Welcome, this industry newsletter shares key market changes, in a twice-monthly publication, curated by Jeremiah Owyang, Founder of Catalyst Companies™, you can subscribe to the email newsletter on the footer of the homepage.

Apple Invests $1B into Didi, the Chinese Ridesharing App
Apple is moving into the ridesharing space with its recent $1B investment in Didi, a direct competitor to Uber in the Chinese ridesharing market. This is significant, as it lays the foundation for Apple to roll out a self-driving car fleet in China when the time is right, likely after it has obtained deep data on rider logistics, routes, and usage behaviors. This also puts tension between Apple and Uber, as well as further challenging Google as they, too, roll out self-driving cars with an expectation of a native ride-hailing app. This showcases how traditional internet companies like Apple and Google are becoming logistics companies––a shift that will massively impact global commerce. Get more information on Apple’s and Didi from Reuters.

CVS Invests in Curbside to Bring Mobile Orders Directly to Your (Car) Door
TechCrunch reports that CVS has invested in shopping startup Curbside, with plans to roll the curbside delivery option to its 9,600 retail pharmacy locations. Details on the investment were not disclosed. Curbside pickup is currently available at 350 locations, branded by the company as “CVS Express” and also accessible within its mobile application. To use the Curbside service at no additional fee, customers place items in their basket while shopping online or with their smartphone, then head to their local retail location for delivery to their car door within an hour. Orders are fulfilled by existing CVS staff who are alerted via Curbside’s software. Curbside also has relationships with other retailers, including Target, Sephora, and Levi’s.

As Uber and Lyft Leave Austin, Texas, Other Ride-Hailing Apps Move In
Uber and Lyft have ceased operations in Austin, Texas, due to a regulation dispute with the city.Tech Times reports that, despite launching a joint $8M campaign that aimed to gather support for a proposal that would exempt their drivers from fingerprinting in background checks, Uber and Lyft did not succeed. Citizens voted to block Proposition 1, a move that Lyft claims would make it much harder to hire part-time drivers in Austin. In the wake of Uber and Lyft’s departure, other ride-hailing apps have moved in, including Get Me, Wingz, and Fasten. These companies will be following Austin’s regulations fingerprint their drivers.

We want to hear from you! What are the market impacts of this week’s news stories? Email Catalyst Companies™ Founder Jeremiah Owyang directly to share your thoughts.

Image from Pexels used under Creative Commons license.