If you’ve been paying attention in certain areas like Sunway Giza, Zenith Corporate Park, and in certain hotels, then you might come across little stations offering powerbanks for rent.
These little stations are called NOMO powerbanks, a Singaporean startup named after the word ‘nomophobia’—or ‘no mobile phobia’.
Its name pretty much says everything you need to know.
The startup was launched in Singapore, but run by a 31-year-old Malaysian who permanently resides there.
The game plan is simple: unmanned stations of powerbanks are set up across Malaysia, and anyone who is in need of a mobile recharge can rent one of them.
Malaysians can get access to the handy powerbanks by downloading their app, and scanning the QR code, all without the need to speak to a shopkeeper or a human attendant.
Those who are familiar with bicycle-sharing like oBike or Mobike are probably familiar with the process.
Before you can use it, users are required to place a one-time refundable deposit of RM59.99—which can be added using credit or debit card.
Each powerbank costs RM3.90 for rental, which you can use for up to 24 hours.
Or, you can opt for the weekly, monthly or yearly pass, which are RM9.90, RM29.90 and RM149.90 respectively.
Some areas where NOMOs can be found include Puchong, Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya, Bukit Jalil, Negeri Sembilan—and most recently Cyberjaya.
- To find out if there is a NOMO near you, you can use the locator on on the app, which is available on both Android and iOS devices.