Even though Uber is looked at as one of the key ride sharing facilities being offered in almost all the countries in world, not many know about Lyft. With a revenue of over $ 700 million as of the 2016 financial year, Lyft secured the second position for itself in this particular section, standing neck to neck with Uber. With an extremely impressive marketing strategy and a plan that surprised everyone since the moment of its launch, Lyft has seen major growth from its inception to date.
The origin of Lyft
Lyft was initially known as a Zimride and was founded by Logan Green and John Zimmer in the year 2007. The two met through a common friend, when John Zimmer posted on the said friend’s wall, saying he was looking for opportunities in the ride sharing business for long trips. Logan Green’s interest was immediately aroused and he knew he could not sleep till he contacted Logan.
When the two started working together, the first thing they did was to create a business model for Lyft. Green and Logan decided Lyft would be the go to service for people looking at sharing rides when they were travelling out of town. People would hire drivers to use their cars to transport them to their destination and after the drive was completed, riders would automatically be debited for their journey. 80% of the money would go to the person doing the driving while the rest was allocated for Lyft.
Initially, Logan and Zimmer introduced Lyft as a subsidiary of Zimride, without giving it a complete identity. However, looking at the rising popularity of a car service as this, the two founders dropped Zimride altogether and Lyft was the only service they marketed in the year 2013.
The reason for Lyft’s popularity
One of the major reasons Lyft became so immensely popular was that not only did the founders create a new ride sharing format, they also encouraged community building. Drivers were asked to put fuzzy mustaches on the front of their cars while riders were encouraged to sit in the front with the drivers. This method was not used by Uber so far and because of this unique ride sharing concept, Lyft took off with unexpected popularity.
Growing everyday, Lyft became so popular that by the year 2017, the service announced it would be adding a further 100 cities of the United States to its continuously growing roster. In an industry that was for so long dominated by classic styles and clean cuts, Lyft made a splash with its shiny cars and bright logos.
From changing the way people drove around to turning ride sharing into a community affair rather than just another app like Uber, Lyft has created a niche for itself in this sector. Despite facing several regulations and restrictions just like its contemporaries, Lyft has managed to grow through the years and turned into a billion dollar company not through luck but through its no nonsense and purely business attitude!
While the bright pink mustache may have disappeared from Lyft’s logo, it still plays an integral part in the journey of this innovative ride sharing service. From introducing female drivers for the first time in this field to becoming a unique community, Lyft has really lifted the way people share rides!
Meta is developing its first true AR glasses, set to launch in 2027. Before the public release, employees will test the device starting in 2024. The company is also releasing new generations of Ray-Ban smart glasses in 2023 and 2025 with enhanced features like a “viewfinder” display.
Specifications and Features
The AR glasses are expected to feature OLED displays and Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets, offering sophisticated AR and AI capabilities. They will enable users to interact with virtual objects and project high-quality holograms of avatars onto the real world.
Design and Competition
Meta aims for a sleek design, potentially building on its Ray-Ban partnerships. The AR glasses market is competitive, with Apple and Google also investing heavily. Meta seeks to make its AR glasses a game-changer by offering a unique user experience.
Future Plans
In addition to AR glasses, Meta is expanding its VR offerings with new headsets like the Quest 3 and exploring other wearable technologies. The company is focused on reducing costs to make the AR glasses more consumer-friendly by launch.
MobiKwik is venturing into the stock broking sector with the launch of its subsidiary, MobiKwik Securities Broking Private Limited (MSBPL), following approval from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs on March 3, 2025. This move aims to diversify MobiKwik’s offerings beyond its core digital payments services and compete with established players like Zerodha and Groww.
MSBPL will provide a range of brokerage services, including trading in shares, securities, commodities, and derivatives. The subsidiary has an initial capital of Rs 1 lakh, with plans for an additional Rs 2 crore investment to support its operations.
As MobiKwik enters this competitive market, it brings a substantial user base of 172 million and a merchant network of 5 million. Despite recent financial challenges, including a reported loss of Rs 55.2 crore in Q3 FY25, the company aims to leverage its existing infrastructure and user engagement to capture a share of the growing investment technology market, projected to reach $74 billion by 2030.
This strategic expansion aligns with MobiKwik’s broader goals of enhancing its financial service
Nazara Technologies has sold its entire 71.54% stake in Sports Unity Private Limited, the company behind the multiplayer quiz game ‘Qunami’, for INR 7.15 lakh. This divestment, effective March 25, 2025, signifies a strategic shift for Nazara, which had previously acquired a controlling interest in Sports Unity in 2019 for INR 7.5 crore.
The decision to offload the stake comes as Sports Unity has faced financial difficulties, reporting no active business operations and a negative net worth of INR 0.45 crore at the end of FY24. This move aligns with Nazara’s broader strategy to streamline its operations and concentrate on more profitable ventures within the gaming sector.
This sale follows Nazara’s recent divestment of a 94.85% stake in another subsidiary, Open Play, to Moonshine Technologies for INR 104.33 crore. Despite reporting record quarterly revenue of INR 544.7 crore in Q3 FY25, Nazara experienced a 53.5% decline in net profit year-over-year.
Nazara continues to focus on enhancing its portfolio through strategic acquisitions and investments in high-potential gaming platforms while navigating the competitive landscape of the gaming industry.