Uber Expands to Canada, Arriving in Toronto to Compete with Local Startup Winston

Uber has launched in Toronto, where it will find itself competing with local startup Winston, a Canadian startup modelled after the San Fransisco-based Uber. Toronto is only the second international location selected by Uber, following an expansion to Paris in 2011.

Uber, which also operates in seven U.S. cities, is “everyone’s private driver”—a platform that allows users to request and pay for cabs from their smartphones (and kept in the loop via texts when the cab is coming). Winston, meanwhile, does essentially the same thing. A student-backed Next 36 startup, Winston must now compete with the very company it is based off.

Toronto service from Uber officially begins this Wednesday. And with the burgeoning company looking at expanding by up to 20 cities in 2012 alone, it won’t be long before another major Canadian city sees Uber come to town.