Spinlister

Spinlister is a website and mobile app for peer-to-peer sharing of outdoor sporting gear, specifically bikes, surf boards, SUPs, skis and snowboards. Bikes are the company’s primary market.[1] It is commonly referred to as the "Airbnb for bikes”.[2][3] The platform has listings in 63 countries and users from 120 countries.[4] It was founded in 2011[2] and is headquartered in Santa Monica, California.

History

The company was founded by Will Dennis and Jeff Noh in May 2011.[2] The idea for Spinlister arose after Dennis listed his own bike for rent on Craigslist in New York City and saw interest from both locals and tourists to rent it out for more than a few hours.[5] The company's first two markets were New York City and San Francisco[2][6] and started with only bike listings from individuals or existing bike rental shops.[2]

Spinlister was the Audience Choice Winner during the TechCrunch Disrupt Battlefield in San Francisco in 2012.[2] It raised $450,000 in initial funding from investors.[7]

In late 2012 the company rebranded itself as Liquid and reintroduced itself as a "liquid" marketplace for sharing of assets, including bikes.[8] Around this time, the company also moved its headquarters to San Francisco.[8] Shortly thereafter, Dennis and Noh shut down the service.

In 2013, the company relaunched under its original name and branding and with a mobile app under the direction of Brazilian entrepreneur and one of the seed investors, Marcelo Loureiro.[7] The company remains privately funded.[9]

Since September 2018, the firm has been owned by Mark Gustafson, founder of Los-Angeles-based electric bike start-up Story Bikes. In late December, Spinlister was resurrected, with an email to community members asking “are you ready to get back into the saddle?” Gustafson promoted that Spinlister was “getting a tuneup” and would relaunch in January.[10]

"Our main focus is giving bike shops ways to increase revenue, and instead of being hurt by the micromobility explosion, capitalize on it and thrive,” said Gustafson, who is also co-founder of Story Bicycles, an e-bike brand. The bike-share program allows small, local operators, including bike shops and mobile service operators, to compete with the giant multinational companies that currently dominate that market. "The Bluetooth U-lock lets local businesses run their own bike-share programs. It keeps the money local and in a small business,” Gustafson said. [11]

Company

In addition to the website, iOS and Android apps were released in 2013.[7][12] The marketplace expanded to include snow and surf equipment in 2013 and 2014, respectively.[12][13]

In 2014 and 2015, the company was the official bike share sponsor of the Ironman Triathlon series.[14]

In March 2015, the company announced the launch of a decentralized bike share model at the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas. The new system does not require a hub or station but rather allows users to locate, book, unlock, ride and relock the bikes through the Spinlister app. The “Smart Bikes” are manufactured by VanMoof and will be available for existing users to purchase. The first trial market will be held in Portland, Oregon.[15][16] In March 2016 the company announced the acquisition of Cycleswap, a Dutch peer-to-peer bike sharing platform for an undisclosed amount.[17][18]

Since September 2018, the firm has been owned by Mark Gustafson, founder of Los-Angeles-based electric bike start-up Story Bikes. In late December, Spinlister was resurrected, with an email to community members asking “are you ready to get back into the saddle?” Gustafson promoted that Spinlister was “getting a tuneup” and would relaunch in January.[10]

2019, Spinlister continues to let the Peer to Peer business organically grow while growing the B2B SAAS business. "Spinlister can provide shops an easy plug-and-play option for online booking, as well as a solid marketing plan to drive business to a shop" [19]

References
  1. "Bike-share company puts new spin on peer-to-peer rentals". CBS News. 10 January 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  2. Butcher, Mike. "Spinlister Makes It Into Disrupt Battlefield With Its 'Airbnb For Bikes'". TechCrunch. Retrieved 26 Aug 2015.
  3. Salzman, Marian. "Next Year In Business, Innovation And Social Responsibility". Forbes. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  4. Hurford, Molly. "Spinlister Introduces Plan for New Bike Share Model". Bicycling.com. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  5. Pan, Joann. "SpinLister Creates Online Hub for Bike Rentals in NYC, SF". Mashable Inc. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  6. Brustein, Joshua (17 August 2012). "There's More Than One Way to Share a Bike". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  7. Schwartz, Ariel. "The Return Of Spinlister: How To Revive A Dead Sharing Economy Startup". Fast Company, Inc. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  8. Lawler, Ryan. "Peer-to-Peer Bike-Sharing Startup Spinlister Rebrands As Liquid, Opens Up To All". TechCrunch. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  9. Lariviere, David. "Global Cycling Sharing Service Spinlister Is Hitting The Ground Running". Forbes.com. Forbes. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  10. Reid, Carlton. "Airbnb-style Bicycle Rental Platform Spinlister Relaunches Via Oprah's Favorite Bike Firm".
  11. Frothingham, Steve. "Spinlister returns with new bike-share capability for IBDs".
  12. Sawers, Paul. "Spinlister takes its 'Airbnb for bikes' to Android, and opens up to snowsports rentals too". thenextweb.com. The Next Web (TNW). Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  13. "SUP and Surf Now On Spinlister". odrmag.com. Outdoor Magazine. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  14. Roethenbaugh, Gary. "Spinlister supports triathlon with investments in athletes, events and non-profits". triathlonbusiness.com. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  15. Staff, Brian. "Spinlister to launch de-centralized bike share program". Bicycle Retailer and Industry News. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  16. Newman, Adam. "Spinlister unveils new peer-to-peer bike share model". Bicycle Times Magazine. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  17. "Nederlandse studenten verkopen 'Airbnb voor fietsen' aan Amerikanen". RTL Nieuws. Retrieved 2016-04-01.
  18. "Spinlister acquires Amsterdam bike share business Cycleswap". Cycling Industry News. Retrieved 2016-04-01.
  19. Lindsey, Joe. "Spinlister Wants to Change Bike Rental".
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