카찹

Carchap (주식회사 카찹, also operating as Carchap-H2Care Korea) is a South Korean mobility software company that provides 'HiCare' (하이케어), an ICT-based digital-transformation solution for hydrogen vehicles and hydrogen refuelling stations. The driver-facing side of the platform supplies real-time operating information and locations for hydrogen stations nationwide, station reservations intended to avoid queuing, and simplified in-app payment for refuelling; the app is distributed through Google Play and the Apple App Store. The station-facing side is a cloud-delivered ERP solution requiring no local installation and usable from mobile, tablet and PC, covering station business-information updates, reservation and T/T management, emergency notices to hydrogen vehicle drivers, and custom system development for station operators.

The company began in the broader mobility sector, launching a beta of an integrated mobility platform in 2020 that aggregated shared kick scooters, shared bicycles, car sharing, taxis, public transit and the Han River water taxi, with route search, brand-by-brand price comparison, discount coupons and mobility subscription/rental products. A carpool and 'taxi pot' ride-matching app under the Carchap brand offers real-name and driver/vehicle verification, search and filtering, route alerts, in-app chat and Carchap Pay settlement; its Google Play listing shows over 100,000 downloads and the Korean App Store listing shows a 4.6 rating from 536 ratings. Google Play also lists two HiCare-branded apps (하이케어 and 하이케어관리자) marked as service-terminated.

Corporate records list an establishment date of 2019-06-28, chief executive Lee Won-jae (이원재), a Seoul Gangnam-gu company address and SME/venture-certified status; the developer address on the app listings is in Seo-gu, Daejeon. The company states it has run partnerships and technology R&D with domestic corporations and public institutions to build a hydrogen energy ecosystem."]

Business model

Carchap supplies two linked products: a consumer app for hydrogen vehicle drivers (station information, reservations, in-app payment) and a customised cloud ERP/BIZ solution sold to hydrogen refuelling station operators and institutional customers. Earlier mobility offerings included aggregation of third-party shared mobility brands with coupons, price comparison and subscription/rental products, plus carpool/taxi-pot matching with Carchap Pay settlement.

Sources describe solution contracts with station operators and public entities (for example a HiCare BIZ solution contract with Seoul Energy Corporation and an ESG mobility solution supply contract with KEPCO KDN), consumer in-app payments and settlement via Carchap Pay/Carchap Money, mobility subscription and rental products, and advertising in the carpool app.

Traction

Company-reported figures include 35,775 hydrogen vehicles using HiCare as of June 2024; more than 100,000 Google Play downloads for the carpool app; roughly 100,000-150,000 users cited for the integrated mobility platform; MAU growth of over 900% on Android and over 2,000% on iOS between the March 2020 launch and October 2020; a #2 ranking among Google Play maps/navigation trending apps after the 'Han Ppyeom Docha' routing launch; MAU of 50,000 reported in May 2022; and DAU growth from May 2021 with rising retention.

Latest developments

The company's site notes a Series A fundraising process running from July 2024, a June 2024 HiCare BIZ solution contract with Seoul Energy Corporation, an October 2024 ESG mobility solution contract with KEPCO KDN, and a September 2024 strengthening of charging reservation services ahead of increased hydrogen vehicle use during the Chuseok holiday. Google Play lists two HiCare-branded apps as service-terminated, and the carpool app was last updated 2024-09-24.