Uber’s European expansion plans may have hit a speed bump

Back in February, Uber announced ambitious plans to launch in seven new European markets in 2026 — but now the Financial Times reports that five of those launches are on hold. Country launches that have been paused include Austria, Norway, and Greece.

Uber seemed to confirm the decision to the FT, saying that recent launches in Finland and Denmark had been a “huge success,” so now it wants to “focus on continuing the momentum” in existing markets.

Another likely factor in the decision: Uber’s continuing efforts to acquire Delivery Hero, a European company that rejected Uber’s 10 billion euro takeover bid in May.

It seems Uber is still hoping to make the deal a reality. An industry source said that putting a pause on further expansion could help alleviate antitrust concerns around a potential acquisition, especially since Delivery Hero operates delivery services in several of the target countries.