Chabot Mobility: "We Will Become a 'Super App' That Changes Drivers' Daily Lives"

Interview with CEO Kang Seong-geun and COO Kang Byung-hee
Comprehensive Platform Aimed at Drivers
Responsible for Domestic Sales of UK's 'Grenadier'

Kang Seong-geun, CEO of Chabot Mobility (right), and Kang Byung-hee, Chief Operating Officer of Chabot Mobility, are taking photos after finishing an interview at the headquarters in Seongsu-dong, Seoul. Photo by Heo Young-han younghan@

"We will evolve into a 'super app' that provides various services needed from when a driver buys, drives, to sells a car."

Kang Seong-geun, CEO of Chabot Mobility, sold cars at Volkswagen for three years before founding the company. During that time, he listened directly to consumers' difficulties on-site and contemplated solutions. He said, "The car market not only suffers from severe information asymmetry, but consumers also find it difficult to switch dealers once chosen, leading to many complaints about service. I thought digital transformation could be the solution." He envisioned an intermediary platform that connects customers and dealers online. As trust was built with dealers, consumer complaints decreased and satisfaction increased. Utilizing his major in Christian Education, he created a dealer training program and linked it to employment, making a name for himself in the automotive industry.

Chabot Mobility's business scope has expanded year by year. Starting with the launch of 'Bon Direct,' a service comparing car insurance products, in 2017 they introduced 'Chabot Prime,' a sales solution platform for imported car dealers, and secured a strong dealer network by acquiring 'Chateamjang.' In September last year, they launched the 'Chabot' platform targeting the business-to-consumer (B2C) market. The Chabot application (app) integrates all processes for buying, driving, and selling cars, as well as repair, maintenance, and commerce, providing close services for drivers. Users can also listen to 'Chabot Radio,' which helps drivers with safe driving and offers valuable information. As of last month, the Chabot app has accumulated 440,000 users and achieved 15,000 monthly active users (MAU).

CEO Kang said, "We do not have advanced technology or abundant capital, but I believe the era has come when a mobility platform for drivers is necessary. I want to seize this opportunity to expand contactless services and grow into a super app." Kang Byung-hee, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Chabot Mobility, also said, "Our goal is to integrate the fragmented services in the car market and build a mobility ecosystem where everything works through just one app, 'Chabot,' at the needed moment."

As the business diversified, the parent company 'Chabot Mobility,' which oversees all Chabot businesses, established three subsidiaries according to the characteristics of each business. First, 'Chabot Motors' handles offline infrastructure businesses such as new and used car sales and car maintenance. 'Chabot Driver' operates online platforms including the Chabot app, Chabot Prime, and Chateamjang. Lastly, 'Chabot Insurance' mediates car insurance and financial services. Each company is organically connected to create synergy while maintaining independent management systems with their own CEOs.

In particular, Chabot Motors attracted attention as the first startup to be selected as an official importer. Last year, it was chosen as the Korean importer for the British car company 'INEOS Automotive' and is responsible for importing, selling, and after-sales service of the first model, the 'Grenadier.' CEO Kang said, "Starting with the Grenadier, we will continuously discover valuable overseas brands not yet introduced to Korea, strengthen our import business, and offer new experiences to consumers."

Chabot Mobility was recognized as a promising small and medium enterprise by the Ministry of Employment and Labor in 2020, and last year was selected for KB Financial Group's startup nurturing program 'KB Starters' and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups' 'Baby Unicorn,' confirming its growth potential. The cumulative investment raised up to Series B currently amounts to 10.6 billion KRW. They are conducting Series C investment to pursue mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and global expansion. CEO Kang said, "We plan to acquire startups operating in overseas markets such as the U.S., Australia, and Japan to expand our services. I hope to share news about our global business next year."