Last Friday, transportation network provider Uber announced that it raised an additional $1.2 billion of primary capital, raising its valuation to $17 billion. In just one year, Uber’s perceived value has quadrupled; furthermore, the company is a mere four years old. Now, Uber operates in 128 cities, in 37 countries, around the world and is worth more than rental car competitors Avis (CAR) and Hertz (HTZ).