What UmbraCity does

UmbraCity Innovations Inc. operates a managed umbrella-sharing service built around automated, IoT-enabled rental kiosks installed at the entrances of hotels, office towers, residential buildings, convention centers, and retail locations. The system allows users to tap a credit card or employee access badge to borrow a branded umbrella, with no app, PIN, or staff involvement required for partner-property transactions; a mobile app (iOS and Android) provides account management, PIN retrieval, and kiosk location lookup. Two kiosk form factors — a Standard Full-Size (17" × 39" × 52") and a Mini (50" × 17" × 26") — are deployed as turnkey hardware, with the company handling installation, remote monitoring, restocking, and replacement. The underlying technology stack is connected hardware plus a back-end account/usage system, with a real-time monitoring layer that reports 94% umbrella return and recirculation across the network.

Revenue is generated through three streams. The primary B2B stream is a fully managed annual subscription to hotels and workplaces priced at $190/month, which includes branded kiosks, unlimited umbrella supply, installation, monitoring, and maintenance. A consumer B2C stream offers pay-as-you-go rentals at $1 for 24 hours, with daily late fees of $3 up to a $30 maximum. A third stream monetizes the network through a Lead Brand Partnership / Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) advertising program covering interactive digital screens at kiosks, custom branded umbrellas in circulation, and programmatic advertising impressions. Customer segments span hospitality (Sandman, Residence Inn by Marriott, Blue Horizon Hotel), commercial and residential real estate (Oxford Properties, Westbank, Bosa), education (UBC), clubs (Terminal City Club), and retail (Waves Coffee), with the operating footprint concentrated in Vancouver, Canada. The company was founded by Amir Entezari and Babak Assadsangabi in 2014, launched at UBC in September 2015, and pivoted from a free consumer service to a B2B subscription model during its 2018–2020 downtown Vancouver expansion to 23 locations and 6,000 umbrellas. Total disclosed funding is approximately $1.05M across five small rounds between 2015 and 2020, and the company remains privately held and founder-controlled with 1–10 employees.

Name

UmbraCity

Legal name

UmbraCity Innovations Inc.

Website

https://umbracity.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

UmbraCity is a Vancouver-based umbrella-sharing service that installs managed, branded IoT kiosks at hotels, offices, and residential buildings on a $190/month subscription, and offers a citywide pay-per-use rental network for individual consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Shared Mobility Amenities

NAICS

General Rental Centers (5323), Consumer Goods Rental (5322)

SIC

Services-Equipment Rental & Leasing, Nec (7359)

akta.pro primary industry

Outdoor Event Equipment Rentals (Umbrellas, Patio Heaters, Fire Pits) (HSACAFAL)

Keywords

• Umbrella sharing service
• Automated kiosk amenity
• Hotel guest amenities
• Workplace perks
• Branded umbrella rental

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Property Subscription (Hotels & Workplaces): Annual subscription model where hotels, office towers, and campuses pay a monthly fee for fully managed umbrella kiosks. The subscription includes kiosk hardware, unlimited branded umbrellas, installation, monitoring, restocking, maintenance, and support. Properties pay zero operational effort.
2. Consumer Pay-As-You-Go Rentals: Individual consumers pay $1 for a 24-hour umbrella rental. Beyond 24 hours, $3 per day up to a $30 maximum. Free registration for users. Additional fees may apply for lost umbrellas (daily late fees until umbrella is found or maximum charged).
3. Advertising & Brand Partnerships: Sponsorship and advertising revenue through Lead Brand Partnership programs including DOOH (Digital Out-of-Home) advertising on interactive digital screens at kiosk locations, custom branded umbrellas in circulation, and citywide impressions through programmatic ad platforms.
4. Partner/Subsidized Memberships: Corporate, residential, or educational partners can offer fully or partially subsidized annual UmbraCity memberships to employees, tenants, or students as an employee/tenant amenity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

UmbraCity installs and manages branded automated umbrella-sharing kiosks at hotel and workplace properties under annual subscriptions starting at $190/month. Each kiosk enables guests or employees to tap a credit card or access badge to borrow a property-branded umbrella with no app, no PIN, and no staff involvement required. The company handles hardware, installation, branding, restocking, and remote monitoring end-to-end, and also operates a public citywide network for individual consumers via $1/24-hour rentals.

Product overview

UmbraCity is a fully managed umbrella-sharing subscription service offering a portfolio of products centered around automated kiosk hardware and branded umbrella amenities. The core product is the UmbraCity Kiosk System—available in Standard Full-Size (17" × 39" × 52") and Mini (50" × 17" × 26") variants—which is deployed at hotels and workplaces as turnkey subscription services (Hotel Umbrella Amenity and Workplace Umbrella Amenity, both starting at $190/month). The Public Network provides citywide access for casual commuters via Pay As You Go pricing ($1/24hr). Supporting products include a Mobile App for account management and kiosk location, an Umbrella Recycling Program for sustainability, and a DOOH Advertising & Brand Partnerships service for sponsors. Everything is managed end-to-end by UmbraCity with no hardware purchase, no construction, and no app required for end users.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Standard Full-Size UmbraCity Kiosk Full-size automated umbrella kiosk measuring 17" × 39" × 52", designed for large lobbies and main building entrances with plug-and-play setup requiring no construction or wiring.
• Mini UmbraCity Kiosk Compact automated umbrella kiosk measuring 50" × 17" × 26", designed for elevator lobbies, reception desks, and smaller entrances where space is limited.
• Workplace Umbrella Amenity Subscription Managed umbrella-sharing subscription for workplaces and campuses that installs branded kiosks at entrances, allowing employees to tap a card or access badge to borrow umbrellas. Includes custom-branded canopies, unlimited supply, restocking, replacements, and remote monitoring, starting at $190/month billed annually.
• Hotel Umbrella Amenity Subscription Managed umbrella-sharing subscription for hotels that installs self-serve branded kiosks in lobbies so guests can tap a card or room key to borrow an umbrella. Includes unlimited supply, fully branded umbrellas matched to hotel colors, and real-time dashboard access, starting at $190/month billed annually.
• Public Network (Citywide Pay-As-You-Go Access) Citywide umbrella-sharing network that lets users borrow at any kiosk and return at any kiosk throughout Vancouver, available via Pay-As-You-Go at $1 for a 24-hour rental or via Partner/Annual accounts.
• UmbraCity Mobile App (iOS and Android) Native mobile application for iOS and Android that allows users to retrieve PIN codes, update account information, locate nearby kiosks, and manage their umbrella-sharing account.
• DOOH Advertising & Lead Brand Partnerships Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) advertising and Lead Brand Partnership offering that delivers impressions at property entrances through interactive digital screens, custom branded umbrellas in circulation, and citywide programmatic advertising impressions.
• Umbrella Recycling & Upcycling Program Recycling and upcycling program that keeps umbrellas in circulation across the network and, at end of lifecycle, disassembles and recycles materials while upcycling parts with non-profit social enterprise partners such as Common Thread to create employment for people facing barriers to work.

Quantifiable outcome

• 94% umbrella return rate through sustainability program
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 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

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Oxford PropertiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Oxford Properties, a major property management company, partnered with UmbraCity to offer umbrella sharing as a tenant amenity in their buildings. Properties include office towers and residential buildings where tenants can borrow umbrellas from UmbraCity kiosks. Quote: 'Our tenants absolutely love this amenity. You are never without an umbrella when you have an UmbraCity kiosk in your lobby — it's helped us raise the bar on service.'
• Westbank Properties CorpcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Westbank Properties, a Vancouver-based real estate developer, partnered with UmbraCity to offer umbrella sharing as an amenity at their properties, contributing to making the city more walkable and vibrant.
• Bosa PropertiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Bosa Properties, a real estate company, partnered with UmbraCity for umbrella sharing services at their residential and commercial properties in Vancouver.
• Terminal City ClubminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Terminal City Club, a private members club in Vancouver, partnered with UmbraCity to offer umbrella sharing as an amenity for club members.
• Waves Coffee HouseminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Waves Coffee House, a Vancouver coffee shop chain, partnered with UmbraCity as a kiosk host location, enabling customers and nearby commuters to borrow and return umbrellas.
• Rancho Property ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Rancho Property Services partnered with UmbraCity to offer umbrella sharing as part of their property service offerings.
• Blue Horizon HotelcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Blue Horizon Hotel in Vancouver uses UmbraCity as a guest amenity. Quote from Front Office Manager: 'Our guests love UmbraCity, it is convenient and easy to use.'
• Vancouver Convention CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018UmbraCity installed trial umbrella rental kiosks at the Vancouver Convention Centre in March 2018, targeting office buildings, event venues, hotels, and tourist locations in the Coal Harbour area. Kiosks were placed at Burrard and Thurlow entrances of the West building and the entrance of the East building. Rental fee was $3 for 24 hours.
• AMS (Alma Mater Society) - UBCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015UmbraCity's first partner was the UBC Alma Mater Society, launching in September 2015 at the University of British Columbia. Four initial locations: AMS Student Nest, Buchanan Building A, Fred Kaiser Building, and Forest Sciences Centre. The pilot provided free umbrella borrowing for 48 hours for registered students, staff, faculty, residents, and visitors.
• Common ThreadcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommon Thread is a non-profit social enterprise partner that upcycles UmbraCity umbrella materials (fiberglass, aluminum, fabric) into reusable products like bike seat covers and tote bags. Common Thread creates jobs for people with barriers to employment, aligning with UmbraCity's corporate social responsibility values.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Grover: Berlin-based consumer-tech and appliance subscription-rental platform. Comparable because both operate subscription-based asset-sharing models that free users from ownership and monetize via recurring fees rather than one-time sale.
• Fat Llama: Peer-to-peer rental marketplace for gear and equipment. Comparable as a sharing-economy rental network where supply density across a city is the core unit of value, mirroring UmbraCity's network-effect logic.
• Hygglo: Nordic peer-to-peer rental marketplace for consumer goods and hobby items. Similar in being a network-driven sharing model monetizing short-term access to physical assets rather than ownership.
• Turo: Peer-to-peer car-sharing marketplace. Comparable as a high-profile sharing-economy platform whose value scales with host density and citywide network coverage, the same dynamic that drives UmbraCity's B2B + B2C thesis.
• Bounce: Short-term luggage-storage and item-drop marketplace with branded partner locations. Comparable as a sharing-economy business that monetizes citywide network density via pay-per-use access to physical assets at partner venues, similar to UmbraCity's kiosk host model.
• LuggageHero: On-demand luggage-storage marketplace using partner shops and hotels as drop points. Comparable because it combines B2B partner-network hosting with consumer pay-per-use access at branded partner locations — the same dual-sided model UmbraCity runs with hotels and workplaces.

Others

• Vistar Media: Programmatic digital out-of-home advertising platform. Not a direct competitor but relevant to UmbraCity's DOOH / Lead Brand Partnership revenue stream built on the digital screens in its kiosks.
• Place Exchange: Programmatic DOOH ad marketplace connecting digital signage operators with media buyers. Relevant as the prospective buy-side counterpart for UmbraCity's kiosk-screen ad inventory, though not a direct product competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/umbracity

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors4 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 UmbraCity