GetTaxi, the Israeli app that enables users to order taxis via their smartphones, launched in New York City on Thursday, where it will operate under the name G-Car.
With the app, users will be able to hail New York's luxury black cabs. GetTaxi did not receive authorization to work with the city's cheaper yellow cabs.
GetTaxi began in Tel Aviv in 2011 and now has more than a million users and is available in more than 20 cities around the world, including London and Moscow. By the end of 2013, GetTaxi will reach an annual revenue of $120 million to $130 million, the company said.
GetTaxi cofounder Shahar Waiser, 37, said the entry into the New York City market marked the realization of a vision.
"When we founded the company, we dreamed of offering our users an app that would work in every territory and in every language in the world," Waiser said.
Jing Wang Herman, the chief executive officer of GetTaxi U.S.A., said the app would provide a real solution to the plight of tourists and city residents who suffer from a lack of available taxis in New York.