Spark has combined the electrified mobility experience in a super app. Users can access charging stations from all providers, rent vehicles, use car sharing, and more.
The challenge
The future belongs to SuperApps that provide direct added value to their customers by combining multiple services on a single, unified platform. Developing such a digital ecosystem from scratch, however, is a mammoth task that takes many years – time that startups do not have if they want to enter the market quickly and agilely.
Integrating different services within a SuperApp requires not only complex technical expertise. It also demands a sensitive approach to personal data and expertise in data and payment security. The foundation for a sustainably successful solution lies in both the technological infrastructure and building user trust. Startups typically lack the resources to meet these requirements quickly. Establishing a technological infrastructure is time-consuming and costly. They also often lack capital, as well as experience, support, and connections with key established market players. Only with sponsors and reliable partnerships can the necessary infrastructures for seamless, user-friendly, and secure platforms be built.
The solution
KOBIL Ventures’ Full-Scope Startup Program provided Spark with the support it needed. This gave Spark not only capital, market expertise, and access to partners. Above all, Spark gained access to KOBIL’s OneApp4All technology, a market leader in digital identity and security solutions and Europe’s only SuperApp provider (source: Gartner).
This enabled Spark to draw on ready-to-use configurations and a security infrastructure that meets the highest standards. As a result, it was possible to integrate numerous in-house and external services in a fraction of the time that would have been required for a new development. At the same time, valuable partnerships with major companies were established, allowing Spark to quickly position itself as an innovative and trustworthy provider.
Spark used the following KOBIL modules to build its SuperApp:
- KOBIL mIDentity ensures that all transactions are secure and binding. It enables single sign-on authentication by storing all necessary data in the background.
- KOBIL mWallet is a secure and protected payment and billing module that can be seamlessly integrated into any infrastructure. The wallet function allows payments to be made with a single click.
- KOBIL mChat enables seamless communication and secure data exchange between different systems and services. For example, documents can be digitally signed directly in the chat window.
The benefits
With support from KOBIL Ventures, Spark launched a successful SuperApp with a wide range of functions within a few weeks and at manageable cost. It provides easy access to numerous services related to e-mobility. The platform, for example, includes all common providers of charging stations. Multiple charging cards are not necessary. Users always have a choice and an overview of the different tariffs. Payments are uniform and secure, and communication between drivers and service providers is protected. The integration into the SuperApp “Istanbul Senin” gave Spark immediate access to millions of users. The city app of the Turkish metropolis Istanbul (Turkey) combines all important urban services under one roof. This integration makes it easier for Spark to market its services and, at the same time, offers extensive user feedback to continuously improve and adapt the SuperApp to user needs.
Not least thanks to this large reach, the company was able to become an innovator making mobility more sustainable, barrier-free and comfortable. By integrating into KOBIL’s network and technical structures, Spark is also part of a digital collaborative ecosystem that is autonomous, intelligent, secure and accessible to all.
KOBIL Ventures Startup Program: www.kobilventures.com
Spark SuperApp: https://www.spark.com.de/