As Uber continues its expansion into luxury and executive travel, the ride-hailing service provider has announced an agreement to acquire global chauffeur service leader, Blacklane. After the transaction is complete, acquiring Blacklane will further accelerate Uber’s recently-announced move into the chauffeur sector with Uber Elite, and support Uber’s ambition to deliver best-in-class service to more customers around the world.

Blacklane connects guests worldwide with independent local chauffeur services via an app and web booking platform. Today Blacklane operates in over 500 cities across more than 60 countries and has grown to be the chauffeur service of choice for discerning customers.

“Premium travel is one of the most exciting growth areas of Uber’s business. We want to offer the widest selection of options to meet our riders where they are: from the everyday commute to luxury rides. We’re incredibly impressed by what Blacklane has built and we’re eager to work with them to amplify how we deliver truly exceptional service to more people in cities around the world,” said Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi.

“Blacklane’s growth to date has been founded on consistently excellent service, wherever in the world our guests move. Fifteen years after our vision to make premium travel frictionless, we are bringing luxury hospitality expertise to Uber as a leading player in mobility. This partnership marks a significant milestone in Blacklane’s next chapter and is a powerful step-change in introducing our service to new markets globally,” said Dr. Jens Wohltorf, founder and CEO of Blacklane.

Together Blacklane and Uber - and their respective guests and partners - will benefit from each other’s expertise. Blacklane’s luxury service and specialist knowledge, combined with Uber’s global scale and technology, will deliver a powerful platform for growth.