Lyft joins forces with FREENOW in transformative partnership, doubling addressable market

Lyft Inc. has announced a major global expansion by acquiring European mobility giant FREENOW, nearly doubling its potential reach to over 300 billion personal vehicle trips per year. This move marks a significant step in Lyft’s ambition to become a truly international player in the ride-hailing and taxi sector.

📱 Cross-App Momentum in 2024

Since the beginning of the year:

• The Lyft app has been opened 4.6 million times in FREENOW markets
• The FREENOW app has been opened 1.2 million times in Lyft’s markets

This impressive cross-platform activity underlines the mutual interest and opportunity that exists between the two user bases.

🚕 Leadership Statements

Lyft CEO David Risher said:

“Every conversation I’ve had with FREENOW drivers and team members has reminded me why we’re joining forces: to bring the best of each company to the other. This isn’t just about growing our business. It’s about serving and connecting people worldwide.”

FREENOW CEO Thomas Zimmermann added:

“We’re not changing what makes FREENOW special – our deep local relationships throughout Europe – but we are amplifying it. With Lyft’s platform and resources behind us, we can innovate faster and serve drivers, passengers and city partners even better.”

🛑 What’s Next for Drivers

Lyft is committed to supporting FREENOW’s leadership in the European taxi sector. Despite roughly 50% of taxi bookings in Europe still happening offline, demand for online bookings continues to grow.

With more than 150,000 taxi drivers already partnered through FREENOW, Lyft aims to enhance existing relationships with fleet operators, cities, unions, and regulators across the continent.

🌍 Company Integration and Leadership

Following the acquisition, the FREENOW executive team will report to Jeremy Bird, Executive Vice President of Driver Experience at Lyft.

FREENOW’s country general managers will continue to lead their national operations in:

• Ireland
• United Kingdom
• Germany
• Greece
• Spain
• Italy
• Poland
• France
• Austria

Bird commented:

“Our integration approach centres on respecting what makes FREENOW successful — the talented team, unique needs of each local market, and the relationships with fleet owners, taxi drivers, and riders across the continent. By leveraging and building on these strengths, we’re laying the foundation for long-term and sustainable growth.”

Lyft and FREENOW team members will begin collaborating closely to roll out new features for riders and drivers around the world.

Importantly, the acquisition will not impact Lyft’s Q2 financial results.

🌐 A Growing Global Footprint

With this deal, Lyft now operates ride-hailing and taxi mobility services in 11 countries and nearly 1,000 cities. Its bikeshare business — Lyft Urban Solutions — has also expanded rapidly, now operating in 16 countries and more than 86 cities.

🚀 Since April 2025

• Lyft launched rideshare services in Puerto Rico and expanded in Québec, Canada
• Lyft Urban Solutions introduced bikeshare services in Miami, Florida and Bilbao and Rivas, Spain
• FREENOW added 30 new cities in four European countries, bringing its total footprint to over 180 cities

✅ Why This Matters for the UK Taxi Trade

• Broader reach: UK private hire and taxi operators may benefit from increased demand through shared platform exposure
• Technology upgrades: Access to more powerful tools and user experience improvements for both drivers and passengers
• No disruption: Existing local relationships and operational control remain in place, preserving trust and reliability for drivers and fleets

📌 Summary Table

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