Free Now
2025
$197M
Why
Lyft bought European taxi app FREENOW from BMW and Mercedes-Benz for about €175 million (roughly $197 million) in cash, closing in July 2025. It was Lyft's first expansion outside North America.
Lyft, Inc.
Ride-Hailing and Mobility TechnologyFounded 2012- HQ today: San Francisco, California, United States
Reviewed by Swet Parvadiya
Company data updated: October 2026
Acquisitions
Lyft Acquisitions
4
Major Deals Covered
$447M
Disclosed Deal Value
What are Lyft's biggest acquisitions?
Lyft's largest disclosed acquisition here is Motivate for $250M in 2018. This page covers 4 major deals from 2018 to 2025, each with its price where disclosed and the reason behind it.
- Major deals covered
- 4
- Largest deal
- Motivate ($250M)
- First deal
- 2018
- Most recent
- 2025
| Company | Year | Price | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motivate | 2018 | $250.0M | Lyft bought Motivate, then North America's largest bikeshare operator, to add bikes and scooters to its app. |
| Halo Cars | 2020 | Undisclosed | Halo Cars made digital rooftop screens for rideshare cars, which became part of Lyft Media's advertising business. |
| Free Now | 2025 | $197.0M | Lyft bought European taxi app FREENOW from BMW and Mercedes-Benz for about €175 million (roughly $197 million) in cash, closing in July 2025. It was Lyft's first expansion outside North America. |
| TBR Global Chauffeuring | 2025 | Undisclosed | Lyft acquired Glasgow-based TBR Global Chauffeuring in October 2025 for a reported ~$110 million (£83 million), adding premium chauffeur services for business travelers. |
- What companies has Lyft bought?
- Major acquisitions by Lyft documented here include Motivate (2018), Free Now (2025), TBR Global Chauffeuring (2025) and Halo Cars (2020).
- What is Lyft's most recent acquisition?
- The most recent Lyft acquisition documented here is Free Now, in 2025, for $197M.
TBR Global Chauffeuring
2025
Why
Lyft acquired Glasgow-based TBR Global Chauffeuring in October 2025 for a reported ~$110 million (£83 million), adding premium chauffeur services for business travelers.
Halo Cars
2020
Why
Halo Cars made digital rooftop screens for rideshare cars, which became part of Lyft Media's advertising business.
Motivate
2018
$250M
Why
Lyft bought Motivate, then North America's largest bikeshare operator, to add bikes and scooters to its app.
Impact
Gave Lyft control of systems including Citi Bike in New York, Divvy in Chicago, Bay Wheels in San Francisco and Capital Bikeshare in Washington, D.C.
Outcome
Bikeshare remains a small part of revenue but brings frequent app use and long-term city contracts.
Lyft, Inc.'s Growth & Acquisition Strategy
Lyft's growth plan under David Risher focuses on customer obsession and cost discipline. In North America that means competitive pricing, Price Lock commuter subscriptions, Women+ Connect, the 70% driver earnings commitment, and partner integrations that drove about 30% of rides in Q2 2026. Internationally, FREENOW (bought for about $198 million (€175 million) in July 2025) and TBR Global Chauffeuring give Lyft a European base. In autonomy, Lyft partners rather than builds, providing fleet services through Flexdrive and putting partner AVs on its app.
How Lyft, Inc. Makes Money
Lyft runs a two-sided marketplace. It does not own most of the cars on its network and treats drivers as independent contractors, a classification that remains contested. Riders pay a fare; Lyft passes most of it to the driver and keeps the remainder as revenue to cover insurance, payment processing, technology, and overhead. In FY2025 revenue of $6.3B equaled roughly 34% of $18.5B in gross bookings. Smaller lines include bikeshare and scooter systems run under city contracts, Lyft Business and healthcare rides, Express Drive vehicle rentals through its Flexdrive subsidiary, Lyft Media advertising, and, since 2025, European taxi bookings through FREENOW and chauffeur services through TBR Global Chauffeuring.
Lyft Acquisitions FAQ
What was Lyft's major acquisition of bikeshare operator Motivate in 2018?
In November 2018, Lyft acquired Motivate, the largest bikeshare operator in the United States, for approximately $250 million, instantly acquiring well-known municipal systems including Citi Bike in New York, Divvy in Chicago, and Bay Wheels in San Francisco.
What happened to Lyft's autonomous driving division, Level 5?
In April 2021, Lyft sold its self-driving vehicle R&D division, 'Level 5', to Woven Planet Holdings (a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation) for $550 million in cash, eliminating $100 million in annual cash burn and pivoting to an open AV fleet partnership strategy.
What fleet management acquisitions did Lyft complete to support Express Drive?
Flexdrive, a vehicle rental business for rideshare drivers, is a wholly owned Lyft subsidiary that runs Express Drive and now provides fleet services for Waymo in Nashville.
What transit and software acquisitions has Lyft made throughout its history?
Lyft's smaller technology deals include Blue Vision Labs (2018), a London computer-vision startup used for mapping and AV work, and the bikeshare business Motivate (2018).
What advertising tech acquisitions supported the launch of Lyft Media?
Lyft acquired Halo Cars, a maker of digital rooftop screens for rideshare cars, which became part of Lyft Media's advertising business.
How did Lyft acquire Canadian operations to expand into Toronto and Vancouver?
Lyft entered Canada organically, starting in Toronto in 2017 and later adding cities such as Vancouver and Ottawa. Its first acquisition-led expansion was FREENOW in Europe in 2025.
What intellectual property assets did Lyft acquire from early rideshare startups?
Lyft's largest deals have been Motivate (2018), FREENOW (about $198 million (€175 million), 2025) and TBR Global Chauffeuring (a reported ~$110 million (£83 million), 2025). It also sold Level 5 to Woven Planet for $550 million in 2021.
Does Lyft pursue large-scale acquisitions under CEO David Risher?
Risher has made targeted deals rather than large ones: FREENOW and TBR in 2025 gave Lyft a European base, both funded from cash flow.
What companies has Lyft acquired?
Lyft's most critical acquisition was the massive 2018 buyout of Motivate for $250 million. Motivate was the absolute dominant operator of urban bike-sharing programs (including Citi Bike in NYC and Divvy in Chicago). This acquisition was highly strategic, allowing Lyft to completely integrate massive fleets of electric bikes and scooters directly into their app, capturing all "last-mile" urban transportation.
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