Beryl

What Beryl does

Beryl is the UK's largest shared micromobility operator, providing public bike, e-bike, e-scooter, and cargo bike hire schemes across 18+ UK towns and cities. Founded in 2012 by Emily Brooke and Phil Ellis (originally as Blaze), the company runs the schemes under contract to local councils and combined authorities, while end users access the service through a proprietary mobile app offering self-service unlock, GPS-based bay navigation, and per-minute or subscription pricing. Named public-sector customers include Transport for Greater Manchester (Bee Network), West Midlands Combined Authority, BCP Council, Norfolk County Council (Norwich), Plymouth City Council, Leeds City Council, Canterbury City Council, and Isle of Wight Council, alongside rail and employer partnerships with LNER, Cyclescheme, and CycleSaver.

Beryl's platform is built on in-house designed and manufactured vehicles and technology. The company opened a Poole, Dorset factory in 2023 to assemble and service its own bikes and e-scooters, with £2M growth funding from Frontier Development Capital supporting the vertical-integration play. Its original product, the Laserlight, projects a laser image of a bicycle onto the road ahead and is credited with a 32% improvement in driver visibility; the technology is now licensed into bike hire fleets in London, New York, and Montreal. The platform incorporates GPS tracking, geofencing for operational and speed-control zones (including 3mph "Go Slow" pedestrian zones), end-to-end asset lifecycle management, and was the first UK scheme to offer bikes, e-bikes, and e-scooters under a single app.

The revenue model is a hybrid of consumer pay-per-use (unlock fees of £1-£1.50 plus 8p-22p per minute depending on vehicle and city), minute bundles, day passes, the £30/30-day Flexi Pass subscription, annual Cyclescheme employer hires, and managed-service contracts with government bodies. Beryl is B-Corp certified, ISO 14001 certified, and has Science Based Targets initiative-validated climate targets. Total funding raised since 2012 is approximately £23.3M.

Name

Beryl

Legal name

SMIDSY Limited

Website

https://beryl.cc

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Beryl is the UK's largest shared micromobility operator, running bike, e-bike, and e-scooter hire schemes across 18+ towns and cities in partnership with local councils and transport authorities, using an in-house designed and manufactured vehicle fleet managed through a proprietary mobile app.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Shared Micromobility Services

NAICS

Motorcycle, Bicycle, and Parts Manufacturing (336991)

SIC

Motorcycles, Bicycles & Parts (3751)

akta.pro primary industry

E-scooters & E-mopeds Manufacturing (IMACAOAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

E-bikes & E-cargo Bikes Manufacturing (IMACAOAA), Micromobility Electrical/Electronic Components Manufacturing (Wiring/Displays/Telematics/IoT) (IMACAOAI), Safety, Lighting & Security Hardware Manufacturing (Helmets/Lights/Locks) (IMACAOAJ)

Keywords

• Shared micromobility services
• Bike share schemes
• E-scooter rentals
• Urban transport solutions
• Micromobility fleet operations

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Usage-based Riding Fees: Users pay per-minute fees for bike and e-scooter usage, with unlock fees ranging from £1-£1.50 depending on vehicle type and location. E-bikes command higher per-minute rates (17p-20p) than pedal bikes (8p-10p), with e-scooters at 10p-22p per minute.
2. Minute Bundles and Riding Passes: Pre-purchased minute bundles and period passes including Pay As You Ride, Minute Bundles (50-400 mins), Day Passes, and Flexi Passes (30-day validity with 30-min journey limits). Bundles offer free unlock fees and enhanced value for frequent riders.
3. Government Contracts and Partnerships: Revenue from operating bike share schemes on behalf of local councils and transport authorities, including Transport for Greater Manchester (Bee Network), West Midlands Combined Authority, and various UK local authorities.
4. Manufacturing Operations: Design and manufacture of proprietary micromobility vehicles for their own fleet and potentially for other operators.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Beryl designs, manufactures and operates shared micromobility schemes — bikes, e-bikes, e-scooters and cargo bikes — deployed across UK towns and cities on behalf of local councils and transport authorities. Users locate, unlock and pay for vehicles through the Beryl mobile app, while Beryl owns the fleet, technology platform and in-house hardware including the proprietary Laserlight safety light. The company also operates a manufacturing facility in Poole that assembles its vehicles and core technology.

Product overview

Beryl operates a unified micromobility platform offering multiple vehicle types for shared hire across UK towns and cities. The core product portfolio consists of Beryl Bikes (standard pedal bikes), Beryl e-Bikes (electrically-assisted bikes), Beryl e-Scooters (for government trial areas), and Beryl Cargo Bikes (for goods transport). All vehicles are managed through the Beryl Mobile App, which provides location finding, unlocking, and payment functionality. The company designs and manufactures its own bikes and e-scooters in-house at its Poole factory, including the original Laserlight safety technology. The platform operates across 18+ public schemes in partnership with UK local councils, with regional branded offerings including BTN BikeShare (Brighton), Starling Bank Bikes (Greater Manchester), and Leeds City Bikes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Beryl Bikes (pedal bike share) Shared pedal bike hire service deployed across UK towns and cities, accessed via the Beryl mobile app with built-in locks, lights and GPS tracking. Available in schemes including BCP, Belfast, Hereford, Brighton, Norwich and Watford.
• Beryl e-Bikes (electrically-assisted bike share) Shared electrically-assisted bike hire providing extra power for hills and longer journeys. Deployed across the majority of Beryl's 18+ UK schemes including Canterbury, Plymouth, Norwich, Greater Manchester and West Midlands.
• Beryl e-Scooters Shared electric scooter hire operating under UK Department for Transport trials with DfT vehicle approval, GPS tracking, geofencing and shock absorbers. Available in BCP, Norwich and other approved trial areas.
• Beryl Cargo Bikes Larger bikes designed for transporting goods, used in logistics partnerships for parcel deliveries.
• Beryl Mobile App Unified iOS and Android application used to locate, unlock and pay for Beryl bikes, e-bikes, e-scooters and cargo bikes across all UK schemes; the first UK platform to offer multi-modal micromobility hire under a single app.
• Laserlight bike safety light Proprietary front bike light that projects a green laser image of a bicycle onto the road ahead, proven to increase driver visibility of cyclists by 32%. Integrated into Beryl vehicles and licensed to other bike share operators.
• Canterbury Public E-Bike Scheme Council-contracted e-bike share scheme operated by Beryl in Canterbury, deploying 100 Segway B200 e-bikes across 20+ geofenced stations with tiered pricing.
• Bee Network Cycle Hire (Greater Manchester) Large-scale cycle hire scheme operated by Beryl on behalf of Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), with 900 bikes and 230 e-bikes across 230 Beryl bays.
• West Midlands Cycle Hire Cycle hire scheme operated by Beryl on behalf of Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) under the West Midlands Combined Authority, with 1,140 bikes, 195 e-bikes and a 2023 e-scooter scheme launch.
• Leeds E-Scooters Shared e-scooter service in Leeds launched in 2026 through a partnership with LNER and Leeds City Council, extending the existing Leeds City Bikes e-bike scheme.
• Cornwall E-Scooters Shared e-scooter service launched in Cornwall (Newquay and Falmouth) in 2026, extending the existing Cornwall e-bike scheme.
• Cyclescheme / CycleSaver / Cycle Solutions employer bike hire 12-month hire of Beryl pedal bikes or e-bikes through UK employer salary-sacrifice schemes including Cyclescheme, CycleSaver and Cycle Solutions, offering free daily unlock and free ride allowances.

Quantifiable outcome

• 275+ tonnes of CO2 removed across BCP scheme
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LNER (Rail Partnership)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRail partnership with LNER bringing Beryl bikes to Leeds and Bradford railway stations, enabling multi-modal transport connections. Partnership supports sustainable travel to and from rail services.
• Transport for Greater ManchestercoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTfGM partnership for Bee Network Cycle Hire scheme, with Beryl operating the service on behalf of the transport authority. Beryl is data processor with TfGM as data controller.
• West Midlands Combined AuthoritycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartnership for West Midlands Cycle Hire scheme, operated by Beryl on behalf of Transport for West Midlands (TfWM). Joint data control arrangement between Beryl and WMCA.
• Enterprise Car ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Enterprise Car Club providing integrated sustainable transport options, combining car club and bike share services.
• National GridminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with National Grid to champion sustainability, supporting Norwich scheme expansion and sustainable transport initiatives.
• Tokyo BikeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership to distribute Beryl's bike lights through Tokyo Bike's retail store, expanding distribution of Beryl safety products.
• CycleschememinorGTM or Marketing PartnerEmployer bike scheme partnership allowing employees to access Beryl pedal bikes or e-bikes for 12 months through salary sacrifice arrangements.
• CycleSaver/Cycle SolutionsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEmployer bike scheme partnerships providing 12-month access to Beryl bikes through CycleSaver and Cycle Solutions programmes.
• Norwich City FCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFootball club partnership for Green Football Weekend and sustainability campaigns, promoting active travel to matches and community engagement.
• Canterbury City CouncilcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLong-term partnership agreement with optional extension for public e-bike scheme deploying 100 Segway B200 e-bikes across 20+ geofenced stations.
• University of WorcesterminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerUniversity bike share scheme launch providing students and staff with sustainable campus transport options.
• Isle of Wight CouncilcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerE-scooter and bike share scheme operating since November 2020 as part of Department for Transport trials, extended until 2028.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Voi Technology: Voi is a European micromobility operator offering e-scooter and e-bike sharing across 100+ cities, including the UK. Direct competitor that took over Beryl's Isle of Wight contract in 2024, operating e-scooter trials in the same regulatory framework as Beryl.
• Lime: Lime is one of the largest global shared micromobility operators, offering e-bikes and e-scooters across multiple continents. While primarily focused on North America and Europe, its scale and operational maturity make it a benchmark direct peer for shared-fleet economics.
• TIER Mobility: TIER operates shared e-scooter and e-bike schemes across European cities and was acquired by Dott. It competes with Beryl for European municipal contracts and operates DfT-aligned e-scooter schemes in the UK.
• Dott: Dott is a European shared micromobility operator running e-bike and e-scooter schemes in cities including London and Paris. Following its merger with TIER, it is one of the larger multi-modal shared-fleet operators competing for UK and European council contracts.
• Forest: Forest is a UK-based shared e-bike operator primarily focused on London, where it holds a significant share of the city's docked e-bike scheme. It is a direct UK competitor to Beryl's bike and e-bike offerings.
• Nextbike: Nextbike (acquired by TIER) operates bike share schemes across Germany and other European countries with municipal contracts. It is comparable to Beryl in its council-led operating model and multi-modal fleet approach.
• Bolt: Bolt operates shared e-scooters and e-bikes in multiple European cities and competes for shared micromobility riders and contracts in markets adjacent to Beryl's UK footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Uber (JUMP successor): Uber operates Lime-branded micromobility services and offers broader multi-modal transport. It is an incumbent platform that can bundle micromobility with ride-hailing, creating a strategic threat to standalone operators like Beryl.

Regional players

• Brompton Bicycle: Brompton is a UK-based folding-bike manufacturer and operator of Brompton Bike Hire schemes at UK railway stations. It overlaps with Beryl in the UK active-travel and rail-partnership space, with comparable cycling DNA.

Others

• BTN BikeShare: BTN BikeShare is the Brighton & Hove bike-share brand operated by Beryl itself. Listed for context: adjacent UK bike-share scheme operators (e.g., historically Santander Cycles via Serco/TfL) operate comparable urban rental schemes and represent alternative council procurement options.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/weareberyl

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds9 records

Investors7 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Beryl