Patent for Finnish Innovation Enabling Digitalisation of Any 
Car-related Service

8 March 2019 | Press release

PRESS RELEASE 8.3.2019

A Finnish technology company Superoperator, whose innovation just got an enforceable patent in Finland, is on a mission to save car drivers’ time and nerves by digitalising all car-related services from car washes, parking and refuelling to safety services and services by booking. Patented and proven to be ready to scale their digital car service platform commercially and internationally, Superoperator is now looking for licensing partners to join their brand-independent roster.

It All Started with An Ordinary Everyday Struggle
Superoperator’s story began, when Mr. Erkki Aminoff, today the CEO of the company, was getting his car washed — first queuing to pay for the service then queuing to get in to the actual car wash. This time-consuming task got Aminoff thinking:

“I became determined to get rid of everything that gets on drivers’ nerves in the process. No more queues, no more redundant steps,” says Aminoff. In 2011, he innovated a solution that was realised in 2012 by founding Juhlapesu car wash network that nowadays serves fully digitally via a mobile application without the need to ever get out of one’s car. As a result of persistent development, marketing and sales of the innovative platform, Superoperator has licensed its technology to carwash operators and petrol stations in Europe, North America, and Australia.

The Patented Invention Enables Digitalisation of Any Car-related Service
As of Jan 16 2019, Superoperator has been issued an enforceable patent in Finland for their invention of car identification and a mobile launch of car services. After being granted a patent in 2015, Finnish Patent And Registration Office rejected the filed oppositions, and the patent remains valid in the form that it was originally granted.

Patent FI125585 B (granted Dec 15, 2015) protects the Finnish invention of a system for controlling a vehicle-related service including a consumer application for registering, using the service, and safe payment, a vehicle recognition element for identifying the vehicle on arrival at the service station, a back-end element enabling the use of the service station, and a control element allowing the controlling of the service station remotely, as depicted in the image below. The patent covers services that can be launched by the application, such as car wash, refuelling, parking and charging, when the system recognises the user.

In practice, the patented technology enables full digitalisation of any automotive-related services. In Finland, the system is in use at Juhlapesu’s service network currently covering 29 car wash sites. The wash functionality of the network is controlled via Superoperator’s digital interface. The consumer accesses the service with a smartphone application. Superoperator has also licensed their technology to various car wash operators in Finland, Sweden, Czech Republic, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand.

Encouraged by the great results in consumer satisfaction and growth in car wash sales & wash capacity figures, as well as the smooth adaptability and operation of the digital technology itself, Superoperator is now looking beyond the car wash business. Their mission is to develop and commercialize a digital car service platform that covers everything that drivers need via one single mobile application.

“It needs to be independent from the service providers and brands. The consumer has the right to freely choose what fits their individual needs. We want to serve as their first go-to app when there’s a need for any car-related service,” says Aminoff. “And when the consumer buys one thing, he usually buys another, too. Here lies the power and opportunities of co-marketing.”

About Superoperator Oy
Superoperator is a Finnish technology company, whose patented hardware-independent systems solution makes it possible to upgrade any analogue car wash to a digitally functioning service. The technology is applicable to any automotive-related service, including parking, refuelling, and car maintenance with a functionality of booking a service. Superoperator’s technology is in use in three continents: Europe, the United States, and Australia. Today, over 200,000 events are transmitted through the system every month, with over 4000 connected devices and over 110,000 monthly users.

If you would like more information about this topic, please call Erkki Aminoff 
at +358 400 500 564, or email erkki.aminoff@superoperator.com