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A brand new umbrella-sharing startup is increasing in New York Metropolis – saying it’s going to do for umbrellas what Citibike did for bikes.
Rentbrella, an app that was launched in Brazil for the primary time in 2018, is organising machine-like kiosks within the Large Apple, every with 100 umbrellas – and the rental is free for the primary 24 hours.
As a part of the Citibike-like system, New Yorkers use Rentbrella’s telephone app to scan codes they will use to unlock and return umbrellas at varied kiosks – a service for commuters in misery quite than a ten or 15 Co-founder Freddy Marcos says that you just wish to spend US {dollars} on a bodega parasol.
“Our mannequin could be very easy,” Marcos advised the publish. “You are taking an umbrella, go house and provides it again the subsequent day.”
If prospects don’t return the umbrella inside 24 hours, they are going to be billed $ 2 for the second day and a further $ 2 for the third day. In the event that they nonetheless have not returned the umbrella after 4 days, they are going to be charged $ 16 and may preserve the umbrella perpetually.
Rentbrella is not the primary umbrella-sharing startup to step into the storm.
In 2016, an organization known as BrellaBox went on Shark Tank to advertise the concept of renting high-end umbrellas for the primary 12 hours at a price of $ 1.50 – an concept that businessman and host Kevin O’Leary dismissed “possibly the worst thought I’ve” I’ve heard earlier than. ”
Prospects unlock umbrellas from kiosks with the Rentbrella app.Rentbrella
Freddy Marcos (proper) is a co-founder of Rentbrella.Rentbrella
And in 2017, a Chinese language startup known as E Umbrella misplaced virtually all of its 300,000 umbrellas inside per week of its launch. In contrast to Rentbrella, E Umbrella did not have kiosks to retailer the umbrellas and did not cost customers for not returning the rental.
“We’re very totally different from E Umbrella,” emphasised Marcos.
Rentbrella has 35 kiosks in New York Metropolis.Rentbrella
Since Rentbrella positioned its first machines in New York this October, about 98 % of shoppers have returned their umbrellas inside 24 hours, based on Marcos. The corporate at present has 3,500 umbrellas at 35 kiosks in Manhattan and Brooklyn and plans to hit 100 stations early subsequent yr, the founder mentioned.
Because the occasional $ 2 price does not lead to a money spill, Rentbrella plans to generate income promoting advertisements on the umbrellas.
It is a mannequin that Marcos mentioned labored in São Paulo, the place the corporate has almost 400 stations and is making a revenue primarily due to commercials from a medical health insurance firm known as Unimed.
Rentbrella does not have any sponsors in New York but, however plans to begin promoting promoting area when it hits 100 stations, based on Marcos. And whereas the stations are at present principally centered on workplace and residential towers in Manhattan, the founder mentioned he wish to place them in subway stations within the 5 boroughs.
Rentbrella at present has partnerships with actual property corporations resembling WeWork, Braun Administration, Moinian Group, Tishman Speyer, Beacon Capital, Chetrit Group, Meringoff Properties and Feldman Realty Group.
Rentbrella plans to launch in London in early 2022 and plans to increase to different cities within the US and Europe, Marcos mentioned. The corporate is funding the enlargement with round $ 7 million from funders based totally in Brazil, together with household workplaces and enterprise capital funds, the founder mentioned.
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