Uber rival inDrive scales beyond ride-hailing to capture more consumer spending
inDrive, the ride-hailing app known for letting riders and drivers negotiate fares, is expanding well beyond transport, scaling up advertising, delivery and financial services to squeeze more revenue from its largely emerging-market user base. The move mirrors a strategy already pursued by Uber, using its existing network of riders and drivers as the foundation for higher-margin businesses, though inDrive is targeting a more cost-conscious customer segment across the more than 1,200 cities in 48 countries where it operates.
The company's advertising arm, "Ride Media", has grown from a pilot in July 2025 to cover 25 markets, delivering over 2 billion impressions and attracting more than 2,000 paying advertisers a month, two-thirds of whom are repeat buyers. Elsewhere, 13% of monthly transacting users used both mobility and a delivery service in 2025, while loans issued through inDrive.Money in Latin America rose 118% year-on-year in the first half of 2026. The firm is also trialling prepared-food delivery and has appointed new leaders across its ads, delivery, food/groceries and financial-services units, with executive Andries Smit saying groceries and food will absorb the bulk of future investment.
- inDrive is expanding beyond ride-hailing into ads, delivery and finance
- Its advertising arm now reaches 25 markets with 2,000+ monthly advertisers
- Driver loans in Latin America grew 118% year-on-year in H1 2026
New here? Start with this
inDrive built its name as a ride-hailing app that works differently from most competitors: instead of an algorithm setting the fare, riders and drivers agree a price between themselves. It operates in more than 1,200 cities across 48 countries, largely in emerging markets, and has built up a large base of regular riders and drivers through this model.
The company is now trying to make more money from that existing user base by branching into new areas, including advertising, delivery of goods and food, and financial services such as loans. This follows a path already taken by Uber, which has used its core ride-hailing network to build out other revenue streams, though inDrive is aiming at a more price-sensitive customer group.
This matters because it reflects a broader shift among ride-hailing firms, which often operate on thin margins from fares alone, towards becoming broader consumer platforms. How successful inDrive is at cross-selling these new services to its existing users will help indicate whether this "super-app" style strategy can work outside the wealthier markets where it has already been tried.