Uber wants to be the Uber for 'Uber for x' startups
We may be nearing peak Uber.
Uber, the ride hailing company, will now be able to help prop up all of those on-demand "Uber for x" startups.
UberRush, which first debuted last fall, is now available to any developer who wants to build on-demand delivery into their business (though Uber's delivery network is only operational in San Francisco, New York and Chicago for now.)
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By taking advantage of the UberRush API, startups and larger companies alike can support on-demand delivery without the need to build out their own network of drivers. Instead, they simply pay a per-delivery fee and get access to Uber's network of drivers and couriers.
Though the company has been working with some larger retailers -- like Nordstrom, 1800 Flowers and Rent the Runway -- on the Rush API since January, Uber is now hoping to get smaller startups on board, as well.
"It enables completely new businesses that couldn’t previously function or really exist in a practical sense until this platform existed," Uber product manager Calvin Lee says.
Want hand-made artisanal pizzas in 15 minutes? Uber will deliver them. Dry cleaning delivered to your door in the case of "stain emergencies"? Uber will make sure it gets there. What about a person-to-person drone rental service? Yup, Uber will deliver those too. (All of the above are actual UberRush partners, by the way.)
these on-demand "Uber for everything" startups may sound ridiculous but for Uber, that's not the point
Some of these on-demand "Uber for everything" startups may sound ridiculous (and many may fail) but for Uber, that's not the point.
That's because the company is less concerned with what the deliveries actually are than with the goal of making good on its pledge to shift from from ride hailing company to "logistics company." And that means Uber -- already experts at moving people around -- will need to get a lot better at moving things around, too.
"Whether or not the idea is great doesn’t matter because the UberRush API allows you to build it," Lee says.
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Topics Uber
Karissa was Mashable's Senior Tech Reporter, and is based in San Francisco. She covers social media platforms, Silicon Valley, and the many ways technology is changing our lives. Her work has also appeared in Wired, Macworld, Popular Mechanics, and The Wirecutter. In her free time, she enjoys snowboarding and watching too many cat videos on Instagram. Follow her on Twitter @karissabe.
