Uber introduced the Uber Pool service in 2014.
UberPool was announced in August 2014 as a way for riders heading in similar directions to share one vehicle and split the fare. The service was part of Uber’s effort to make app-based rides more affordable while using each car more efficiently.
UberPool was not a separate company or a rival brand. “Pool” described the shared-ride product, while Uber remained the ride-hailing company operating it. This makes options such as Grab, Didi and Lyft incorrect for this question, even though those companies later offered comparable carpooling services.
The name and availability of Uber’s shared-ride products have changed by market over time. In some places, Uber later used names such as UberX Share, but the original UberPool launch belongs to 2014.