TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Didi Chuxing (“DiDi”), the world's leading mobile transportation platform, today officially launched its DiDi Labs in Toronto, Canada. This marks the second major research facility founded by DiDi in North America, following the establishment of DiDi Labs in Mountain View, California, in March 2017.
Since its inception, DiDi Labs in Mountain View has invested heavily in product development and safety technology for DiDi’s international operations in Brazil, Mexico, Australia, Japan and Greater China.
The new DiDi Labs in Toronto, which will focus on research into intelligent driving and artificial intelligence, will be led by Jun YU, Senior Vice President of DiDi and chair of DiDi’s Product & Design Committee. As a pioneer in China’s consumer app industry, Jun Yu was responsible for creating many of China’s leading internet products.
At the inauguration of the Toronto site, Jun Yu said, “Toronto’s inclusive environment for innovation and entrepreneurship makes it an incredible location for tech investment. We look forward to actively contributing to the flourishing local tech ecosystem, and to building deep partnerships for smart and sustainable transportation solutions locally and globally.”
Christopher Yip, Associate Vice President of the University of Toronto, joined DiDi’s team led by Bob Zhang, DiDi’s Chief Technology Officer, at the inaugural ceremony. On the same day, DiDi also reached a strategic partnership with the University of Toronto. The two sides will explore collaborative projects in areas ranging from vehicle connectivity and autonomy, to artificial intelligence and smart transportation.
In recent years, Canada has become a fast-growing, global tech and innovation center. Studies show that a record Can$ 447 million of venture capital has been injected into Canadian AI startups between 2015 and 2017, with the country’s AI talent pool ranking third in the world behind the U.S. and the U.K.
About Didi Chuxing
Didi Chuxing (“DiDi”) is the world’s leading mobile transportation platform. The company offers a full range of app-based transportation options for 550 million users, including Taxi, Express, Premier, Luxe, Bus, Designated Driving, Enterprise Solutions, Bike Sharing, E-bike Sharing, Car Sharing and food delivery. Over 31 million drivers have found flexible work and income opportunities on the DiDi platform.
DiDi is committed to collaborating with policymakers, the taxi industry and communities to solve the world’s transportation, environmental and employment challenges with smart transportation innovations. The company is working with a growing alliance of car industry players to build out a next-generation auto-solutions and operations platform.
DiDi partners with Grab, Lyft, Ola, Uber, 99, Taxify and Careem in a global ride-hailing network that reaches over 80% of the world’s population across over 1,000 cities. Currently, DiDi provides ride-hailing services in Brazil under the 99 brand, operates DiDi-branded mobility services in Mexico and Australia, and provides taxi-hailing service in Japan through a joint venture. By continuously improving user experience and creating social value, DiDi strives to build a safe, open and sustainable mobile transportation ecosystem.
For more information, please visit: www.didiglobal.com