Power Bank Sharing in Europe: Who Runs the Networks (2026)

Power bank sharing in Europe is run by network operators, some of them through franchise partners. Brick, Chimpy, UpCharge, ChargedUp and ChargeSPOT publish their own coverage on their websites, and the table below links each claim to its source. Brick, founded in Sweden in 2019, says it is active in 25+ countries with 4,000 venues.

Checked against each operator's own website on 2026-09-29. Figures in the table are the operator's own words, not ours.

How the European powerbank market is organised

Three kinds of company sit under the label "power bank sharing", and only the first two rent anything to a guest.

Operators that own a network. They run the stations, the app or payment flow, customer support and the restocking of powerbanks. A guest rents from them and returns to any station on their network.

Franchise and partner models. One brand supplies hardware, platform and support, and a local partner runs the network in its own market. Brick works this way, and UpCharge says on its franchise page that it does too. For the difference between a market operator and a network partner, see our explainer.

Hardware suppliers. These companies build stations and powerbanks and sell them to operators. They are not operators: a guest never rents from them, and a supplier's shipment numbers say nothing about how many venues have a working network. This page leaves them out of the table for that reason.

If you want the basics first, start with what power bank sharing is.

Power bank sharing operators in Europe: home market and coverage

This table lists operators whose own website we could read on 2026-09-29. Every claim is attributed and links to the page it comes from. Some networks named in older round-ups did not load for us that day, so they are not listed.

Counts in the table are not comparable with each other. "Venues", "locations", "spots" and "stations" are different units, and each operator defines its own. Brick's 4,000 is a count of venues, not stations.

How to judge a powerbank network

Running a network teaches you which questions matter and which numbers flatter. Here are the four we would ask about any operator, Brick included.

Can you return it anywhere on the network?

This is what separates sharing from a plain rental. If you must return to the station you rented from, it is a rental. Ask whether an empty slot exists at your destination, and whether the app or the station shows free slots before you walk there.

How many countries and venues, and how are they counted?

Check what the number counts. Venues, stations and slots are three different totals. A network with 4,000 venues can have far more stations, and a network with many stations can sit in a few cities. Coverage where you are matters more than the headline.

Which venue types host it?

Hotels, restaurants, bars, shops, transport hubs and festivals each behave differently. A network that lives in hotels and restaurants serves a traveller across a day. A festival network peaks for a weekend. Brick's network spans hotels, beach clubs, restaurants, retail, transport hubs and festivals.

Do you need an app to rent?

An app download on a nearly dead phone is where many guests give up. Tap-to-rent at the station, with a card or phone, removes that step. Some networks still start from a QR code and an app. Neither is wrong, but it decides how many guests actually rent.

Two smaller checks: what happens if something goes wrong (Brick's model includes a 100% refund policy and a WhatsApp line to a person), and what it costs, which is set locally by the network and often the venue. Our rental cost guide covers pricing.

Frequently asked questions

Which companies lead power bank sharing in Europe?

No single ranking exists, and each operator measures itself differently. Brick, Chimpy, UpCharge, ChargedUp and ChargeSPOT all publish their own coverage claims, listed with source links in the table above. Brick says it is active in 25+ countries with 4,000 venues and was founded in 2019. Compare networks on return anywhere, countries covered, venue types and how you pay, rather than on one headline number.

Which companies run power bank sharing in Europe?

Network operators that own or franchise stations include Brick (Sweden), Chimpy, UpCharge (Finland), ChargedUp (UK) and ChargeSPOT through its European company. The table above lists each one with the source page it comes from. Hardware makers that sell stations to others are suppliers, not operators.

What is the difference between an operator and a station supplier?

An operator runs the rental service: it owns or licenses the network, the app or payment flow, the customer support and the restocking of powerbanks. A supplier only manufactures and sells stations. A guest never rents from a supplier, so a supplier does not count as a network.

Can I return a shared powerbank in another country?

It depends on the network. Return anywhere works inside one network, so a powerbank rented from a Brick station can be returned to any station on the Brick network. Different operators do not accept each other's powerbanks. Check the operator's own coverage list before you travel.

Do I need an app to rent a shared powerbank in Europe?

Some networks need an app, others let you tap a card at the station. UpCharge says on its website that you scan the QR code on the station or tap your card. Brick stations take a card tap at the station, so no app download is needed before renting.

If you run a hotel, restaurant, shop or venue and want a network in your market, see brick.tech.