Uber was called UberCab when it began as a luxury car service in San Francisco in 2009.
The original service was created by Garrett Camp, Travis Kalanick, and Oscar Salazar. It used smartphone technology to let customers request rides from a small network of premium vehicles.
The company initially operated as UberCab, but it later dropped “Cab” from its name. The change reflected expansion beyond a traditional taxi-style service and avoided presenting the company as only a cab operator.
Uber’s early business was much narrower than its later platform. It started with black cars in San Francisco before expanding to lower-cost rides, additional cities, food delivery, freight, and other transportation services.