/Companies

Donkey Republic

Copenhagen, DK · Founded 2016 · 152 employees on LinkedIn · 3 known investors

Find your way into Donkey Republic

409 people in our graph share verified history with the Donkey Republic team — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.

Erik Wenngrenunlockedknows Erdem Ovacik · together at Donkey Republic (overlapped)
knows the team · via The Association of Tech Startups in Denmark
knows the team · via Donkey Republic
×5knows the team · via Social Finance
knows the team · via Deutsche Schule Istanbul / Alman Lisesi
knows the team · via Boğaziçi University

Donkey Republic operates a bike-sharing platform offering both pedal and electric bikes for short-term rental in cities worldwide. The service targets urban commuters and residents seeking convenient, affordable, and emission-free transportation alternatives.

Also known as Donkey Republic

Founders & leadership

Donkey Republic was founded in 2016 by Erdem Ovacik.

EOErdem Ovacik
Erdem OvacikCo-founderErdem Ovacik co-founded Donkey Republic, a bike-sharing platform that operates in cities worldwide, and previously worked as a consultant at McKinsey and on crowdfunding and social impact initiatives. He holds a background in engineering and public policy.

Investors · 3

Company profile

researched Aug 2026

Donkey Republic, operating at donkey.bike, is a bike-sharing service that rents bicycles to users through a mobile application. Riders locate an available bike nearby in the app, choose a rental option, unlock the bike from their phone, and end the trip by locking the bike at a designated Donkey drop-off point shown in the app. The service is presented as available around the clock in more than 190 cities.

Alongside pay-per-rental use, the company offers a membership, including a student discount of up to 25%. Its public site also publishes city guides and cycling-related articles covering locations such as Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Ghent and Barcelona.

Business model

Users rent bicycles on demand via the Donkey Republic app, paying for individual rentals or subscribing to a membership; a discounted membership rate of up to 25% off is offered to students.

Revenue comes from per-rental fees and recurring membership subscriptions.

▸Full profile — technology, go-to-market, geography

Technology

A consumer mobile app handles bike discovery, rental selection, keyless unlocking and end-of-trip locking, with designated drop-off locations displayed in the app.

Go-to-market

Direct-to-consumer distribution through the mobile app, supported by a website with city guides, cycling and sustainability content, plus student membership discounts.

Urban residents, commuters, students and visitors seeking short-term bicycle rentals in cities.

Geography

The service states availability in more than 190 cities; content on the company site references cities including Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Ghent and Barcelona.

Compiled by commissioned research from 1 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.

Key figures

latest reported
Cities servedJan 2025190 cities

Company-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.

In the news

▸Research sources · 1

primary sources listed

1 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.

Frequently asked questions

What does Donkey Republic do?
Donkey Republic is a bike-sharing operator offering app-based bike rentals in more than 190 cities.
Who founded Donkey Republic?
Donkey Republic was founded by Erdem Ovacik in 2016.
Who are Donkey Republic's investors?
Donkey Republic's investors include Futuristic.VC, Scale Capital, Spintop Ventures.
Where is Donkey Republic headquartered?
Donkey Republic is headquartered in Copenhagen, DK.