Rent a Bike
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1987
- HeadquartersWillisau, Switzerland
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
Rent a Bike firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Rent a Bike
- Legal name
- Rent a Bike AG
- Website
- https://rentabike.ch
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1987
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Rent a Bike industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Bicycle and E-Bike Rental Services
- NAICS
- Recreational Goods Rental (532284), Consumer Goods Rental (5322)
- SIC
- Services-Equipment Rental & Leasing, Nec (7359), Motorcycles, Bicycles & Parts (3751)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Bike Rental, Demo & Tour Operators (Retail-Adjacent) (CRAMAHAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Station-Based Bike Rentals (Bikeshare) (THADAGAD), E-Bike Rentals (THADAGAE), Bikeshare (Station-Based/Docked) (TLAFAMAE), E-Bike Retail (CRAMAHAE)
Keywords
Where Rent a Bike is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Willisau
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Rent a Bike business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Daily / Short-term Bike Rental: Core revenue stream from renting out Citybikes, E-Bikes, (E-)Mountainbikes, and tandems for day use, weekends, or multi-day tours at rental stations across Swiss tourism regions. Customers can pick up and return bikes at different stations for added flexibility.
- Long-term Rental / Subscription (Langzeitmiete): Flexible long-term rental (including subscription model) allowing customers to rent rather than buy an e-bike, with protection packages and assistance options. An alternative to ownership.
- Group Travel (Gruppenreisen): Tailored group experiences including packages departing from a rental station (Gruppenreise ab Mietstation) and bespoke 'à la Carte' group travel experiences. Also includes school packages. Revenue is generated per group booking, with transport costs for special models.
- E-Bike and Used Bike Sales: Sales through E-BikeNOW.ch (new e-bikes), occasionsvelo.ch (used bikes), seasonal sales events (Frühlings- & Herbstverkauf), workshop services, and gift vouchers.
- Corporate E-Bike Fleet Solutions: B2B fleet solutions for companies, municipalities, and administrations, including Spitex organizations. Includes corporate e-bike sharing programs. Revenue model is fleet provisioning — likely one-time sale or long-term lease of e-bike fleets.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Daily / Short-term Rental — various bike types |
| Subscription | Monthly | Long-term Rental / Subscription (Langzeitmiete) |
| Subscription | Monthly | Corporate / Business Fleet Solutions |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | BOX Self-Service Stations |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | allride Self-Service Stations |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels5 records
Rent a Bike product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Rent a Bike AG rents bicycles and e-bikes across Switzerland through 150 partner stations, complemented by self-service BOX stations and the allride app for unmanned, contactless 24/7 access. Its portfolio covers daily rentals, monthly long-term e-bike subscriptions, corporate fleet solutions, group travel packages, and the secondary sale of new and used bikes via dedicated online shops.
Product overview
Rent a Bike is a Swiss company operating as a comprehensive bicycle and e-bike rental platform with approximately 5,000 bicycles available across 150 rental stations in Swiss tourism areas. The core offering consists of day rentals (Rent & Touren) and long-term rentals (Langzeitmiete). The portfolio extends to business/corporate fleet solutions (including Spitex-Bike for healthcare), group travel packages, and a full sales & service division. Self-service options are offered through two channels: the Rent a Bike BOX (with integrated locker systems) and the Rent a Bike - allride service (using allride's digital app). The company also operates two sub-brands: Occasionsvelo.ch for used bikes and E-BikeNOW.ch for new e-bike sales. Founded in 1987, the company has been in operation for over 35 years.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- E-BikeNOW.ch: New E-Bike sales platform
- occasionsvelo.ch
- allride
- Rent a Bike BOX
Products and services
- Rent & Touren (Daily Bike and E-Bike Rental)
Quantifiable outcome
- Fleet of 5,000 bicycles and e-bikes available across Switzerland
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Rent a Bike
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Rent a Bike technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature3 records
Rent a Bike partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, key_account and minor.
- allride (AMAG Gruppe)coreLong-term strategic partnership between Rent a Bike AG (sister company of Tour de Suisse Rad AG) and allride, the mobility platform of the AMAG Group. The E-Bike Selbstverleih (self-service) stations combine Rent a Bike's quality bikes with allride's digital access system. Booking and payment are handled in the allride app; unlocking on-site is contactless and available 24/7 without staff. The partnership aims to simplify access to sustainable individual mobility throughout Switzerland. Self-service stations operational in Bellinzona, Tenero-Contra, Bern, and Romanshorn.
- Tour de Suisse Rad AGcoreRent a Bike AG is a sister company (Schwesterunternehmung) of the bicycle manufacturer Tour de Suisse Rad AG. Tour de Suisse Rad AG is also a brand partner visible on the Rent a Bike website. The relationship provides brand association, product supply (Tour de Suisse branded bikes in the fleet), and operational synergies.
- Spitex Zürichkey_accountRent a Bike AG won the public tender (öffentliche Ausschreibung) of Spitex Zürich to renew their e-bike fleet for mobile care and nursing work. This is a key public-sector customer relationship, acquired through competitive procurement.
- SwissPassminorRent a Bike is a SwissPass partner, with SwissPass promotional offerings visible on the website (Tagesmiete SwissPass partner offering). This provides visibility and cross-promotion to SwissPass users — Switzerland's integrated public transport cardholder base.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Rent a Bike competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- nextbike: Large European bikeshare and micromobility operator active in DACH and across 300+ cities. Comparable to Rent a Bike on shared-mobility model and tourist/leisure rider segment, but at much broader geographic scale.
- Lime: Global micromobility operator offering e-bikes and e-scooters. Comparable on shared-mobility, app-based access, and last-mile commuter use case, though with a global footprint and a different modal mix.
- Call a Bike (Deutsche Bahn): Deutsche Bahn's bike rental and bike-share service. Comparable as a rail-adjacent station-based bike rental offering, but operating in Germany rather than Switzerland and integrated with a much larger transit operator.
Regional players
- Velobike (Switzerland): Swiss bike tour and rental operator offering guided tours and self-guided cycling holidays in Switzerland. Comparable on Swiss tourism-region focus and bike rental activity, but narrower (tour-led) offering.
- Mobility (Carsharing Schweiz): Swiss car-sharing cooperative. Indirect peer in shared-mobility space, competing for the same 'rent-not-own' Swiss customer across modalities (car vs bike); comparable on Swiss-only geographic focus and subscription-based model.
Direct peers
- PubliBike: Swiss national bikeshare operator with station-based bike and e-bike rental across Switzerland. Directly comparable to Rent a Bike on geography, customer base (commuters and casual riders), and station-based operating model.
- Donkey Republic: App-based bike rental and subscription operator with stations across European cities and tourist destinations. Directly comparable on self-service rental model, e-bike fleet, and tourist-segment focus.
Emerging players
- Swapfiets: Subscription-based bike rental (monthly fee, includes maintenance) operating across European cities. Directly comparable to Rent a Bike's Langzeitmiete subscription product and 'rent-not-buy' positioning, particularly for urban commuters.
Others
- Europcar / Hertz Switzerland: International car rental operators with Swiss operations. Adjacent rather than direct competitors, but they increasingly bundle alternative mobility (including bikes) for tourist and corporate accounts, competing for some of the same customer wallets.
- AMAG (allride parent): Swiss automotive distributor and parent of the allride mobility platform with which Rent a Bike partners. An ecosystem/partner relationship rather than a competitor, but their wider mobility ambitions could either deepen Rent a Bike's distribution or evolve into direct overlap.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Rent a Bike financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Rent a Bike leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Rent a Bike subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Rent a Bike funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Rent a Bike M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Rent a Bike
What does Rent a Bike do?
Rent a Bike AG rents bicycles and e-bikes across Switzerland through 150 partner stations, complemented by self-service BOX stations and the allride app for unmanned, contactless 24/7 access. Its portfolio covers daily rentals, monthly long-term e-bike subscriptions, corporate fleet solutions, group travel packages, and the secondary sale of new and used bikes via dedicated online shops.
Is Rent a Bike a public or private company?
Rent a Bike is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Rent a Bike founded?
Rent a Bike was founded in 1987. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Rent a Bike based?
Rent a Bike is headquartered in Willisau, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does Rent a Bike make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Daily / Short-term Bike Rental is the primary driver. The others are long-term Rental / Subscription (Langzeitmiete), group Travel (Gruppenreisen), E-Bike and Used Bike Sales and corporate E-Bike Fleet Solutions.
Who are Rent a Bike's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are nextbike, Lime and Call a Bike (Deutsche Bahn). Regional players are Velobike (Switzerland) and Mobility (Carsharing Schweiz). Direct peers are PubliBike and Donkey Republic. Swapfiets is listed as an emerging player. Others are Europcar / Hertz Switzerland and AMAG (allride parent).
Does Rent a Bike have an API?
No public API is recorded for Rent a Bike.
What industry is Rent a Bike in?
Rent a Bike's product category is Bicycle and E-Bike Rental Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAMAHAJ, Bike Rental, Demo & Tour Operators (Retail-Adjacent), with a secondary code of THADAGAD, Station-Based Bike Rentals (Bikeshare). Its NAICS code is 532284 and its SIC code is 7359.