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. It is commonly referred to as the "Airbnb for bikes”. The platform has listings in 63 countries and users from 120 countries around the world. It was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in Santa Monica, California.
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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. The company's first two markets were New York City and San Francisco and started with only bike listings from individuals or existing bike rental shops.
Spinlister was the Audience Choice Winner during the TechCrunch Disrupt Battlefield in San Francisco in 2012. It raised $450,000 in initial funding from investors.
In late 2012 the company rebranded itself as Liquid and reintroduced itself as a "liquid" marketplace for sharing of assets, including bikes. 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.
Company
In addition to the website, iOS and Android apps were released in 2013. The marketplace expanded to include snow and surf equipment in 2013 and 2014, respectively.
In 2014 and 2015, the company was the official bike share sponsor of the Ironman Triathlon series.
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. In March 2016 the company announced the acquisition of Cycleswap, a Dutch peer-to-peer bike sharing platform.