Freenow

Freenow is a taxi and ride-hailing app headquartered in Hamburg. Lyft, a US company, completed its takeover on 30 July 2025 for about 175 million euros, so Freenow now has a non-European parent. According to its own press release it is available in more than 180 cities in nine European countries: Ireland, the United Kingdom, Germany, Greece, Spain, Italy, Poland, France and Austria.

Features

• Taxis and private hire vehicles in one app, with a focus on licensed taxi drivers
• Car sharing, car rental, e-scooters, e-bikes and public transport in the same app
• Business accounts for companies
• Local management teams in each country

Ownership and limits

The company says it wants to keep its European taxi partnerships. Freenow does not operate outside Europe, and the Lyft takeover means that profits and decisions now belong to a US group. Passengers who want a fully European owner should consider Bolt, Cabify or Heetch.