Invest KOREA

About the Company

OWiN was founded in 2015 to bring to the market a connected car commerce solution platform that provides payment and additional services for drivers and cars connected to a data-based service network.

It uses a location-based solution connecting cars with commercial transaction points and a solution interfacing point of sales (POS) devices to provide a non-contact payment service solution to drivers and providers of fueling, charging, parking and car washing services. OWiN also offers a door to car (D2C) service and solution delivering a wide variety of products to cars.

Background

Most car drivers and users are already making diverse commercial transactions while they are on the move. The demand for making such commercial transactions will grow at a remarkable speed in the future mobility environment where self-driving cars and others are making a rapid progress. In particular, the connected car environment where the car itself is connected to the Internet is transforming cars from a simple means of transportation into a space where all kinds of commercial transactions are available. And the connected car commerce platform brings a major business opportunity as it connects car drivers and users with various points of service.

Product and Technology

With its in-car payment and D2C service solution platform commercialized for the first time in the world, OWiN is offering automatic payment services and interfaced concierge solutions to car brands and more than 2,000 gas stations, franchises and convenient stores across South Korea.

More specifically, OWiN’s solution transfers orders made on mobile phones and In Vehicle Infotainment (IVI) systems to gas stations, parking lots, car washes, retailers, and food and beverage pickup service providers, interfaces with retailers’ point of sales devices based on estimated arrival time, and provides a seamless service based on gas pump control, payment/transaction settlement, and service guide.

Competitive Edge and Business Strategy

Within the conventional industries, OWiN’s connected car commerce is enabling the development and progress of smart city projects. The automobile industry is offering diverse content including intelligent navigation and music streaming services based on Internet connection, and traditional service sectors such as parking lots are evolving to provide intelligent parking location management and payment services. The rapidly-evolving concept of mobility is expected to expand the scale of mobility as a service (MaaS) and dramatically transform the conventional mainstream market.

OWiN’s differentiated multi-party networking model connecting the service points of gas stations, parking lots and other stores with cars and its payment and POS interface solution provided based on accurate car location enable OWiN to position itself as a provider of a platform integrating and connecting individual service based on the unique service model of providing pickup delivery service for cars.

Moreover, the multi-party networking makes it possible for OWiN to develop a business model of cooperating rather than competing with existing industries and major platforms. OWiN has already partnered with Hyundai Motors, Renault Samsung Motors, GS Caltex and other major players in the mobility sector, and is shaping a cooperative business model with major payment service providers including credit card issuers.

Future Plans

Since its foundation in 2015, OWiN has been growing as a future unicorn under its four-phase business plan aimed at “connecting your car life” with concierge services for drivers.

Currently, OWiN is implementing the second phase of building the B2B network for expanding the car commerce infrastructure (i.e., car makers, gas stations, parking lots) and adding references. It will soon enter the third phase focused on adding consumers, thereby generating sales and expanding services, and ultimately building data AI solutions..