Donkey Republic

What Donkey Republic does

Donkey Republic operates a digital bike-sharing platform across more than 60 European cities, listed on Nasdaq First North Growth Market Denmark under the ticker DONKEY and headquartered in Copenhagen. The platform, accessible via iOS and Android applications, enables users to locate, unlock, and rent mechanical bicycles, e-bikes (including the Gen4 model deployed in Q3 2025), cargo bikes, and e-cargo bikes through wireless combination locks and GPS/Galileo-based location tracking. The company serves three primary customer segments: individual consumers (urban residents, tourists, and students) using pay-per-use ("Just Ride"), prepaid packages, or monthly/annual memberships; corporate clients via Company Memberships that bundle employee commuter access; and municipal governments through multi-year tender contracts under which Donkey Republic operates large-scale public bike-sharing systems on behalf of cities (notably Düsseldorf and the Ruhr region in Germany).

The company monetizes across six revenue streams: usage-based rental fees, recurring subscriptions (consumer and corporate), managed-services contracts with cities (DKK 90-150M over 5-year terms), green advertising on bike side panels, prepaid rental periods, and optional theft insurance add-ons. Distribution is hybrid: a self-serve mobile-app-led consumer motion in 60+ cities paired with an enterprise/B2B field-sales motion for municipal tenders and corporate memberships. Marketing relies on app store presence (4.5/5 ratings), content marketing, organic social channels, student discount programs, and ESG reports co-developed with the University of Dresden.

Donkey Republic was founded in 2014 by Erdem Ovacik, building on an informal bike-sharing concept from 2012. The company IPO'd on Nasdaq First North Growth Market Denmark in May 2021 and as of early 2026 employs 101-250 people. Its stated strategy ("Ride and Do Well," launched October 2025) targets break-even EBT in 2026 and a transition to the Nasdaq Copenhagen Main Market during 2026, supported by a DKK 75M over-subscribed private placement in February 2026.

Name

Donkey Republic

Legal name

DonkeyRepublic Admin ApS

Website

https://donkey.bike

Company type

Public

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Donkey Republic is a Copenhagen-based digital bike-sharing platform operating across 60+ European cities via a mobile app. The Nasdaq First North-listed company (ticker: DONKEY) rents mechanical bikes, e-bikes, and cargo bikes to consumers, corporate clients, and municipal governments through pay-per-use, subscriptions, and multi-year tender contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bike-Sharing Micro-Mobility Services

NAICS

Recreational Goods Rental (532284), Automotive Equipment Rental and Leasing (5321)

SIC

Services-Auto Rental & Leasing (No Drivers) (7510)

akta.pro primary industry

Dockless Bike Rentals (THADAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bike Rental, Demo & Tour Operators (Retail-Adjacent) (CRAMAHAJ), Cargo Bikes & E-Cargo Bikes Rental/Leasing (TLABAGAB)

Keywords

• Bike-sharing services
• Micro-mobility rentals
• E-bike sharing
• Municipal bike-sharing
• Scooter-free cycling

Headquarters

HQ city

Copenhagen

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Bike Rental (Just Ride): Usage-based rental fees charged per minute/hour of bike usage. Prices vary by city and displayed in local currency in the app. Deposit up to EUR 25 may be reserved.
2. Membership Subscriptions: Monthly or annual subscription packages offering discounted or free rental hours. Auto-renewal unless cancelled. Students get up to 25% discount.
3. Company Memberships: B2B employee benefit schemes where companies provide bike access for commuting and business travel
4. City/Tender Contracts: Long-term contracts with municipalities to operate bike-sharing systems, generating DKK 90-150M over contract periods (e.g., Düsseldorf 5-year, Ruhr 5-year)
5. Advertising on Bikes: Green advertising on bike side panels allowing brands to reach millions of eyes daily in cities
6. Prepaid Rental Periods: Prepaid offers granting fixed-price access to bikes for specific rental periods within validity periods

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Donkey Republic operates a digital bike-sharing platform accessible via iOS and Android apps that lets users locate, unlock, ride, and lock mechanical bicycles, e-bikes, cargo bikes, and e-cargo bikes across 60+ European cities on a pay-per-minute, prepaid, or subscription basis. Beyond consumer rentals, the company sells Company Memberships to employers as a sustainable commuter benefit and operates large-scale municipal bike-sharing systems under multi-year tender contracts.

Product overview

Donkey Republic is a European micro-mobility company operating a digital bike-sharing platform available via iOS and Android apps. The core offering is the Donkey Republic Platform & App, which enables users to rent mechanical bikes, e-bikes, cargo bikes, and e-cargo bikes across 60+ cities in Europe. Within the platform, users can choose between the flexible Just Ride pay-per-minute rental or prepaid rental packages with fixed pricing. The company also offers membership subscriptions (monthly and annual) providing discounted rates, Company Memberships for employer-provided commuter benefits, and Green Advertising for brands seeking exposure on the bike fleet. The Gen4 e-bike, rolled out in 2025, represents the latest fleet technology. A supplemental Theft Insurance add-on allows riders to reduce their financial liability for lost or stolen vehicles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Donkey Republic Platform & App Digital bike-sharing platform accessible via iOS and Android apps that lets users locate, unlock, ride, and lock mechanical bicycles, e-bikes, cargo bikes, and e-cargo bikes 24/7 across 60+ European cities, using GPS/Galileo tracking and a wireless lock system.
• Just Ride Flexible pay-per-minute or pay-per-hour rental option where users pay only for the duration of use, with rates displayed in the app during the rental and no predetermined time limit.
• Prepaid Rental Offers Prepaid packages that grant access to one or more available vehicles at a fixed price for a specific rental period within a defined validity window.
• E-Bikes Electric bicycles available for rental via the Donkey Republic app, including the Gen4 e-bike rolled out in 2025 as the latest fleet model.
• Memberships Monthly or annual subscription packages offering discounted or free rental hours and reduced per-minute rates compared to Just Ride pricing, with cross-city portability and auto-renewal.
• Company Memberships Corporate bike-sharing memberships that enable employers to provide employees with sustainable commuting and business-travel options, reducing corporate carbon footprint.
• Green Advertising Advertising product that places brand messages on Donkey Republic bike side panels, reaching millions of daily commuter impressions across European cities.
• Theft Insurance Optional insurance add-on that reduces rider liability in the event of theft or loss, capping赔付 amounts at EUR 50 for mechanical bikes, EUR 100 for e-bikes and cargo bikes, and EUR 200 for e-cargo bikes.
• City/Tender Bike-Sharing Operations Managed public bike-sharing services operated by Donkey Republic under multi-year municipal tenders, including fleet deployment, operations, and maintenance for cities such as Düsseldorf and the Ruhr region.

Quantifiable outcome

• 528 tons of CO2 saved (2024 ESG Report)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• University of DresdencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Collaborated with University of Dresden in 2020 to develop methodology for calculating sustainability impact of bike sharing. Ongoing rider surveys to understand transportation mode replacement.
• Cycling Industries Europe (CIE)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of CIE aligning business and commercial actors in mission to change mobility. Co-founder Erdem Ovacik serves on CIE board working towards EU's 2050 climate neutrality goal.
• Silver Star Lamu Donkey CareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharitable partnership supporting working donkey welfare in Lamu, Kenya. Donkey Republic's Zabibu bike in Copenhagen donates ride proceeds to protect working donkeys.
• Flytz MobilityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on micro-mobility experiment in the Netherlands exploring mobility-as-a-service integration with public transport.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bolt (micromobility): Estonian mobility super-app offering shared e-scooters and e-bikes across 50+ European cities; overlaps with Donkey Republic in dockless bike rentals, app-based consumer GTM, and pursuit of city micromobility contracts.
• Voi Technology: European e-scooter and e-bike sharing operator active across Northern and Central Europe; directly comparable business model (app-based dockless rentals + city tenders), geographic overlap (Germany, Nordics) and target customer (urban commuters).
• Lime: Global dockless micromobility operator offering e-bikes and e-scooters across European and U.S. cities; competes head-to-head with Donkey Republic in consumer app-based bike rentals and increasingly in city-tender RFPs.
• Tier Mobility: European micromobility leader operating shared e-scooters and e-bikes across 100+ cities; overlaps with Donkey Republic in consumer dockless rentals, city tender wins (e.g., German cities), and capital-intensive fleet operations.
• nextbike (Tier 1): One of Europe's largest bike-sharing operators with both station-based and flexible (dockless) systems in 300+ cities, directly comparable to Donkey Republic in business model (B2C rentals + city tenders), geography (Germany, Central Europe) and customer base (municipal contracts + consumer riders).

Broad incumbents

• Uber: Global mobility super-app that has operated and exited various micromobility products (Jump, Lime partnership); overlaps thematically with Donkey Republic as a broader mobility-as-a-service provider and potential integration partner for last-mile connectivity.

Emerging players

• Swapfiets: European subscription-based bike service (monthly fee for a bike including maintenance); partial overlap with Donkey Republic's membership/Company Membership model and target segment (urban commuters), although Swapfiets is subscription-only with no per-ride rentals.
• Beryl (formerly YoBike): UK-based bike-sharing operator running municipal bike-share schemes with smart-lock technology; comparable to Donkey Republic in dockless smart-lock architecture and municipal-contract business model, though primarily UK-focused.

Others

• Cycling Industries Europe (CIE): European cycling industry association in which Donkey Republic's co-founder holds a board seat; thematically adjacent — not a direct competitor — but an industry-shaping partner that affects the regulatory and procurement environment for Donkey Republic's tenders.

Regional players

• Call a Bike (Deutsche Bahn): Deutsche Bahn's German bike-sharing brand with both station-based and flexible bike rentals across many German cities; directly competes with Donkey Republic for the same German city tenders (e.g., Düsseldorf, Ruhr).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/donkeyrepublicbikeshare
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/donkeyrepublik
• Instagraminstagram.com/donkey_republic
• Xx.com/donkey_republic

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds15 records

Investors14 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 Donkey Republic