Images relating to Uber, which lets people summon rides at the touch of a smartphone button. Founded in 2010, the service was a way to connect riders with town car drivers who had extra time between scheduled gigs. The riders sign up via an app, with a portion of their fare going to Uber and a portion to the drivers, who are independent contractors.

Uber has entered more than 60 markets, ranging from its hometown of San Francisco to Berlin to Tokyo. Leaked financials in December indicate that the company, which began connecting passengers with drivers of vehicles for hire about 3-1/2 years ago, is generating $200 million a year in revenue beyond what it pays to drivers.