Free Now

Free Now, operating as a mobility-as-a-service provider, offers a comprehensive platform for booking a wide array of transportation options across Europe. The company's origins trace back to the founding of mytaxi in 2009 by German entrepreneurs Niclaus Mewes and Sven Külper. mytaxi was the first taxi-hailing app to establish a direct connection between passengers and drivers.

The company has undergone significant evolution through a series of strategic acquisitions and mergers. In September 2014, Daimler AG (now Mercedes-Benz Group) fully acquired mytaxi's parent company, Intelligent Apps GmbH, marking its entry into the ride-hailing market. A pivotal moment came in July 2016 when mytaxi merged with its UK-based rival Hailo, creating Europe's largest taxi e-hailing company at the time. Daimler held a 60% stake in the newly formed entity, which continued to operate under the mytaxi brand. The expansion continued with the acquisition of the Greek taxi-hailing app Taxibeat in February 2017 and Romania's Clever Taxi in June 2017.

In February 2019, a major joint venture between the BMW Group and Daimler AG was announced, consolidating their mobility services. This €1 billion partnership resulted in the creation of five ventures, including Free Now for ride-hailing, and led to the rebranding of mytaxi to Free Now in July 2019. The platform continued to integrate other services, such as France's Kapten, under the new brand. As of July 2025, Free Now is a division of Lyft. The current CEO, Thomas Zimmermann, was appointed in April 2022, having previously served as the company's Chief Marketing Officer since 2018. His background is in marketing and data, with previous leadership roles at IONIQ Group and Goodgame Studios.

Free Now operates a mobile app that allows its more than 54 million users to book taxis, private hire vehicles, and a variety of micro-mobility options, including e-scooters, e-bikes, e-mopeds, and carsharing services. The platform aggregates numerous mobility brands, such as Dott, Tier, Voi, and Share Now, without adding new vehicles to the streets. The business model serves both individual consumers and corporate clients through 'Free Now for Business', which offers a centralized platform for companies to manage employee travel. In some markets, the company's business model involves purchasing transportation services directly from drivers and selling them to passengers, rather than charging a commission.

Keywords: mobility-as-a-service, ride-hailing, taxi booking, multi-mobility, e-scooters, e-bikes, car sharing, mytaxi, Hailo, urban mobility, fleet management, Niclaus Mewes, Sven Külper, Thomas Zimmermann, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Lyft, European transport, mobility super app, vehicle sharing