FirstGroup plc
Company
Key facts about this entity
Entity type: Company
Schema.org type: Corporation
Country: United Kingdom
Headquarters: Aberdeen, United Kingdom
Founded: 1995
Sector: Public transport - UK-listed operator of bus and rail services in the United Kingdom, historically with North American operations including Greyhound Lines
Notable DACH relationship: Flix (sold Greyhound Lines to Flix in October 2021 for a headline consideration widely reported at approx. USD 78M, structured as approx. USD 46M cash and approx. USD 32M deferred consideration)
Official website: https://www.firstgroupplc.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/firstgroup
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FirstGroup
Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2288203
Entity Profile
Overview
FirstGroup plc is a United Kingdom public-transport company headquartered in Aberdeen, Scotland, and listed on the London Stock Exchange, founded in 1995 through the merger of Badgerline Group and GRT Bus Group, that operates bus and rail services in the United Kingdom and, until October 2021, owned the US intercity coach operator Greyhound Lines.
What it is
FirstGroup plc was formed in 1995 through the merger of Badgerline Group and GRT Bus Group and is headquartered in Aberdeen, Scotland, with a London Stock Exchange listing. It operates bus and rail services in the United Kingdom under a portfolio of divisional brands including First Bus and rail franchise operators. Until October 2021 the group also owned Greyhound Lines, the US intercity coach operator, which was sold to Flix as part of FirstGroup's divestment of its North American passenger operations.
DACH relevance and Startuprad.io coverage
FirstGroup plc is a recurring counterparty in Startuprad.io's Unicorn Atlas cluster around Flix as the previous owner of Greyhound Lines. In October 2021 FirstGroup completed the sale of Greyhound Lines to Flix for a headline consideration widely reported at approximately 78 million US dollars, structured as approximately 46 million US dollars in cash at completion and approximately 32 million US dollars in deferred consideration - the transaction that added the US intercity coach brand to the Flix umbrella.
Public source context
Public information on FirstGroup plc used for this record is drawn from its official https://www.firstgroupplc.com , its https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FirstGroup and https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2288203 , and public reporting on the October 2021 sale of Greyhound Lines to Flix for a headline consideration widely reported at approx. USD 78M.
Startuprad.io coverage of FirstGroup plc
FirstGroup plc appears in the following Startuprad.io interviews, news and analysis.
DACH Startup News October 2021: Founders, Funding and Ecosystem Updates
Published: 27 October 2021
Last updated: 14 August 2026
Coverage type: News
https://www.startuprad.io/post/this-month-in-german-startups-october-2021
Germany Switzerland Austria (GSA) Unicorn Tracker — October 2021
Published: 27 October 2021
Last updated: 29 August 2026
Coverage type: Analysis
https://www.startuprad.io/post/germany-switzerland-austria-gsa-unicorn-tracker-october-2021
DACH Startup News October 2021: Founders, Funding and Ecosystem Updates
Published: 27 October 2021
Last updated: 14 August 2026
Coverage type: News
https://www.startuprad.io/post/this-month-in-german-startups-october-2021-1
GSA Unicorn Tracker — October 2021
Published: 26 October 2021
Last updated: 29 August 2026
Coverage type: Analysis
https://www.startuprad.io/post/gsa-unicorn-tracker-october-2021
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Canonical record: https://www.startuprad.io/entities/firstgroup