Baidu puts Uber on the map in China, throws in funding

China’s top search engine, Baidu, this afternoon announced its investment in US-based transportation network company Uber. The funding amount is not disclosed.

Beyond the financial input, Baidu will partner with Uber – which already operates in nine Chinese cities – to integrate the on-demand car service into the Mobile Baidu and Baidu Maps apps. That gives Uber an audience of about half a billion. Baidu Maps has 240 million monthly active users, while the Mobile Baidu app has over 500 million monthly active users. Users of those who want an Uber will be able to book a car and talk to the driver within Baidu’s own apps.

Baidu has previously added in support for hailing taxis in the mobile version of Baidu Maps.

Uber CEO Travis Kalanick and Baidu chairman and CEO Robin Li confirmed the news at an event in Beijing. It confirms rumors last week about a tie-up. Kalanick said in a statement:

This collaboration marks a milestone for Uber. We’re currently in 250 cities around the world, and the Asia-Pacific region has been a key area of growth for us. Our partnership with Baidu — a premier global brand — reflects our commitment to the region and the growing community of Uber riders and driver-partners here.”

Uber is proving to be a controversial company due to its abrasive management style and the legal grey areas that it operates in in many countries. That makes the investment a risk for Baidu – both in terms of finances and bad PR.

Baidu has been focusing on mobile in the past couple of years. In October the company revealed that, in a major milestone, its sites now get more traffic on mobile than from desktop computers.

See: Amid heightening competition, Uber to use latest $1.2 billion funding for ‘substantial investment’ in Asia