Update: The deal is now official. Full statement below.
Rumors about Uber buying Postmates have been confirmed by a new report today, which says that the deal has been agreed and is set to be officially announced shortly …
Bloomberg cites unnamed sources.
Uber Technologies Inc. has agreed to acquire Postmates Inc. in a $2.65 billion all-stock takeover expected to be announced as soon as Monday morning in the U.S., according to people familiar with the matter.
Uber Eats head Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty is expected to continue to run Uber’s combined delivery business, according to a person who asked not to be identified discussing a private deal. Under their agreement, Postmates Chief Executive Officer Bastian Lehmann and his team will stay on to manage Postmates as a separate service, another person said.
The takeover would help Uber gain ground against privately-held DoorDash Inc., the current market leader in U.S. food delivery. While Postmates hasn’t kept pace with DoorDash, it maintains a strong position in Los Angeles and the American Southwest, both of which could be valuable to Uber Eats.
The coronavirus crisis has of course reduced demand for ride-sharing services, while simultaneously boosting demand for takeout food delivery. Uber had previously tried to buy GrubGub, but was beaten by Just Eat. At $2.65B against the $7.3B paid for GrubHub, the deal is a significantly more affordable one.
DoorDash remains the US market leader in food delivery, with PostMates currently in 4th place, but Uber’s size and under-used network of cars and drivers make it well placed to expand.
Uber tried to maintain confidence in its ride service during the pandemic by introducing new safety rules.
Uber has finalized some new rules to keep both its drivers and riders as safe as possible during the coronavirus pandemic. The changes that take effect on May 18 will see masks being required and more in the US, Canada, parts of Europe, India, and more […]
Riders will also have a checklist before jumping in an Uber that includes confirming they’ve cleaned their hands and are wearing a mask.
Uber buying Postmates should see it better placed to ride out the crisis. The company had earlier had to cut 3,000 jobs and close offices around the world.
Photos: Angela Lang/CNET, Postmates
Uber to Acquire Postmates
Combination of platforms to provide more choice and convenience for consumers, increased demand and tailored technology offerings for restaurants, and new income opportunities for delivery people
SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: UBER) and Postmates Inc. today announced that they have reached a definitive agreement under which Uber will acquire Postmates for approximately $2.65 billion in an all-stock transaction.
This transaction brings together Uber’s global Rides and Eats platform with Postmates’ distinctive delivery business in the U.S. Postmates is highly complementary to Uber Eats, with differentiated geographic focus areas and customer demographics, and Postmates’ strong relationships with small- and medium-sized restaurants, particularly local favorites that draw customers to the Postmates brand. Additionally, Postmates has been an early pioneer of “delivery-as-a-service,” which complements Uber’s growing efforts in the delivery of groceries, essentials, and other goods.
For restaurants and merchants, Postmates and Uber Eats will together offer more tools and technology to more easily and cost-effectively connect with a bigger consumer base. Consumers will benefit from expanded choice across a wider range of restaurants and other merchants. And delivery people will enjoy more opportunities to earn income, with increased batching of orders to make better use of their time. Following the closing of the transaction, Uber intends to keep the consumer-facing Postmates app running separately, supported by a more efficient, combined merchant and delivery network.
“Uber and Postmates have long shared a belief that platforms like ours can power much more than just food delivery—they can be a hugely important part of local commerce and communities, all the more important during crises like COVID-19. As more people and more restaurants have come to use our services, Q2 bookings on Uber Eats are up more than 100 percent year on year. We’re thrilled to welcome Postmates to the Uber family as we innovate together to deliver better experiences for consumers, delivery people, and merchants across the country,” said Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi.
“Over the past eight years we have been focused on a single mission: enable anyone to have anything delivered to them on-demand. Joining forces with Uber will continue that mission as we continue to build Postmates while creating an even stronger platform that brings this mission to life for our customers. Uber and Postmates have been strong allies working together to advocate and create the best practices across our industry, especially for our couriers. Together we can ensure that as our industry continues to grow, it will do so for the benefit of everyone in the communities we serve,” said Postmates Co-Founder and CEO Bastian Lehmann.
Uber currently estimates that it will issue approximately 84 million shares of common stock for 100% of the fully diluted equity of Postmates.
The boards of directors of both companies have approved the transaction, and stockholders representing a majority of Postmates’ outstanding shares have committed to support the transaction. The transaction is subject to the approval of Postmates stockholders, regulatory approval and other customary closing conditions and is expected to close in Q1 2021. Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz served as legal counsel to Uber. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC served as financial advisor and Latham & Watkins LLP as legal counsel to Postmates.
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