Swapfiets

What Swapfiets does

Swapfiets is a European bike subscription company founded in 2014 and headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It operates a direct-to-consumer membership model in which subscribers pay a recurring monthly fee for access to premium bikes and e-bikes, with unlimited repairs, maintenance, theft replacement, and door-to-door service bundled into the subscription. The company targets urban commuters seeking to avoid the friction of bike ownership—maintenance burden, theft risk, and parking constraints—across city markets in the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, France, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Austria, served through country-specific localized websites.

The core technology is a subscription platform backed by physical fleet management operations. Following the May 2026 acquisition of Dance, Swapfiets operates a combined fleet of more than 75,000 premium e-bikes serving approximately 280,000 members across 45 cities. The two brands continue to operate separately while sharing operational scale, indicating a multi-brand platform architecture. No patents, proprietary AI/ML models, or third-party technology integrations are disclosed.

The business model is pure recurring subscription revenue. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, but the unit economics depend on monthly subscription fees offset by capital expenditure on the bike fleet, maintenance labor, and replacement costs. The company sells exclusively through direct online subscription channels in each country, with no disclosed B2B or enterprise channel. The company is privately held, with headcount reported in the 1,001-5,000 range, and has raised at least one disclosed funding round from Ponooc in 2019.

Name

Swapfiets

Website

https://swapfiets.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Swapfiets operates a European bike subscription service, providing members with premium bikes and e-bikes plus included maintenance and repairs across 45 cities and 8 countries, serving approximately 280,000 urban commuters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Urban Bike Subscription Services

NAICS

Automotive Equipment Rental and Leasing (5321), Consumer Goods Rental (5322)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

E-Bike Rentals (THADAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bike Rental, Demo & Tour Operators (Retail-Adjacent) (CRAMAHAJ), Bike Service, Repair & Maintenance Shops (CRAMAHAH)

Keywords

• Bike subscription service
• E-bike rental
• Urban mobility
• Micromobility subscription
• Bicycle maintenance

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Bike Subscription Service: Monthly subscription service providing premium bikes (including e-bikes) with maintenance and repair included. Customers pay recurring subscription fees for access to bikes, with the company handling all upkeep and service.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Swapfiets operates a monthly bike subscription service providing members with bicycles, including e-bikes, for a fixed recurring fee that includes repairs, maintenance, and theft protection. Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Amsterdam, the service is available across 8 European countries and approximately 45 cities, with members able to exchange ("swap") their bike at any partner location.

Product overview

Swapfiets is a bike subscription platform offering premium e-bikes and traditional bikes with all-inclusive maintenance and repair services. Following the acquisition of Dance, the company operates two main brands: Swapfiets and Dance. The combined portfolio serves approximately 280,000 members across 45 cities with a fleet exceeding 75,000 premium e-bikes. The subscription model provides worry-free biking with unlimited repairs, theft protection, and door-to-door service included in the monthly fee.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Dance: E-bike subscription brand acquired by Swapfiets, continuing to operate as a separate brand.

Products and services

• Swapfiets bike subscription Monthly subscription service providing members with bicycles, including e-bikes, for a fixed recurring fee that includes repairs, maintenance, and theft protection. Members can swap their bike at any partner location. Available across 8 European countries and approximately 45 cities.
• Dance bike subscription Bike subscription brand acquired by Swapfiets in May 2026, operating as a separate subscription e-bike service within the company's portfolio.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• DanceflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 May 2026Swapfiets acquired Dance, combining two leading European bike subscription brands. The combined entity serves 280,000 members across 45 cities with 75,000+ premium e-bikes. Both brands continue operating separately while leveraging combined strengths for growth and expanded bike subscription adoption across Europe.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cowboy: Belgian premium connected e-bike brand with direct-to-consumer sales and a subscription-style offer. Comparable to Swapfiets on premium urban e-bikes targeting style-conscious commuters in European cities.
• Dance: Berlin-based e-bike subscription brand now wholly owned by Swapfiets but historically a direct subscription rival; remains a separate brand serving an overlapping urban European commuter base.
• Donkey Republic: Danish-founded bike rental and subscription operator active across multiple European cities. Closely comparable to Swapfiets on subscription/membership-based bike rental with mobile-first booking and a multi-city footprint.
• VanMoof: Amsterdam-based premium e-bike brand that has offered its own subscription program. Directly comparable on premium e-bike positioning and European urban commuter target customer.

Broad incumbents

• JCDecaux: Global outdoor advertising and street furniture company that operates city bike-share contracts (e.g., JCDecaux Cyclocity). Comparable as a European city bike-share incumbent, though contract-based and station-based rather than subscription.
• Lime: Global shared micromobility operator with a significant e-bike fleet in European cities. Comparable on urban e-bike deployment at scale but operates dockless rental rather than subscription.
• Tier Mobility: European shared micromobility operator (e-scooters and e-bikes). Comparable as a large European micromobility platform addressing urban commuting, though broader vehicle mix and not subscription-led.

Regional players

• nextbike: Large European bike share operator active across Germany, CEE, and other regions. Comparable on multi-city bike rental and station-based/tech-enabled access but operates primarily in Central/Eastern Europe.

Emerging players

• Brompton Bicycle: Iconic British folding bike manufacturer with growing urban commuter appeal and emerging subscription/B2B programs. Comparable on premium urban cycling positioning, though primarily a manufacturer rather than subscription operator.

Others

• Uber (bikes and micromobility): Global mobility platform with Uber Bike / Lime partnership exposure in European cities. Comparable as a competing urban micromobility channel but adjacent in business model and much broader scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/swapfiets

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Swapfiets