Lyft Goes Global: FREENOW Acquisition Complete

SAN FRANCISCO & HAMBURG, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 31, 2025--

Lyft, Inc. (Nasdaq: LYFT) today announced it has completed its acquisition of FREENOW, creating one of the top global multi-mobility apps.

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Lyft’s purpose is to serve and connect. United by shared values and customer obsession, Lyft and FREENOW will join forces to seize the incredible opportunity of doubling Lyft’s current addressable market to more than 300 billion personal vehicle trips per year.

“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,” said Lyft CEO David Risher. “This isn't just about growing our business. It's about serving and connecting people worldwide.”

“We’re not changing what makes FREENOW special - our deep local relationships throughout Europe - but we are amplifying it,” said FREENOW CEO Thomas Zimmermann. “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 riders

What’s next for drivers

What’s next for the companies

Both teams will work together to bring the best of both companies to the global Lyft ecosystem.

Everything the company does will be fueled by its purpose and continued customer obsession to benefit riders and drivers.

FREENOW CEO Thomas Zimmermann and his leadership team will report to Jeremy Bird, EVP of Driver Experience at Lyft. The FREENOW country general managers will continue to strategically lead operations in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Germany, Greece, Spain, Italy, Poland, France, and Austria.

"As we expand internationally, our customer-obsession won't change. That's part of what made FREENOW such a good fit," said Jeremy Bird, Lyft EVP of Driver Experience. "Our integration approach centers 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 and better experiences for drivers and riders alike.”

Lyft and FREENOW team members will start working side by side to roll out new features for riders and drivers around the world.

The acquisition will not impact Lyft’s Q2 financial results.

New global footprint

In total, Lyft now operates rideshare and taxi mobility services in 11 countries and nearly 1,000 cities, and supports bikeshare operations through Lyft Urban Solutions in 16 countries and over 86 cities. Since April 2025:

About Lyft

Whether it’s an everyday commute or a journey that changes everything, Lyft is driven by our purpose: to serve and connect. Founded in 2012, Lyft has grown into a global mobility platform offering rideshare, taxis, private hire vehicles, car sharing, bikes, and scooters across North America and Europe. Lyft operates across 11 countries and in nearly 1,000 cities, and Lyft Urban Solutions supports bikesharing in 16 countries and more than 86 cities. Today, millions of drivers have chosen to earn on billions of rides - helping to create a more connected world, with transportation for everyone.

FREENOW by Lyft is the European taxi app featuring broad multi-mobility options. Through FREENOW, passengers can access various mobility services within a single app, including taxis, private hire vehicles, carsharing, car rental, e-scooters, e-bikes, e-mopeds, and public transport.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or Lyft's future financial or operating performance. In some cases, you can identify forward looking statements because they contain words such as "may," "will," "should," "expects," "plans," "anticipates,” “going to,” "could," "intends," "target," "projects," "contemplates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "potential" or "continue" or the negative of these words or other similar terms or expressions that concern Lyft's expectations, strategy, priorities, plans or intentions. Forward-looking statements in this release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the acquisition of FREENOW including the expected benefits of the transaction, the timing of those benefits and the availability of the Lyft App in Europe, the addressable market of the combined company, the future operations of Lyft, FREENOW and plans and expectations for the combined company. Lyft’s expectations and beliefs regarding these matters may not materialize, and actual results in future periods are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected, including risks related to the macroeconomic environment, risks and uncertainties related to the acquisition of FREENOW; failure to realize the expected benefits and synergies of the proposed transaction in the expected timeframes or at all; and changes in the regulatory environment that impact Lyft and FREENOW. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are also subject to other risks and uncertainties, including those more fully described in Lyft's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the first quarter of 2025 that was filed with the SEC on May 9, 2025. The forward-looking statements in this release are based on information available to Lyft as of the date hereof, and Lyft disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by law. This press release discusses “customers”. For rideshare, there are two customers in every car - the driver is Lyft’s customer, and the rider is the driver’s customer. We care about both.

Lyft and FREENOW

FREENOW CEO Thomas Zimmermann and Lyft CEO David Risher

LONDON (AP) — Britain's Conservative Party, which governed the country from 2010 until it suffered its worst-ever electoral defeat two years ago, was plunged into fresh turmoil Thursday after its leader sacked the man widely seen as her greatest rival for apparently plotting to defect from the party.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said in a video and statement on X that she sacked the party's justice spokesperson Robert Jenrick due to “irrefutable evidence that he was plotting in secret to defect" in a way that was “designed to be as damaging as possible” to the party.

Badenoch also ejected Jenrick from the party's ranks in Parliament and suspended his party membership.

“The British public are tired of political psychodrama and so am I,” she said. “They saw too much of it in the last government, they’re seeing too much of it in this government. I will not repeat those mistakes.”

Though Badenoch did not specify which party Jenrick was planning to switch to, Nigel Farage, leader of the hard-right Reform UK party, said he had “of course” had conversations with him.

In the past 12 months, the Conservatives have suffered a string of defections to Reform UK, including some former Cabinet ministers.

Farage said in a press briefing in Edinburgh, the Scottish capital, that coincided with Badenoch's statement that, “hand on heart,” he wasn't about to present Jenrick as the latest Conservative to defect to Reform, an upstart, anti-immigration party.

“I’ll give him a ring this afternoon,” he said. “I might even buy him a pint, you never know.”

The Conservatives are fighting not just the Labour government to their left, but Reform UK to the right. Reform has topped opinion polls for months, trounced the Conservatives in last May’s local elections and has welcomed a stream of defecting Tory members and officials.

Jenrick, who has continued to attract speculation about leadership ambitions despite being beaten in 2024, has appeared more open than Badenoch to the prospect of some sort of deal between the Conservatives and Reform in the run-up to next general election, which has to take place by 2029.

Jenrick has yet to respond to the news of his sacking.

The Conservatives remain the official opposition to Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour.

Badenoch, a small-state, low-tax advocate, has shifted the Conservatives to the right, announcing policies similar to those of U.S. President Donald Trump, including a promise to deport 150,000 unauthorized immigrants a year.

Her poor poll ratings and lackluster performance in Parliament had stirred speculation that she could be ousted long before the next election.

However, she has been making a better impression in Parliament in recent weeks in a way that appears to have cemented her position as leader.

The party is no stranger to turmoil, having gone through six leaders in the space of 10 years, five of them serving as prime minister. Widespread anger at the way the Conservatives were governing Britain led to their defeat at the general election in July 2024, when they lost around two-thirds of their lawmakers, their worst performance since the party was created nearly 200 years ago.

Reform Party leader Nigel Farage addresses protesters outside the Iranian embassy, in London, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (Yui Mok/PA via AP)

Kemi Badenoch with Robert Jenrick before being announced as the new Conservative Party leader following the vote by party members at 8 Northumberland Avenue in central London, Nov. 3, 2024. (Stefan Rousseau/PA via AP)