Swapfiets expands European footprint with Dance acquisition

Swapfiets has acquired Dance to expand its bike subscription service in Paris, Hamburg and Berlin.

Following the acquisition, Swapfiets’ fleet will grow by 11,000 eBikes, bringing the total number of subscription eBikes on the road to more than 75,000. Together, the two companies will operate in 45 cities, serving around 280,000 members with city and electric bikes.

“By bringing Dance into the Swapfiets family, we are not just adding bikes; we are combining two of the most innovative teams in the industry to ensure that every bike rack in Europe’s major cities has a subscription bike in it,” said Marc de Vries (pictured right), CEO of Swapfiets.

Dance co-founder and CEO Christian Springub (pictured left) will remain in his role, leading the Dance brand under the Swapfiets umbrella. The existing Dance operational teams will continue to support members while the two companies begin sharing best practices in hardware innovation and digital user experience.

The acquisition is backed by global mobility company Pon Holdings, owner of a broad portfolio of bicycle brands worldwide, including Swapfiets. Pon Holdings aims to promote sustainable and efficient mobility for people, cities and industries. The addition of Dance aligns with its objective of accelerating the transition towards more liveable cities. The company believes that bike mobility services, such as the subscription models offered by Swapfiets and Dance, encourage more people to cycle, contributing to healthier and more sustainable urban environments.

“Swapfiets has built an incredible operational engine, and by combining it with our digital-first approach, we are creating a powerhouse that can truly transform how people move in cities like Paris and Berlin,” said Springub. “We started Dance to make sustainable travel the easy choice, and joining forces with Swapfiets is the ultimate way to achieve that vision on a much larger scale.”