Apple's 1 billion investment in Didi is really an investment in its own future

Unexpected news came from the world's most valuable company today as Apple confirmed it invested 1 billion in Didi Chuxing, the Beijing-based ride-hailing company that rivals Uber in China. The investment will give Didi bragging rights in the Middle Kingdom, where it can claim to be one of the few companies anywhere to receive funding from Apple. But despite how the 1 billion will sit nicely in Didi's coffers, Apple is the true beneficiary of the deal. Receiving an investment from Apple is cause for celebration at any tech company. But Didi occupies such an enviable position in China that the funding will bring little more than cash for the company, at least in the short term. If funding is the gasoline for ride-hailing companies, Didi already leads Uber in China.