Starting in Busan, Gotcha Mobilize CEO Lee Won-jun, who has dominated the nationwide premium mobile car wash market, is changing the industry landscape with the vision of “providing time management, not vehicle management.” Gotcha, which provides services to over 2,000 apartment complexes nationwide and has achieved a 60% share of the luxury apartment market with over 1,000 households, is aiming for the global stage.
On a weekend morning, when Park Cheol-woo (45) would normally be bending over to wash his car in the parking lot, he is enjoying brunch with his family. His car is being meticulously maintained by a Gotcha technician in the underground parking lot. “I used to go to a car wash or use a car from my apartment, but the quality was uneven. Now, a professional comes at a set time to maintain it, so it’s really convenient.”
Before the advent of Gotcha, apartment residents had limited options for car maintenance. They had to either spend time visiting car washes or rely on apartment monthly rentals that did not guarantee quality. To learn more about Gotcha’s journey to resolve these inconveniences, we visited its headquarters in Gwangalli, Busan.
CEO Lee Won-jun, dressed casually in slacks, greeted the press in his simple yet practical office. On the walls were the company’s history, growth graphs, and apartment complex maps, and on the desk were samples of various car care products.
“I started this business because there was no good monthly car rental service,” said CEO Lee Won-jun, explaining his motivation for starting the business.
“I was shocked when I came home late at night and saw a company employee lightly dusting the car and wiping the paint and wheels with a towel. I thought it would be nice to have a proper premium service even if it costs more.”
To make his idea a reality, he went to Los Angeles, USA and completed a detailing master course. The introduction of a biodegradable waterless car wash method specialized for the underground parking lot environment of Korean apartments became the key to competitiveness. Unlike existing companies that wash their cars in 3 to 5 minutes with water, dusters, and 1 to 3 cheap towels, Gotcha uses biodegradable waterless chemicals, 6 to 8 high-quality towels, brushes, premium wax, etc. and takes 20 to 30 minutes (based on exterior car wash) to be meticulous.
“I didn’t know that the apartment rental market was so closed and bound by convention. Existing companies interfered by saying, ‘We won’t let you wash your car,’ and even laughed at us when we showed up at the site in uniform.”
In the process of overcoming these difficulties, Gotcha's unique management philosophy, 'Mr. Learning', was born. "These days, everyone talks about machine learning and AI, but we emphasize 'Mr. Learning' that is centered on people. The key is to serve customers and colleagues like a 'mr.' with a sense of ownership, and to learn and grow together."
Gotcha is also expanding its business to the public sector, having recently been selected as the Busan Fire and Disaster Headquarters and the 2024 Korea-Africa Summit ceremonial vehicle management company. “Entering the public sector is a strategic decision to grow into a ‘national trust-based brand.’ It is very meaningful to manage vehicles that are responsible for the lives of the people and diplomacy.”
CEO Lee Won-jun is preparing to expand into a data-based business. “We are preparing used car value assessments, insurance rate models, and mobility asset-based financial linkage services by utilizing data such as tire wear, mileage, and vehicle condition accumulated during the car wash process.”
Gotcha, which is preparing to attract pre-Series A investment, plans to invest in expanding its hub in downtown Seoul, internalizing technology, enhancing its brand, and expanding its B2B/B2G business. It also aims to enter the high-end residential complex market in Southeast Asia, including Thailand, China, and Singapore, in 2026.
“Our vision is not to be a company that simply provides car wash services, but to build a mobility infrastructure closely related to daily life that allows vehicles to be maintained regularly.”
Gotcha is evolving into a life care platform that adds convenience to everyday life and is preparing to leap beyond Busan and become a global brand.
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