Swapfiets
| Type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Bicycle rental |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Founders | Martijn Obers Dirk de Bruijn Richard Burger |
| Headquarters | , Netherlands |
| Key people | Marc de Vries (CEO) |
| Products | Bicycles, electric bicycles |
| Services | Bicycle subscriptions |
| Revenue |  €97.1 million (2025) |
 €7.0 million (2025) | |
| Parent | Pon Holdings |
| Website | swapfiets |
Swapfiets is a Dutch bicycle-subscription company headquartered in Amsterdam.[1] Founded in Delft in 2014, it provides conventional bicycles and electric bicycles for a recurring monthly fee.[2]
The company expanded from the Netherlands into other European markets.[2] By 2025, Swapfiets had expanded to 45 cities across eight countries.[3]
In 2026, Swapfiets acquired the German e-bike subscription company Dance. The combined customer base was around 290,000.[4]
History
[edit]Swapfiets was founded in 2014 by Delft University of Technology students Martijn Obers, Dirk de Bruijn and Richard Burger.[5] At first, Swapfiets rented bicycles mainly to students. The subscription covered repairs and replacement of the bicycle when needed.[5][6] Steven Uitentuis joined Swapfiets at an early stage and later worked on the company's expansion.[6]
Swapfiets first grew into other Dutch university cities and then moved into Belgium, Germany and Denmark. It was active in all four countries by 2020.[2][6]
Ponooc had acquired a majority stake in Swapfiets by 2019.[7] The company later became part of Pon Holdings.[4]
In 2021, Swapfiets had more than 220,000 bicycles in 64 cities.[8]
Swapfiets bought Dance in May 2026. The e-bike subscription company operated in Paris, Berlin and Hamburg and kept the Dance name after the takeover.[4]
Business model and operations
[edit]
Swapfiets differs from short-term bike-sharing services by assigning bicycles to individual subscribers for longer periods.[9] The monthly fee includes use of the bicycle, maintenance and repairs. Bicycles that cannot be repaired quickly are replaced.[8][10]
As of 2025, Swapfiets operates in the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, France, the United Kingdom, Spain and Austria.[3][10]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ "General Terms and Conditions". Swapfiets. July 2024. Retrieved 1 October 2026.
- 1 2 3 Brignall, Miles (13 June 2020). "'The Netflix of bikes': will a bicycle rental scheme catch on?". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 October 2026.
- 1 2 Pit, Henrico (19 August 2025). "Swapfiets dringt verlies iets terug, omzet stijgt". RetailTrends (in Dutch). Retrieved 1 October 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Swapfiets neemt Duitse e-bikeverhuurder Dance over". RetailTrends (in Dutch). 19 May 2026. Retrieved 1 October 2026.
- 1 2 "Student start-up nominated for Accenture Innovation Award". Delta. Delft University of Technology. 1 September 2015. Retrieved 1 October 2026.
- 1 2 3 Luimstra, Jelmer (22 May 2018). "Hoe Swapfiets Nederland massaal aan de huurfietsen helpt". MT/Sprout (in Dutch). Retrieved 1 October 2026.
- ↑ Luimstra, Jelmer (14 May 2019). "Ponooc heeft meerderheidsbelang Swapfiets, maar fietsbedrijf blijft 'onafhankelijk opereren'". MT/Sprout (in Dutch). Retrieved 1 October 2026.
- 1 2 Wood, Zoe (3 July 2021). "Cycle rental: get on your bike to beat the shops' stock shortages". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 October 2026.
- ↑ "Coronavirus: Bicycles are pushing aside cars on Europe's city streets". The Straits Times. Bloomberg. 4 July 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2026.
- 1 2 "Sustainability Report 2024". Swapfiets. 22 May 2025. Retrieved 1 October 2026.