2023年2月12日

韓國獨角獸創業公司Socar是國內最大的汽車共享平台。他們於2022年上市，所以嚴格來說，他們不再是一家初創公司。但他們已經證明，在首爾這樣人口稠密的城市，一家初創公司可以成為交通行業的主要參與者。Socar顛覆了韓國傳統的出租車行業，成為韓國人尋求按需出行的熱門選擇。然而，Socar已經表明，汽車共享業務模式可能具有挑戰性，因為它涉及在車輛、保險和基礎設施方麵的大量投資。Socar的股價從2萬8000韓元上漲到2萬1000韓元，一直沒有穩定的利潤。他們的市值從6.4億美元下降到5.55億美元。然而，韓國對方便、按需運輸服務的需求不斷增長，這表明汽車共享市場將在未來幾年繼續增長和發展。Socar和其他移動出行初創公司已經顯示出韓國移動出行行業的巨大增長。他們已經證明了移動出行創業公司可以成為獨角獸創業公司。 South Korea is one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world and is one of the leaders in the rollout of 5G technology. It also has a highly developed transportation infrastructure which provides a solid foundation for growth and innovation. In recent years, the South Korean government has significantly invested in developing new transportation technologies, including electric and autonomous vehicles. This has created a favorable environment for the growth of the mobility industry and has attracted international companies to invest in the market. In addition, South Korea has a large and rapidly growing consumer market, with a growing demand for convenient and efficient transportation solutions. This includes traditional taxi services, car-sharing, and ride-hailing services, as well as new solutions like electric scooters and bikes. What is Socar? Socar is a South Korean car-sharing startup unicorn that was founded in 2011. The company operates a fleet of vehicles (over 20,000), which are available for rent by the hour or by the day. Furthermore, their car-sharing service allows customers to rent a car quickly without the hassle of ownership. The company’s app provides a convenient platform for booking and using its vehicles, and its network of pickup and drop-off locations makes it easy for customers to access its cars. They also have a super app that provides all-in-one mobility services. This includes an autonomous driving platform and charging station services for EVs and micromobility. Socar has experienced significant growth in recent years and operates in several countries, including South Korea, Malaysia, and Australia. In South Korea, they hold over 85% of the market share and have more than 12 million users. Some of Socar’s major shareholders include SoftBank, SK Inc., Altos Ventures, and Lotte Rental. Future Plans Socar has plans to strengthen its services and expand into new territories through acquisitions. Their ultimate goal is to become the leading mobility super-app. By 2025, the company aims to generate 1 trillion won ($748 million) in revenue. To achieve this, Socar intends to maintain an annual revenue growth rate of at least 30% by 2025, according to Jaeuk Park, the CEO of Socar. Socar Acquires Startups in Korea Socar has been active in acquiring startups in Korea to better improve their services. One of the startups Socar acquired is Polariant. Korean startup Polariant was able to patent a way of tracking 3D positions with something called: Light Polarization . Light Polarization detects polarized light and digitizes it into dozens of numbers. Moreover, Polariant’s Polarized Light Sensing (PLS) solution can be used for places where GPS tracking can be difficult. These places include basement floors, underground parking, subways, airports, and malls. Using that data, a 3D model can be calculated. Therefore it can precisely track your motions using artificial light and make a 3D image on the screen. They brought a lot of innovation to the indoor-positioning sector, including robotics, indoor navigation, and factory automation. Many thought Polariant would get bought out by one of the top gaming companies in Korea . However, after getting an investment from Naver, Polariant was bought by Socar . This showed that Socar was interested in incorporating PLS technology for indoor tracking for their automobiles. Socar has been active in investing in the right technology startups in Korea to help them advance into other regions like Southeast Asia. Popular