Startup Collaboration with MAHLE – Boost digital customer services & internal process efficiency

What is MAHLE looking for?  

In a rapidly evolving mobility landscape, vehicle owners are demanding seamless, convenient, and digitally accessible services—even after their vehicles fall out of OEM warranty. While OEMs are building proprietary ecosystems to capture this space, independent players face the challenge of creating competitive, brand-agnostic alternatives.   

The aftermarket, long focused on parts and workshop services, is ripe for transformation. With the technical foundation for a platform under development, the focus is now on partnering with mature service providers who already offer digital, bookable services for private vehicle owners. The emphasis is not on building another app or early-stage concept, but on finding integration-ready solutions that address real customer needs and work independently of specific car brands or OEM infrastructure.   

The goal: to create an open, scalable service ecosystem for parked vehicles—enabling a wide range of on-demand services via a digital, multi-brand platform, such as maintenance, cleaning, or diagnostics, and potentially many more. 

Core Question  

Which aftersales services can you offer that can be integrated into a multi-brand platform to provide vehicle owners with convenient, on-demand mobility services around cars—beyond OEM ecosystems?  

Opportunity Areas  

The following service categories are intended as inspiration. If your digital service solution falls outside these areas but aligns with the overall challenge goals, we still encourage you to apply.  

• On-Demand Maintenance & Mobile Repair  
• Mobile Car Cleaning & Detailing  
• Remote Diagnostics & Vehicle Health Checks  
• Tire & Battery Services at Vehicle Location  
• Workshop Booking & Partner Network Integration  

Goals & Criteria  

The solution should be able to:  

• Offer a market-ready digital service with existing paying customers (no MVPs or pure concepts).  
• Operate independently of OEM ecosystems, with services applicable to multi-brand vehicles (typically >2 years old).  
• Be white-label-capable and integratable into a future MAHLE platform via standard APIs.  
• Demonstrate a realistic pilot scenario in Germany with short implementation lead times.  
• Be scalable across regions and service categories, with robust operational processes.  
• Allow for potential co-branding, platform partnership, or strategic investment models with MAHLE.  

What should your application communicate?  

• What your current solution or service includes: core functionality, service types, and booking/payment flow.  
• Where and how your service is already operating (e.g., active markets, customer base, traction).  
• How your solution can be technically integrated (e.g., API documentation, platform compatibility, white-label readiness).  
• Your pilot vision with MAHLE: what a first rollout could look like, timeline, scope, and resource needs.  
• How your solution aligns with a multi-brand, B2C mobility service model.  
• What type of partnership you envision (e.g., co-branding, white-label integration, platform listing, investment interest).  
• Any regulatory or technical requirements you would need to be aware of (e.g., GDPR, insurance, operational licenses).  

We value structured, realistic proposals. Show us how you think, how your solution works, and how it can deliver value for MAHLE and its customers.  

Who are we looking for?  

We are looking for innovation partners who:  

• Offer a scalable, integratable services that could be white-labeled or extended for MAHLE use cases (no pure custom development services)  
• Are open to co-developing and evolving the solution alongside MAHLE