American ride-hailing platform Lyft is making its European debut by acquiring German FreeNow for €175 million, marking one of the largest expansion moves in its history.
The deal is expected to close in the second half of 2025, subject to regulatory approval and customary closings.
Lyft previously operated exclusively in the United States and Canada. With the FreeNow acquisition, the company expands its presence to 11 European markets, including Greece, Germany, France, Italy, Ireland, Spain, Austria, Poland, and the United Kingdom.
According to a company statement, the move is expected to double Lyft’s potential market, reaching more than 300 billion personal trips per year, while boosting its annual gross bookings by 1 billion euros.
“We are on an ambitious path to create the world’s leading, most customer-centric mobility platform, and entering Europe is a critical step in that journey,” said David Risher, CEO of Lyft. “FreeNow is the ideal partner: we share common values ??and philosophy, with a focus on the customer and the local nature of each market.”
Founded in 2009 and owned by BMW Group and Mercedes-Benz Mobility, FreeNow operates in more than 150 cities in Europe. Although described as a “taxi-first” company, the platform also allows bookings for private vehicles, car sharing, electric scooters, and bicycles.
In 2024, 90% of FreeNow’s gross bookings were for taxis, which will remain “the backbone of our model,” Lyft said. It also said there would be no immediate changes to the user experience, and that new features, such as greater transparency in driver earnings and more stable pricing for passengers, are expected in the future.
For his part, FreeNow CEO Thomas Zimmermann called the deal “a strong step forward”:
“The partnership with Lyft marks a new, ambitious phase for FreeNow. Together, we will raise the bar for fleet owners, taxi drivers, and passengers across Europe. We are not standing against the industry—we are standing with it.”
The move gives Lyft a clear lead in the European market, where competition is intensifying. Uber remains the US company’s biggest rival, while Estonia-based Bolt is aggressively expanding its presence on the continent.
Just last month, Bolt acquired Viggo, an electric vehicle ride-hailing company in Denmark, and introduced a new flight tracking feature, offering passengers transfers as soon as they arrive at the airport.
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