Spinlister
{{Short description|Website and Mobile App}}
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.{{cite news|title=Bike-share company puts new spin on peer-to-peer rentals|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/spinlister-ride-share-company-puts-new-spin-on-peer-to-peer-rentals/|access-date=26 August 2015|work=CBS News|date=10 January 2015}} The platform has listings in 63 countries and users from 120 countries.{{cite web|last1=Hurford|first1=Molly|title=Spinlister Introduces Plan for New Bike Share Model|date=13 March 2015 |url=http://www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/spinlister-introduces-plan-new-bike-share-model/ |publisher=Bicycling.com|access-date=26 August 2015}} It was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in Santa Monica, California.{{cite web|last1=Butcher|first1=Mike|title=Spinlister Makes It Into Disrupt Battlefield With Its 'Airbnb For Bikes'|date=12 September 2012 |url=https://techcrunch.com/2012/09/11/spinlister-makes-it-into-disrupt-battlefield-with-its-airbnb-for-bikes/ |publisher=TechCrunch |access-date=26 Aug 2015}}
History
The company was founded by Will Dennis and Jeff Noh in May 2011. 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.{{cite web |last1=Pan |first1=Joann |title=SpinLister Creates Online Hub for Bike Rentals in NYC, SF|date=3 April 2012 |url=http://mashable.com/2012/04/02/spinlister-bike-rentals-in-ny-sf/ |publisher=Mashable Inc. |access-date=25 August 2015}} The company's first two markets were New York City and San Francisco{{cite news |last1=Brustein |first1=Joshua|title=There's More Than One Way to Share a Bike|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/19/nyregion/spinlister-and-social-bicycles-develop-bike-sharing-alternatives.html |access-date=26 August 2015|work=The New York Times|date=17 August 2012}} and started with only bike listings from individuals or existing bike rental shops.
Spinlister raised $450,000 in initial funding from investors.{{cite web|last1=Schwartz|first1=Ariel|title=The Return Of Spinlister: How To Revive A Dead Sharing Economy Startup|url=http://www.fastcoexist.com/1682784/the-return-of-spinlister-how-to-revive-a-dead-sharing-economy-startup |publisher=Fast Company, Inc |access-date=26 August 2015}}
In late 2012 the company rebranded itself as Liquid and reintroduced itself as a "liquid" marketplace for sharing of assets, including bikes.{{cite web|last1=Lawler|first1=Ryan|title=Peer-to-Peer Bike-Sharing Startup Spinlister Rebrands As Liquid, Opens Up To All|date=30 October 2012 |url=https://techcrunch.com/2012/10/30/strike-spinlister-strike-liquid/ |publisher=TechCrunch |access-date=26 August 2015}} Around this time, the company also moved its headquarters to San Francisco. 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. The company remains privately funded.{{cite web|last1=Lariviere|first1=David|title=Global Cycling Sharing Service Spinlister Is Hitting The Ground Running|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidlariviere/2014/05/15/global-cycling-sharing-service-spinlister-is-hitting-the-ground-running/|work=Forbes|access-date=26 August 2015}}
Since September 2018, the firm has been owned by Mark Gustafson, founder of Los Angeles–based electric bike start-up Story Bikes.{{cn|date=November 2024}}
According to Gustafson, 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.{{cite web|last1=Frothingham|first1=Steve|title=Spinlister returns with new bike-share capability for IBDs|url=https://www.bicycleretailer.com/retail-news/2019/04/08/spinlister-returns-new-bike-share-capability-ibds#.XexKVuhKhPY}}
Company
In addition to the website, iOS and Android apps were released in 2013.{{cite web|last1=Sawers|first1=Paul|title=Spinlister takes its 'Airbnb for bikes' to Android, and opens up to snowsports rentals too|url=https://thenextweb.com/apps/2013/10/04/spinlister-takes-its-airbnb-for-bikes-to-android-and-opens-up-to-snowsports-rentals-too/|website=thenextweb.com|date=4 October 2013 |publisher=The Next Web (TNW)|access-date=26 August 2015}} The marketplace expanded to include snow and surf equipment in 2013 and 2014, respectively.{{cite web|title=SUP and Surf Now On Spinlister|url=http://www.odrmag.com/productstechnology/2426-sup-and-surf-now-on-spinlister.html/|website=odrmag.com|publisher=Outdoor Magazine|access-date=26 August 2015}}
In 2014 and 2015, the company was the official bike share sponsor of the Ironman Triathlon series.{{cite web|last1=Roethenbaugh|first1=Gary|title=Spinlister supports triathlon with investments in athletes, events and non-profits|url=http://www.triathlonbusiness.com/2015/industry-news/spinlister-supports-triathlon-with-investments-in-athletes-events-and-non-profits/|website=triathlonbusiness.com|date=12 May 2015 |access-date=26 August 2015}}
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.{{cite web|last1=Staff|first1=Brian|title=Spinlister to launch de-centralized bike share program|url=http://www.bicycleretailer.com/north-america/2015/03/13/spinlister-launch-de-centralized-bike-share-program#.VdZ-4_nN2oQ/ |publisher=Bicycle Retailer and Industry News |access-date=26 August 2015}}{{cite web|last1=Newman|first1=Adam|title=Spinlister unveils new peer-to-peer bike share model|url=http://bicycletimesmag.com/spinlister-unveils-new-peer-to-peer-bike-share-model/ |work=Bicycle Times Magazine |access-date=26 August 2015}} {{Update inline|reason=need results of trial date=January 2017|date=January 2017}} In March 2016 the company announced the acquisition of Cycleswap, a Dutch peer-to-peer bike sharing platform for an undisclosed amount.{{Cite web|url = http://www.rtlz.nl/business/ondernemers/nederlandse-studenten-verkopen-airbnb-voor-fietsen-aan-amerikanen|title = Nederlandse studenten verkopen 'Airbnb voor fietsen' aan Amerikanen |publisher=RTL Nieuws |access-date = 2016-04-01}}{{Cite web|url = http://www.cyclingindustry.news/spinlister-acquires-amsterdam-bike-share-business-cycleswap/|title = Spinlister acquires Amsterdam bike share business Cycleswap |publisher = Cycling Industry News |access-date = 2016-04-01}}
=Cycleswap=
{{Infobox website
| name = Cycleswap
| logo =
| company_type = Startup
| location_city = Amsterdam
| area_served = Europe
| url = {{URL|https://www.cycleswap.nl}}
| current_status = Acquired by Spinlister
| language = Multilingual
| screenshot =
| caption =
| advertising =
| num_employees = 10
| CEO =
}}
Cycleswap was a platform through which individual bicycle owners and small bike shops rented out bikes to individuals. The platform was founded in Amsterdam in 2015, and was featured by various Dutch media outlets after its launch.{{cite web | first=J | last=Schutijser | year=2015 | title=Nieuwste tak deeleconomie: verhuur je fiets | publisher=NOS | language=nl | url=https://nos.nl/artikel/2022610-nieuwste-tak-deeleconomie-verhuur-je-fiets.html | accessdate=24 May 2018 }}
Cycleswap was conceived at the University of Amsterdam's Sciencepark campus in 2014, when co-founder Joran Iedema realized a great demand for rental bikes existed, and no bicycle rental amongst the campus facilities.L, Oostra. (2015). Amsterdamse student bedenkt Airbnb voor fietsen. Het Parool. http://www.parool.nl/parool/nl/4/AMSTERDAM/article/detail/3841053/2015/01/30/Amsterdamse-student-bedenkt-Airbnb-voor-fietsen.dhtml Taking the idea from earlier sharing platforms such as Airbnb and Snappcar,{{Cite web |url=http://www.snappcar.nl/ |title=Auto huren in je buurt | Particulier - SnappCar |access-date=14 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401230921/https://www.snappcar.nl// |archive-date=1 April 2019 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }} Iedema proposed his plan to web developer Wouter Florijn, and later to friends David Schogt, David Knap and Matthijs Otterloo. The platform was launched on 7 January 2015.{{cite web | publisher=AT5 | date=24 January 2015 | title=Makkelijk een fiets gevonden via nieuwe app | language=nl | url=http://www.at5.nl/artikelen/139661/makkelijk_een_fiets_gevonden_via_nieuwe_app | accessdate=24 May 2018 }} As of 7 March 2015, the outfit had 120 bicycles listed.J, Nolles. (2015). De fiets als algemeen goed. De Volkskrant, http://www.volkskrant.nl/economie/de-fiets-als-algemeen-goed~a3884088/ In a Volkskrant interview, David Schogt stated that Cycleswap had processed 65 rentals in the first two months. Trouw journalist Isabel Baneke states that Cycleswap uses personal information from both the renter and owner to ensure a safe transaction I, Baneke. (2015). Cycleswap, een soort UberPOP voor fietsen. Trouw. http://www.trouw.nl/tr/nl/4492/Nederland/article/detail/3883659/2015/03/04/Cycleswap-een-soort-UberPOP-voor-fietsen.dhtml
Cycleswap was acquired by Spinlister for an undisclosed amount in March 2016. At that time the website hosted around 40,000 listings.{{Cite web|url = http://www.cyclingindustry.news/spinlister-acquires-amsterdam-bike-share-business-cycleswap/|title = Spinlister acquires Amsterdam bike share business Cycleswap|website = Cycling Industry News|language = en-GB|access-date = 2016-04-01|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160324182510/http://www.cyclingindustry.news/spinlister-acquires-amsterdam-bike-share-business-cycleswap/|archive-date = 24 March 2016|url-status = dead}}
References
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External links
- [http://www.spinlister.com Official Website]