China's worst kept secret is finally official: the Ofo sharebike company will integrate business services with Chinese ride-sharing giant Didi Chuxing.
Ofo founder Dai Wei confirmed the news at a Shenzhen information technology summit, saying that Ofo products will be soon be offered on the Didi app. No further details of cooperation between the two companies were announced, reported Sina Tech.
Ever since Didi invested in the third round of financing for Ofo last September, rumors have continued to swirl regarding a joint Ofo/Didi collaboration, claiming an integration announcement between the two companies was imminent this April.
The news comes directly on the heels of last week's big news that bikeshare competitor Mobike has joined forces with WeChat. As of last Wednesday, Mobike services have become available on WeChat Wallet (shown below) while at the same time WeChat users can now instantly access the official WeChat page for Mobike by scanning a Mobike QR code.
Before their integration, WeChat had already shown steady support for Mobike by investing in financing for the bikeshare company, both last October and this past January. Investment totaled a whopping USD 215 million.
READ: Massive Success of Sharebikes Causes Equally Massive Headaches
But even as Mobike looks to dominant the market with its its collaboration with WeChat, Ofo has strategically placed itself within the business model of China's largest ride-sharing service.
As part of the line-up of Didi services that include car sharing and car pools, Ofo's bikeshares will become the Didi app's most affordable product, thereby incentizing it towards a whole new market of consumers.
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Twitter: @Sinopath