The Baloise Group and the Berlin-based corporate venture builder Bridgemaker are bringing aboDeinauto to the market – the first subscription service exclusively for second-hand vehicles. This is achieved through close cooperation with car dealers who – through aboDeinauto –participate in the rapidly growing market of car subscriptions.
Founding a company that gives users access to a car for a fixed monthly fee is another step forward on the steady growth path of Baloise’s ecosystem. “aboDeinauto is an opportunity for us to position ourselves in a very promising market with great potential for growth and many points of contact with Baloise’s Mobility ecosystem,” says Patrick Wirth, Head of the Mobility Unit of Baloise Group. After its launch in Berlin and the surrounding area in November 2020, the start-up will soon begin to expand its operations to other regions across Germany. The monthly fee is affordably priced and the subscription model is simple and flexible. aboDeinauto enables customers to use a second-hand car of their choice on a monthly subscription basis with no long-term commitment. The business collaborates closely with second-hand car dealers who benefit from the opportunity to reduce the forecourt display period of their vehicles with the help of this new business model.
aboDeinauto also collaborates closely with sales outlets, can draw on a large pool of second-hand vehicles and can offer these at particularly attractive rates. This differentiates aboDeinauto from existing car leasing subscription services in the market. Tax, insurance, vehicle registration and maintenance as well as a high degree of flexibility are all included in the monthly fee. The minimum subscription period is just one month and users can choose between five packages ranging from 500 km to 2,500 km per month. “With aboDeinauto, we make it easier for customers to gain access to a car of their own so that they can get around more flexibly and with peace of mind at an attractive price,” concludes Alexander Thieme, interim CEO of aboDeinauto and Venture Partner at Bridgemaker.
The USP of the business model adopted by aboDeinauto is the direct cooperation with second-hand car dealers who were included in the product development process from an early stage. By offering their cars for subscription at a profitable rate, they can reduce the forecourt display period and optimise their line of credit. aboDeinauto wants to be a partner for second-hand car dealers, including and especially when times are challenging. In addition, this approach enables aboDeinauto to guarantee customers not only a large range of cars to choose from but also that the selected car will be available quickly.
Gert De Winter, CEO of the Baloise Group, is pleased with these new initiatives: “At our 2020 Investor Day, we presented a number of initiatives of strategic importance that will help Baloise to transform into a provider of technology-driven solutions in the Mobility and Home segments. The foundation of aboDeinauto is part of the measures we are taking to achieve this objective. It started out in the German market but has potential for Europe-wide growth. From 2025, we want to attract 400,000 new customers and generate CHF 100 million of revenue per year with the help of our initiatives in the Mobility ecosystem.”
Bridgemaker is Europe’s leading independent company builder. With a team of experienced entrepreneurs and innovators, Bridgemaker enables companies and ‘hidden champions’ to identify their unique competitive advantages by setting up innovative start-ups outside the restrictive environment of their regular operations. The partnership between the company’s team and experts in the corporate sector is the key to its success. Bridgemaker was founded by Henrike Luszick in 2016 and has since built up more than ten successful ventures.