Lyft
"We're rolling into 2015 with a brand new look, starting with the Glowstache," Lyft said in a blog post Tuesday. "As the latest evolution of our iconic mustache, the Glowstache pays tribute to the spirit and personality of the original 'stache while delivering a more sophisticated, illuminated in-car experience."
Wired reported last week that Lyft would be replacing its trademark fuzzy mustaches - which drivers place on their cars' front grill to indicate that they're a Lyft driver - with a less-cuddly "glowstache." Glowstaches are plastic mustaches the size of a banana that get attached to the driver's dashboard with magnets. At night, they glow.
"The easily attachable Glowstache makes it easier than ever for drivers to switch into Lyft mode. And with Lyft drivers reaching milestones of 10,000 rides and more, we knew we needed to toughen up our 'stache with new fade-resistant dyes and an unmissable glow."
Lyft, which has expanded into more than 45 new US markets in the past year, is also rolling out a refurbished app, a new color palette, and new partnerships.
Here's what the updated app's loading screen looks like when you open Lyft on your phone. Gone is the whimsical pink balloon that used to be on Lyft's loading screen and app icon:
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In addition, Lyft announced Tuesday the company is partnering with eHealth, AutoNation and Intuit to help its drivers, who are independent contractors, find health insurance, file their taxes, and buy cars that meet Lyft's standards.
Lyft was last valued at $850 million. The company has raised $332.5 million in VC funding and is reportedly raising a new round of funding to help it catch up to Uber, Re/code reports.
As competition in the on-demand car-hailing space heats up, Lyft's fundraising efforts will inevitably be compared to those of its rival, Uber. Uber just raised a $1.2 billion round of funding at a $41 billion post-money valuation, and operates in 53 countries and more than 200 cities globally.