BEIJING, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Chinese ride-hailing firm Didi Chuxing has ventured beyond ride-sharing and into financial services as the company is trying to diversify its businesses.

The firm's financial products available on its app cover mutual protection and crowdfunding for critical illnesses, credit and lending, wealth management and auto-financing, DiDi said in a statement Wednesday.

DiDi started exploring the financial services market in early 2018. Prior to the nationwide launch, the in-app services were piloted in 10 cities including southwestern Chinese city Chongqing and central Chinese city Zhengzhou.

The insurance and lending products mainly target gig economy workers, and are built on its credit mechanism and data-based risk control architecture, DiDi said.

The company now serves about 550 million users and has offered flexible work to over 31 million drivers. As a ride-sharing giant, the company has also branched into services like car maintenance and food delivery.