Free Now, formerly mytaxi, is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany.
The service traces its origins to mytaxi, founded in 2009 by German entrepreneurs Niclaus Mewes and Sven Külper. Its legal entity, Intelligent Apps GmbH, was also established in Hamburg, linking the company closely to Germany’s startup and mobility sectors.
Daimler acquired Intelligent Apps in 2014, then combined mytaxi with other mobility businesses, including Hailo and Taxibeat. In 2019, Daimler and BMW placed their mobility ventures under the Your Now joint venture, and mytaxi was renamed Free Now on July 1 that year.
A common mix-up is confusing the company’s headquarters with the cities where it operates. Free Now serves many European markets, but its corporate home is Hamburg—not Berlin, Munich, or Frankfurt. In 2025, Lyft completed its acquisition of Free Now, giving the Hamburg-based platform a new parent company.