What is DiDi?
DiDi is a ride-hailing platform founded in Beijing in 2012. Today it runs rides, taxis and delivery in China and 14 other countries, including Mexico, Brazil (as 99) and Australia.
DiDi in one paragraph
DiDi is a mobility company that runs a ride-hailing app: you set a pickup point and a destination, and the app finds a driver. Depending on the country, the driver is a private-car driver, a licensed taxi driver or a motorcycle rider. The parent company is DiDi Global Inc., a Cayman Islands holding company with its principal offices in Beijing. Its annual report for 2025 says it has operations in China and 14 other countries, either directly or through partnerships.
History: from Beijing startup to global platform
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 2012 | DiDi starts in Beijing. |
| 2015 | DiDi merges with its main Chinese rival, Kuaidi. |
| 2016 | DiDi takes over Uber's business in China. Uber China's investors get about 20% of the merged company. |
| 2017 | DiDi invests in the Brazilian app 99. |
| 2018 | DiDi takes control of 99 (January), launches in Mexico, Australia (Melbourne, June) and Japan (Osaka, September, with SoftBank). |
| 2019 to 2021 | Expansion across Latin America: Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama, Peru, Argentina, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, plus New Zealand and Egypt. |
| June 30, 2021 | IPO on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker DIDI. |
| 2022 | Shareholders approve delisting from the NYSE (May 23). DiDi also leaves Russia, Kazakhstan and South Africa. |
Launch dates for every country, with sources, are on the page Where does DiDi work?.
Where DiDi operates in 2026
The official DiDi country selector lists 14 markets outside China:
- Latin America: Mexico, Brazil (as 99), Colombia, Chile, Peru, Argentina, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Panama, Dominican Republic.
- Asia Pacific: Australia, New Zealand, Japan.
- Africa: Egypt.
DiDi is not available in the United States, Canada or Europe. In Brazil the app is called 99, not DiDi. In Japan the service is run by DiDi Mobility Japan, a joint venture with SoftBank, and focuses on taxis.
The international business is large. In the second quarter of 2025 DiDi reported 1,088 million completed rides and food deliveries in its International segment, up 24.9% from a year earlier.
What DiDi offers
DiDi reports three business segments: China Mobility, International, and Other Initiatives. Across them, the main products are:
- Ride hailing: DiDi Express (private car), DiDi Economy, premium options in some markets.
- Taxi hailing: licensed taxis booked in the app, where local rules allow it.
- DiDi Moto: motorcycle rides in several Latin American countries.
- DiDi Flex: in some markets the rider proposes the price of the trip.
- DiDi Food and DiDi Delivery: food and parcel delivery in selected countries.
- Financial services: for example DiDi Card and DiDi Préstamos in Mexico, and 99Pay in Brazil.
- In China only: bike and e-bike sharing, energy and vehicle services, and intra-city freight.
Which of these you see depends on your city. The country guides list only what the official DiDi site shows for that country: Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Argentina, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Panama, Dominican Republic, Australia and New Zealand.
What does "DiDi" mean?
The full Chinese name is 滴滴出行, pronounced Dīdī Chūxíng. The character 滴 means a drop of liquid or to drip, and 出行 means to go out or to set off on a trip. Outside China the company uses only "DiDi".
Two common mix-ups:
- Dìdi (弟弟) is a different Chinese word, written with different characters, that means "younger brother". It has nothing to do with the app.
- "DiDi Taxi" is what many people call the app, but DiDi Taxi is also the name of one ride type: a licensed taxi booked through the app.
Who owns DiDi?
DiDi Global Inc. is the parent company. According to its 2025 annual report, it is a Cayman Islands holding company, its operating business in China runs through Chinese entities, and Will Wei Cheng, the founder, is chairman and CEO. The company has many outside investors. After the 2016 deal, Uber China's investors held about 20% of DiDi.
Some local businesses have their own structure. 99 in Brazil was a separate company that DiDi bought in 2018. DiDi Mobility Japan is owned by SoftBank and DiDi.
Is DiDi a public company? (DiDi stock)
DiDi listed American depositary shares on the NYSE on June 30, 2021, at US$14 per ADS. Less than a year later, at an extraordinary general meeting on May 23, 2022, shareholders voted to delist them, and the ADSs then left the NYSE. The company still files annual reports with the US SEC and publishes quarterly results on its investor relations site. This guide does not track the share price.
How to start using DiDi
- Check that DiDi works where you are: see the list of countries.
- Download the right app: DiDi Rider in most countries, 99 in Brazil, and a separate app in mainland China. See DiDi apps explained.
- Sign up with your phone number and add a payment method.
- Read your country guide for local ride types, payment options and fares.
If you are traveling to China, read Using DiDi in China. For Japan, see DiDi in Japan.