INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The long-term future of transportation might see less people owning cars, but today a lot of private vehicles are still on the road, and now
Caroobi, a Berlin company that connects individuals with mechanics, and mechanics with parts suppliers, has picked up $20 million, money
formerly known as Nokia Growth Partners, a fund backed by the Finnish telecoms giant
that the integrated model across the value chain that Caroobi is building has huge potential
and Cherry Ventures.The BMW investment is financial, co-founder and MD of Caroobi Mark Michl said in an interview, with no strategic plans
The company is not yet profitable, by design, and has raised around $30 million to date.The amount of this investment is notable when you
The company says that in its current German footprint, for example, it works with only 750 mechanics today, but with a total addressable
market of around 35,000 mechanics
fill what is effectively a gap in the legacy automotive market.In many countries, one of the most common routes for repairing a car, or
getting it serviced, is to use an independent garage or mechanic
But these days, as much of the process of finding and contacting tradespeople has moved online, much of the mechanic world has not come
along.You may find some recommendations on services like Yelp, and even some targeted directories that help direct referrals for independent
mechanics to quote for work, such as WhoCanFixMyCar in the UK, or even services that come to you on-demand, such as YourMechanic in the
those customers with transparent price lists and helps to manage not just bookings, but payments and potentially disputes (and soon, service
The first is the customer-facing side, Caroobi is giving mechanics are more efficient way of interfacing with customers, with accounting and
is the supplier-facing side, which is a newer area of business for Caroobi
Mechanics typically work with either a small group of distributors, or more likely one or two purchasing groups, which gives the mechanics
less flexibilty in what they can order, the general supply levels, and how much everything costs
Caroobi currently sources parts from over 100 distributors and manufacturers, giving those mechanics a better selection and likely more
By sourcing our parts directly from manufacturers we are establishing a lean, efficient process in the market, which becomes more cost
or what kind of a cut Caroobi gets from it
Michl does say that the company takes a small percentage for every kind of transaction, and that these often work out to be competitive or
even cheaper than what the mechanic might have charged, were he working directly.
