One of the biggest technology purchases in Spain is very likely. If the case of La Nevera Roja or even Privalia was already good news for the sector, the next to join the list could break all the metrics. According to El Confidencial, Cabify would negotiate its sale for a figure more than a millionaire.

3,000 million euros for the transport company, currently valued at 1,400 million. The only Spanish unicorn would pbad into the hands of another transport giant around the world. The reality is that many might think that Uber, his biggest rival in Spain, could have put so many on the table. And perhaps not this volume, but conversations that they had with the company founded by Travis Kalanick . Without reaching a good port, the turn came to another of the giants: Lyft . Having no presence in Europe and Latin America, there have been few occasions when Uber's biggest enemy in his own field, the United States, has felt the possibility of 39, enter the Old Continent. And, in a way, it makes sense. If something shares Cabify and Lyft, in addition to the market segment, it's funding. Supported largely by Rakuten, the Asian fund, this could have been used as a common thread to generate the talks.

Already in his native country, the competition is huge. If Uber does acquire a bike company, JUMP, to enter another vertical transportation sector, Lyft does the same. A few days ago, the purchase of Motivate was announced to address the electric bike segment. On the other hand, the two giants are also competing for Skedaddle, in the United States. A transport company for big events.

Back in Spain, the formalization of this agreement is not clear. It could take months if the biggest buying operation in Spain is over. For the moment, the Spanish company pursues its objective to become public in the United States between 2019 and 2020; A common goal with Lyft, who also wants to fully enter the public markets. This has also opened doubts about Cabify's future. With few opportunities to expand through buying, the options being virtually nonexistent, there were only two ways to grow organically or continue its rounds of financing. Perhaps, in a certain way, the purchase is one of the fastest solutions given that the financial branch of Lyft which has significant funds American, is much higher than the largest in Spain.

In a way, this is not a surprise either the entry of a new competitor in the market. For some time now, several companies have been testing the possibility of approaching Europe, almost dominated by the giant Kalanick. Only Latin America, where the player Asian Didi had already entered fully, had more players.

The complex European market: a legacy of problems

What prevented these companies from entering Europe? There is something real about all this, it is that the rules valid in the United States are not valid in Europe . And that's a question that Uber can confirm precisely in the UK; his biggest bastion was about to be against him when the institution that regulates transportation in the cities withdrew the license to the American company. Months later, and with a pending trial, Uber was able to recover his permits for 15 months to be reviewed. Italy or France also saw themselves in the obligation to regulate the sector. Like Spain, one of the most restrictive regions. Despite the growth of VTC licenses granted by legal means, the critical mbad necessary to consider the opening of the company in Spain remains uninteresting . A sector dominated by Uber and Cabify, controlling most of this type of permit, made it impossible for these competitors to enter.

It is precisely the issue of licensing that could leave the Cabify buying void. The latest moves of different municipalities, namely Madrid and Barcelona, ​​would be a complicated future for any purchase. Mariano Silveyra has already confirmed to these media that, if the creation of urban licenses in Barcelona is confirmed (once a judge determines the legality of Colau's decision), Cabify would consider leaving this market in the future. Impossibility of having a viable business .

And, in the tradition of the VTC licenses, there would be the question of the owners of the same thing. A case parallel to technology that could even push Cabify to position itself in a negative way before a complete liberalization of the transport sector in Spain . Regulated under the ROTT (Land Regulations Regulations) and submitted to a Supreme Court trial, Spanish technology was positioned on the opposite side to Uber. The reasons? Full market opening would lower the price of VTC licenses, which follow the same trail as those of the taxi, which would cost these entrepreneurs millions of dollars in investment. In this sense, indeed, there were already rumors known by this means in which this sector would have put pressure on Cabify for a change of direction to something this summer . Their requirements imply a greater benefit for the execution of the licenses granted to the technology. In this sense, the entry of Lyft as the universal owner of the company would certainly leave out these problems. More in line with Uber than it appears, given the likelihood of opening the licensing market, Lyft would be more than favorable to this measure .

On the other hand, his trial would remain open with Podemos. Cabify sued Podemos for its comments against the technology claiming that, having its head office in Delaware, USA, they would incur a tax offense against the Treasury by viewing the North American region as a tax haven

The largest operation in Spain

This has not materialized, and there is still a lot to do to make it end if it finally happens. But, for the moment, it is positioned as the record of the exits in Spain. Exceeding even some of the most popular sales of all time.

eDreams, up to now leader in terms of purchases, could see its purchase amount almost doubled. Needless to say, Tuenti, La Nevera Roja, Idealista or Privalia have already missed their epic outings. What makes us imagine that the future of Spanish technology begins to rise to the level of its European rivals