Uber Technologies (UBER) risk factors: FY2025 10-K

1. The following are some of these risks, any of which could have an adverse effect on our business financial condition, operating results, or prospects.
2. Operational and Economic Risks Related to Our Business

Read these in Item 1A · See the changes

1. Our business would be adversely affected if Drivers were classified as employees, workers or quasi-employees.
2. The mobility, delivery, and logistics industries are highly competitive, with well-established and low-cost alternatives that have been available for decades, low barriers to entry, low switching costs, and well-capitalized competitors in nearly every major geographic region. If we are unable to compete effectively in these industries, our business and financial prospects would be adversely impacted.
3. To remain competitive in certain markets, we have in the past lowered, and may continue to lower, fares or service fees, and we have in the past offered, and may continue to offer, significant Driver incentives and consumer discounts and promotions, which has adversely affected and may continue to adversely affect our financial performance.
4. We have incurred significant losses, including in the United States and other major markets. We expect our operating expenses to increase in the foreseeable future, and we may not maintain profitability.
5. If we are unable to attract or maintain a sufficient number of Drivers, consumers, merchants, Shippers, and Carriers, whether as a result of competition or other factors, our platform will become less appealing to platform users, and our financial results would be adversely impacted.
6. Maintaining and enhancing our brand and reputation is critical to our business prospects. We receive significant media coverage, including negative publicity regarding our brand and reputation, and while we have taken significant steps to rehabilitate our brand and reputation, failure to maintain or enhance our brand and reputation will cause our business to suffer.
7. If we fail to offer autonomous vehicle technologies on our platform at competitive scale or fail to offer such technologies or scale on our platform before our competitors, or if such technologies fail to perform as expected, are inferior to those offered by our competitors, or are perceived as less safe than those offered by competitors or non-autonomous vehicles, our financial performance and prospects would be adversely impacted.reworded
8. Our workforce and operations have grown substantially since our inception and we have in the past implemented several reductions in workforce. If we are unable to optimize our organizational structure or effectively manage our growth or any future reductions in workforce, our financial performance and future prospects will be adversely affected.
9. Our historical workplace culture and forward-leaning approach created operational, compliance, and cultural challenges, and a failure to address these challenges would adversely impact our business, financial condition, operating results, and prospects.
10. If platform users engage in, or are subject to, criminal, violent, inappropriate, or dangerous activity that results in major safety incidents, our ability to attract and retain Drivers, consumers, merchants, Shippers, and Carriers may be harmed, which could have an adverse impact on our reputation, business, financial condition, and operating results.
11. We are making substantial investments in new offerings and technologies, and may increase such investments in the future. These new ventures are inherently risky, and we may never realize any expected benefits from them.
12. Our business is substantially dependent on operations outside the United States, including those in markets in which we have limited experience, and if we are unable to manage the risks presented by our business model internationally, our financial results and future prospects will be adversely impacted.
13. We have limited influence over our minority-owned entities, which subjects us to substantial risks, including potential loss of value.
14. We may experience significant fluctuations in our operating results. If we are unable to achieve or sustain profitability, our prospects would be adversely affected and investors may lose some or all of the value of their investment.
15. If our growth slows more significantly than we currently expect, we may not be able to maintain profitability, which would adversely affect our financial results and future prospects.
16. We generate a significant percentage of our Gross Bookings from trips in large metropolitan areas and trips to and from airports. If our operations in large metropolitan areas or our ability to provide trips to and from airports are negatively affected, our financial results and future prospects would be adversely impacted.
17. Our business depends on retaining and attracting high-quality personnel, and continued attrition, future attrition, or unsuccessful succession planning could adversely affect our business.
18. We have experienced, and may again experience security or privacy breaches or other unauthorized or improper access to, use of, disclosure of, alteration of or destruction of our proprietary or confidential data, employee data, or platform user data, which could cause loss of revenue, harm to our brand, business disruption, and significant liabilities.
19. Cyberattacks, including computer malware, ransomware, viruses, denial of service attacks, account takeovers, spamming, phishing and social engineering attacks could harm our reputation, business, and operating results.Cybersecurity
20. If we are unable to successfully introduce new or upgraded products, offerings, or features for Drivers, consumers, merchants, Shippers, and Carriers, we may fail to retain and attract such users to our platform and our operating results would be adversely affected.
21. We track certain operational metrics and our category position with internal systems and tools, and our equity stakes in minority-owned entities with information provided by such minority-owned entities, and do not independently verify such metrics. Certain of our operational metrics are subject to inherent challenges in measurement, and real or perceived inaccuracies in such metrics may harm our reputation and negatively affect our business.
22. In certain jurisdictions, we allow consumers to pay for rides and meal or grocery deliveries using cash, which raises regulatory, operational, and safety concerns. If we do not successfully manage those concerns, we could become subject to adverse regulatory actions and suffer reputational harm or other adverse financial and accounting consequences.
23. Loss or material modification of our payment acceptance privileges could have an adverse effect on our business and operating results.reworded
24. Our platform is highly technical, and any undetected errors could adversely affect our business.
25. Our growing use of artificial intelligence and machine learning may present additional risks, including risks associated with algorithm development or use, the tools and data sets used, and/or a complex, developing regulatory environment.AI
26. We are subject to climate risks, including physical and transitional risks, and if we are unable to manage such risks, our business may be adversely impacted.reworded
27. Increased attention to, and evolving expectations regarding environmental and social matters may adversely impact our business, reputation and liabilities, including in the context of certain goals we have announced.reworded

Read these in Item 1A · See the changes

1. Occurrence of a catastrophic event, including but not limited to disease, a weather event, war, or terrorist attack, could adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operation.
2. The impact of economic conditions, including the resulting effect on discretionary consumer spending, may harm our business and operating results.
3. Increases in fuel, food, labor, energy, and other costs due to inflation and other factors could adversely affect our operating results.

Read these in Item 1A · See the changes

1. The successful operation of our business depends upon the performance and reliability of Internet, mobile, and other infrastructures that are not under our control.
2. We rely on third parties maintaining open marketplaces to distribute our platform and to provide the software we use in certain of our products and offerings. If such third parties interfere with the distribution of our products or offerings or with our use of such software, our business would be adversely affected.
3. Our business depends upon the interoperability of our platform across devices, operating systems, and third-party applications that we do not control.
4. We rely on third parties for elements of the payment processing infrastructure underlying our platform. If these third-party elements become unavailable or unavailable on favorable terms, our business could be adversely affected.
5. We currently rely on a small number of third-party service providers to host a significant portion of our platform, and any interruptions or delays in services from these third parties could impair the delivery of our products and offerings and harm our business.
6. Our use of third-party open source software could adversely affect our ability to offer our products and offerings and subjects us to possible litigation.

Read these in Item 1A · See the changes

1. We will require additional capital to support the growth of our business, and this capital might not be available on reasonable terms or at all.
2. We have incurred a significant amount of debt and may in the future incur additional indebtedness. Our payment obligations under such indebtedness may limit the funds available to us, and the terms of our debt agreements may restrict our flexibility in operating our business.
3. We may have exposure to materially greater than anticipated tax liabilities.
4. Changes in global and U.S. tax legislation may adversely affect our financial condition, operating results, and cash flows.
5. Our ability to use our net operating loss carryforwards and certain other tax attributes may be limited.
6. We are exposed to fluctuations in currency exchange rates.
7. If we are unable to successfully identify, acquire and integrate suitable businesses, our operating results and prospects could be harmed, and any businesses we acquire may not perform as expected or be effectively integrated.
8. We cannot guarantee that our share repurchase program will be fully consummated or that it will enhance long-term stockholder value.
9. Legal and Regulatory Risks Related to Our Business
10. We may continue to be blocked from or limited in providing or operating our products and offerings in certain jurisdictions, and may be required to modify our business model in those jurisdictions as a result.
11. Our business is subject to numerous legal and regulatory risks that could have an adverse impact on our business and future prospects.
12. Changes in, or failure to comply with, competition laws could adversely affect our business, financial condition, or operating results.
13. Our business is subject to extensive government regulation and oversight relating to the provision of payment and financial services.
14. We currently are subject to a number of inquiries, investigations, and requests for information from the DOJ, FTC, other federal, state and local government agencies and other foreign government agencies, the adverse outcomes of which could harm our business.reworded
15. We face risks related to our collection, use, transfer, disclosure, deletion and other processing of data, which could result in investigations, inquiries, litigation, fines, legislative and regulatory action, and negative press about our privacy and data protection practices.reworded
16. Adverse litigation judgments or settlements resulting from legal proceedings in which we may be involved could expose us to monetary damages or limit our ability to operate our business.
17. We have operations in countries known to experience high levels of corruption and were previously subject to, and may in the future be subject to, inquiries, investigations, and requests for information with respect to our compliance with a number of anti-corruption laws to which we are subject.
18. Drivers may become subject to increased licensing requirements, and we may be required to obtain additional licenses or cap the number of Drivers using our platform.
19. We may be subject to liability for the means we use to attract and onboard Drivers.
20. Our business depends heavily on insurance coverage for Drivers and on other types of insurance for additional risks related to our business. If insurance carriers change the terms of such insurance in a manner not favorable to Drivers or to us, if we are required to purchase additional insurance for other aspects of our business, or if we fail to comply with regulations governing insurance coverage, our business could be harmed.
21. We may be subject to pricing regulations, as well as related litigation or regulatory inquiries.
22. If we are unable to protect our intellectual property, or if third parties are successful in claiming that we are misappropriating the intellectual property of others, we may incur significant expense and our business may be adversely affected.
23. Our reported financial results may be adversely affected by changes in accounting principles.
24. If we are deemed an investment company under the Investment Company Act, applicable restrictions could have an adverse effect on our business.

Read these in Item 1A · See the changes

1. The market price of our common stock has been, and may continue to be, volatile or may decline steeply or suddenly regardless of our operating performance, and we may not be able to meet investor or analyst expectations. You may not be able to resell your shares at or above the price you paid and may lose all or part of your investment.
2. Delaware law and provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws could make a merger, tender offer, or proxy contest difficult, thereby depressing the trading price of our common stock.
3. Sales, directly or indirectly, of shares of our common stock by existing stockholders could cause our stock price to decline.
4. We do not intend to pay cash dividends for the foreseeable future.
5. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware and, to the extent enforceable, the federal district courts of the United States of America are the exclusive forums for substantially all disputes between us and our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers, or employees.
6. If we are unable to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting in the future, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, and the market price of our common stock may be harmed.

Read these in Item 1A · See the changes