Last February, Uber announced ambitious plans to launch in seven new European markets by 2026. But now the Financial Times reports that the launch of five of them is pending. Countries where the rollout has been paused include Austria, Norway, and Greece.
Uber appears to confirm its decision to the FT, saying that its recent launches in Finland and Denmark have been a “huge success” and that it now wants to “focus on continuing the momentum” in its existing markets.
Another factor in the decision is Uber’s ongoing efforts to acquire Delivery Hero, a European company that rejected Uber’s €10 billion acquisition offer in May.
Uber still seems hopeful that this deal will become a reality. Industry insiders said a pause on further expansion could help ease antitrust concerns about the potential acquisition, especially since Delivery Hero operates delivery services in multiple target countries.
