Lyft to enter European market with $200 million FreeNow acquisition
Lyft is buying mobility platform FreeNow from German automotive giants BMW and Mercedes-Benz for 175 million euros ($198.40 million) to expand into the European ride-hailing market, the U.S. company said on Wednesday. Under pressure from dominant ride-hailing rival Uber Technologies in its home North American market, Lyft has been seeking new avenues to grow its business. The acquisition of FreeNow will nearly double its potential market and open doors to major European cities such as London, Frankfurt, Paris and Milan, where the German firm offers services ranging from traditional taxi to e-scooter rentals and car-sharing options.