# Bearbox — Access control for self-storage > Bearbox provides cloud-based access control hardware and software for self-storage facilities across Europe. Winner of the Innovation Award at the 2023 FEDESSA European Self Storage Awards for Two Factor Authentication. The platform includes touchscreen keypads, automatic unit locks (BearLocks), ANPR gate control, multi-factor authentication, and integrations with the leading self-storage management platforms. Bearbox has 20+ years of self-storage industry experience. Trusted by 600+ sites worldwide. Support teams in the UK and Spain. ## Solutions ### Traditional self-storage Bearbox is purpose-built for traditional indoor self-storage facilities. Flexible access methods (keypads, fobs, QR codes, app, ANPR), smart unit locking with BearLock, connected facility management from anywhere, and seamless integration with rental software. Easily migrate from existing systems by reusing existing wiring and hardware. [Traditional self-storage](https://bearbox.eu/en/solutions/traditional-self-storage) ### Container self-storage Intelligent access control and CCTV surveillance designed for container-based sites. Combines gate access with camera monitoring, remote management via the Bearbox app, advanced motion-triggered alerts, and flexible hardware integration. Scalable from single sites to large networks. [Container self-storage](https://bearbox.eu/en/solutions/container-self-storage) ### Automated & unmanned self-storage Bearbox enables fully unmanned 24/7 self-storage operations. Customers move in, pay, and get access entirely online. BearLock ensures units only unlock for paying customers and locks automatically when overdue. Remote facility control via the manager app covers access, lighting, CCTV, and alerts — no on-site staff required. [Automated/unmanned self-storage](https://bearbox.eu/en/solutions/automated-or-unmanned-self-storage) ## Key features ### Touchscreen keypads Customisable branded touchscreen keypads supporting PIN, QR code, and fob entry. The primary access panel for facility entrances and internal zones. [Touchscreen keypad](https://bearbox.eu/en/features/touchscreen-keypad) ### Multi-factor authentication (MFA) Award-winning two-factor authentication for self-storage access. Combines app, QR, fob, or PIN methods for robust security. Winner of the Innovation Award at the 2023 FEDESSA European Self Storage Awards. [MFA feature](https://bearbox.eu/en/features/multi-factor-authentication) ### Automatic Numberplate Recognition (ANPR) ANPR allows registered vehicles to automatically open gates without any manual action from the customer. Reduces friction for frequent visitors and improves throughput at busy sites. [ANPR feature](https://bearbox.eu/en/features/automatic-numberplate-recognition) ### BearLocks — automatic unit locks Automatic smart locks for individual storage units. Units unlock only for paying customers and lock automatically when accounts become overdue. No staff intervention required. [Automatic unit locks](https://bearbox.eu/en/features/automatic-unit-locks) ### Mobile app access Customer and manager mobile apps for iOS and Android. Customers access their unit from their phone; managers control the entire facility remotely — access logs, alerts, unit status, lighting, and more. [App access](https://bearbox.eu/en/features/app-access) ### Access control zones Define granular access permissions per zone — restrict who can enter which area and at what times. Useful for separating customer, staff, and sensitive areas. [Access control zones](https://bearbox.eu/en/features/access-control-zones) ### CCTV & video surveillance Event-triggered CCTV recording integrated into the access control system. Motion sensors and alarm inputs trigger recordings automatically. Footage accessible remotely via the app. [CCTV & surveillance](https://bearbox.eu/en/features/cctv-video-surveillance) ### Smart lighting Zone-based lighting that activates only in occupied areas, improving energy efficiency and guiding customers safely through the facility. [Smart lighting](https://bearbox.eu/en/features/smart-lighting) ### Instant alerts Real-time SMS and email alerts for access events, alarms, and motion triggers. Configurable per site and per event type. [Instant alerts](https://bearbox.eu/en/features/instant-alerts) ## Integrations Bearbox integrates with the leading self-storage rental and CRM platforms. Integrations automate access provisioning on move-in, overlocking on missed payments, and access revocation on move-out — eliminating manual work. - **Stora** — built-in smart entry integration, auto-PIN/QR generation, automated overlocking. [Details](https://bearbox.eu/en/solutions/stora-integration) - **Storeganise** — official marketplace Add-on, real-time rental sync, custom field support. [Details](https://bearbox.eu/en/solutions/storeganise-integration) - **Space Manager** — scripting/add-on integration, automated locking tied to payment status. [Details](https://bearbox.eu/en/solutions/space-manager-integration) - **Kinnovis** — no-code REST API integration, automated lockouts, real-time sync. [Details](https://bearbox.eu/en/solutions/kinnovis-integration) - **Custom / API** — full REST API for connecting any platform, CRM, or bespoke system. [Details](https://bearbox.eu/en/solutions/other-integrations) [All integrations](https://bearbox.eu/en/features/rental-software-integrations) ## Company ### Our Mission Self-storage operators deserve technology that actually understands their industry. Not repurposed office security. Not systems that need a consultant every time something changes. Technology built by people who've stood on a facility floor and know what it takes to run one. That's what drives us. We want every operator — whether they're managing a single site or a portfolio across five countries — to feel like they have a team behind them. A system that does what they expect, that their tenants can use without a tutorial, and that their staff don't have to babysit. Access control is infrastructure. It should be invisible when it's working and fixable fast when it isn't. That's the standard we hold ourselves to, and it's why operators who switch to BearBox tend to stay. ### Our Story BearBox started because the people who founded it had spent years working in self-storage and couldn't find an access system that met the basic demands of the industry. Everything available was either too generic, too rigid, or built for a market that wasn't self-storage. So they built their own. That was over twenty years ago. What started as a solution to a specific frustration has grown into a platform trusted by 600+ facilities across the UK, Spain, Sweden, Germany, France, and beyond. The team is still small by design — 30+ people who know the product and the industry rather than a support queue that doesn't. In 2023, BearBox won the FEDESSA Innovation Award at the European Self Storage Awards for multi-factor authentication. It was recognition of something the team had been working on for years — making a genuinely difficult security problem simple for operators and tenants alike. ### Leadership - CEO: Donna Humphreys - Founder: Hugh Murray - Head of Tech: Max Strålin - [About Bearbox](https://bearbox.eu/en/about) - [Contact](https://bearbox.eu/en/contact) — offices in Barcelona, Spain and Hampton, UK - [All features](https://bearbox.eu/en/features) - [All solutions](https://bearbox.eu/en/solutions)