Venture capitalists' recent investments in Uber "underscore the confidence investors have in Uber's growth," an Uber spokeswoman said. She said additional funding will be geared toward its car-pool feature, which is dubbed UberPool, and launching its service in more cities around the world. The company is currently in more than 260 cities in 54 countries.

Uber is under pressure to introduce new services, such as UberPool, and to do so while continuing its international expansion. "These are all expensive options and Uber can use all the cash it can get," said Parks Associates analyst Tejas Mehta.

Investor interest in Uber comes despite waves of bad publicity over the past few months. Critics have said Uber unfairly competes with its rival Lyft. The company has also battled regulators in the US, Asia and several countries in Europe. Additionally, some of its drivers have allegedly attacked passengers, raising concerns about whether driver background checks are strict enough.

From the article "Uber aims to be uber-funded by expanding funding round by $1B" by Dara Kerr.

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