, a person familiar with the matter said at the time.
The company formed an international coalition with Lyft Inc in the US, India’s Ola and Southeast Asia’s Grab to fight a globally expanding Uber.
Didi, which operates in more than 400 cities across China, expects to increase the number of active drivers on its service to about 10 million by the year’s end from 4 million. By as early as May, the start-up could be operating as many as 13 million rides daily, Zhu said.
Local regulations are one of the more significant potential hurdles that ride-hailing services grapple with.
Back home, Didi faces competition from a spate of local governments who are trying to set up their own ride-hailing services.
“When we have a competitor, a strong one, it drives the team so strongly to fight and to work hard,” Zhu said.
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