Less than a week after Apple announced a $1 billion investment in Chinese ride-hailing company Didi Chuxing, speculation has ramped up that the company is planning an initial public offering.
Bloomberg cites internal sources that claim Didi Chuxing hopes to make an IPO in New York next year, with the timing pegged to how its battle with Uber in China plays out.
But a spokesperson from Didi flatly denied the claim to TechCrunch, saying, “We currently have no IPO plan, so there’s no point of talking about location or schedule.” While data on the on-demand ride industry in China is spotty, analysts are in agreement that Didi is well ahead of Uber in China, claiming 14 million drivers and 300 million active users.