Ride-sharing company Uber sets up mobile software development team in Amsterdam

Uber, the San Francisco-based ride sharing company, says it will set up a mobile phone software development team in Amsterdam, its international headquarters.

In a blog post, Conrad Whelan — Uber's second employee and first engineer — said he will begin working with a team of 10 Dutch mobile software experts immediately and hopes to expand that number to 30 "within a year."

Whelan said one of the reasons to move to Amsterdam is that it will allow the company to draw talent from "across Europe."

U.S. technology companies frequently complain of how difficult it is to obtain visas for top foreign engineers, and Uber must compete with Silicon Valley giants Google and Facebook for talent.

Uber's core development will remain in San Francisco, a spokeswoman said.