What does it take to build one of Europe's largest bike-sharing operators over 22 years?
At Micromobility Europe 2026 in Berlin, Johan Høgåsen-Hallesby sits down with Sebastian Popp to explore the evolution of bike sharing—from manually unlocking bikes via a hotline in 2004 to operating integrated mobility networks across more than 400 cities today.
Sebastian shares the story of Nextbike's early years, surviving on limited resources, winning city tenders across Europe, securing its first investment after a decade of bootstrapping, and navigating its acquisition by Tier before becoming independent again.
The conversation also examines how bike sharing is evolving, the growing convergence of B2G and B2C mobility models, public transport integration, regional mobility networks, fleet customization, European manufacturing, and why subsidized bike-sharing systems remain critical for cities looking to reduce car dependency.
Topics covered:
• The founding story of Nextbike and Europe's early bike-sharing market
• Scaling to tens of thousands of bikes through city tenders
• Lessons from the Tier acquisition
• How Nextbike transformed into a rider-focused organization
• Public transport integration and regional mobility networks
• The future of bike sharing, micromobility, and city partnerships
• Why cities should continue investing in shared mobility infrastructure
Speakers:
• Sebastian Popp, CEO, Nextbike
• Johan Høgåsen-Hallesby, Co-founding Partner, Beta Mobility
Recorded live at Micromobility Europe 2026 in Berlin.
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