Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick no longer associated with company

After a decade since the conception of Uber, Travis Kalanick has severed his last ties with the company he co-founded by announcing his resignation from the board at the end of 2019.

Effective on 31 December, Kalanick will resign from the board of directors “to focus on his new business and philanthropic endeavours.”

“Uber has been a part of my life for the past 10 years. At the close of the decade, and with the company now public, it seems like the right moment for me to focus on my current business and philanthropic pursuits. I’m proud of all that Uber has achieved, and I will continue to cheer for its future from the sidelines,” Kalanick said in a statement released by the company.

Even before the announcement, signs have pointed that Kalanick will formally leave the tech company as he sold a large portion of his shares in early November.

Uber chief Dara Khosrowshahi said that “very few entrepreneurs have built something as profound as Travis Kalanick did with Uber.” Meanwhile, board chairperson Ron Sugar thanked Kalanick for “his unique expertise, honed over 10 years building Uber from a scrappy startup into the global public company.”

Kalanick was pushed out as the CEO of Uber in 2017 following the revelations about the controversial business practices and personal criticisms on his behaviour.

The young Kalanick was the epitome of a real Silicon Valley disruptor with his incredible charisma and go-getter attitude.

In March 2018, Kalanick announced the creation of a new investment vehicle, 10100, that will focus on both for-profit and non-profit ventures. The key areas of focus for the fund include real estate, e-commerce, and innovation in China and India.

Among his most recent ventures, Kalanick has developed the so-called “ghost kitchen” company, CloudKitchens, which will rent communal kitchens near population centres that can prepare food for delivery services.