The French startup GOMECANO, which offers motorists the possibility of obtaining a qualified mechanic directly at their home or workplace, recently completed a fundraising of 2 million euros. Business Cool spoke with the two co-founders of this startup. The latter enlightened us on GOMECANO’s future projects.
Everything you need to know about GOMECANO
Who are you ?
Alexandre Nivesse: I am Alexandre Nivesse, CEO & co-founder of GOMECANO. I am trilingual, traveler and self-taught. I have worked in very different fields. From the mining industry in Chile, to yacht management in Monaco, I am 100% invested in each of my experiences. At the same time, I am also a fan of motorcycles and sports cars. gomecano.com is the fruit of my determined nature and my passion.
Mathias Boutsen: I am Mathias Boutsen, CSO & co-founder, mechanic and automobile enthusiast, I grew up in the automobile industry thanks to my uncle, a former F1 driver. It was therefore quite natural that I turned to mechanics to make it my career and I worked in particular in karting. gomecano.com is for me a way of revolutionizing mechanics by reestablishing a relationship of trust between the motorist and his mechanic.
AN: One morning, I had a bad surprise: my car wouldn’t start. After searching in vain for a garage, I called my best friend Mathias, a mechanic by trade, and, two hours later, the car was repaired. It was at that moment that we launched a sentence that unintentionally launched the GOMECANO project: “ We should all have a Mathias to call! “.
In 2017, we launched and GOMECANO was born. Mathias becomes the first Gomechanic and I the first ADV. Mathias absolutely insisted that two major values be the basis of GOMECANO: accessibility to simple and clear mechanics for the customer; recognition and work in good conditions for the Gomechanic. And these values are still our foundation!
GOMECANO now has a solid internal team and more than 210 Gomechanics in the field, ready to intervene, in several regions of France.
What does GOMECANO do?
Finding a mechanic quickly in the event of a problem is very valuable for motorists and fleet managers. But having your car repaired is often restrictive: you have to move it to the garage, immobilize it for several days and wait for the teams to take care of it.
Fortunately, there is an alternative: independent mechanics, who come to their customers’ homes. But how can you be sure that the professional who comes is a trusted technician? By using word of mouth? Those around you still need to be aware of this new service! It was from this observation that the idea of creating GOMECANO was born. It was necessary to bring users closer to their mechanic: the solution was found thanks to digital technology.
GOMECANO is built on an innovative principle: a national, centralized, online service that allows everyone to have a well-maintained vehicle. Each intervention is carried out at the place and on the date chosen by the customer, individual or professional, spare parts and labor included, for the maintenance or repair of vehicles of all brands. Vehicles are no longer immobilized for several days, scale times are strictly applied and spare parts are offered at the right price! The platform is also a valuable tool for independent mechanics, who can organize their work with ease.
GOMECANO is a service dedicated to all vehicles, thermal, hybrid or electric. As such, GOMECANO has become a preferred partner of new manufacturers, providing after-sales service for their vehicles sold in France. If GOMECANO aims to democratize automobile mechanics, it is not to the detriment of quality. The Gomécanicians are experts who all have at least 5 years of experience, committed, dynamic, caring and educational. They intervene quickly with their customers to resolve their problems, with spare parts; all organized by teams based in France, in search of the best Gomechanics in the region.
After a successful launch in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Hauts-de-France and Île-de-France, GOMECANO is now present in more than 200 major French cities. And this is just the beginning: the community of Gomécanicians is growing and will then extend beyond the French borders.
GOMECANO’s fundraising
Why did you raise 2 million euros?
This fundraising will allow the company to strengthen its network in the areas in which it is already present (PACA, Haut-de-France, Île-de-France, Lyon and Bordeaux) and to extend its innovative solution to all motorists throughout France, while maintaining an accessible price positioning.
GOMECANO wishes to increase the range of services offered to its individual customers in order to cover 100% of their needs. On the other hand, it aims to consolidate and develop its B2B offer, particularly with fleet managers, professional rental companies and new electric manufacturers such as Aiways, Moke and Biro.
Why did you choose to include Via ID in your capital?
We plan to establish strong synergies with Via ID, an ecosystem of brands and startups dedicated to the mobility of today and tomorrow, such as the provision of spare parts or the provision of reciprocal leads. To achieve its objectives, GOMECANO will continue to innovate in order to improve the experience of its customers as well as that of its Gomechanics, while strengthening its internal teams to prepare to absorb double-digit annual growth and achieve its ambitions.
What will GOMECANO look like in 5 years?
In the short term, we want to maintain our hypergrowth by offering the GOMECANO service in new regions, in order to remain the leader in France and continue to offer a local service to all vehicle owners. We are now considering a European deployment. GOMECANO’s stated ambitions are to become the European leader in automobile mechanics at home or on site!
