Parking is annoying. For Corsin Sulser, this was precisely the idea behind Parcandi. Today, over 100,000 people regularly use the platform to book parking spaces in Switzerland and Germany. The startup had the backing of one of Switzerland’s largest corporations: the Baloise Group.

In 2019, the Baloise Group was looking for new ideas around mobility as part of its Kickbox program. Corsin Sulser, who had been with the Group for almost nine years at the time, didn’t think twice. Innovation has always been part of his job and the idea of sharing never left him. “Sharing had fascinated me for a long time,” says Sulser. “And when you talk about mobility, sooner or later you end up talking about parking. That’s never really pleasant – for anyone.”

There are parking spaces, but they are poorly distributed, often empty and difficult to access. Sulser submits an idea to make parking easier – originally even combined with e-mobility. The working title: Park and Charge.

Out of over 150 ideas submitted, his concept made it into the top ten and even won the audience award. Suddenly the idea is in the spotlight and Sulser is faced with the question that many founders know: Do you leave it at a good idea or do you get serious?

Quickly from concept to customer

With the successful launch behind him, Sulser was aware that this idea could not be implemented alone. He quickly brought fellow campaigners on board, including Olga Pieritz, who is now responsible for Parcandi as CMO, AD and PR. Instead of directly building a complex platform, the team initially opted for a radically simple approach: prototyping on paper, tests with real customers, bookings with keys and cash.

The approach paid off. Just three months after the innovation competition, Parcandi already had its first paying customers. At the same time, the development of the digital platform began with the support of Baloise IT. Around six months later, Parcandi went live with a product whose core functionality was already very close to today’s solution.

Spin-off with a safety net

The formal spin-off took place on July 15, 2021. Parcandi was founded as an independent company, with Baloise remaining on board as a shareholder. A decisive factor for Sulser: “With three daughters and a current mortgage, I would probably never have founded the company without this safety net.”

At the same time, the proximity to the Group was associated with certain disadvantages as well as advantages: Compliance processes, committee decisions and strategic discussions slowed some things down, especially during the corona pandemic, when the question arose as to whether a parking lot startup was still relevant at all. The advantages clearly outweigh the disadvantages for the founding team: Access to know-how, experienced marketing and IT experts, Baloise real estate as a test environment and a strong brand in the background. “As an unknown startup, you have to do a lot more convincing,” says Sulser.

Focus, focus, focus

Looking back, it is clear that not every good idea is ready at the right time. E-charging was part of Parcandi’s vision right from the start. However, it was too early to enter the market in 2020 and the proportion of e-car users was simply too small. Nevertheless, Parcandi later took up the approach again, driven by market requirements and great optimism. The subsequent slump in electromobility brought disillusionment.

A key learning from five years at Parcandi: focus is key. Looking back, the Parcandi founder admits that the focus on the core business of “parking” was lost at times due to additional services such as “e-charging”. In order to grow out of a supposedly narrow niche, the product was broadened early on. Today it is clear to Sulser that Parcandi took this step one to two years too early and paid for it with speed and efficiency in growth. Nevertheless, the team does not regret the move. Today, Parcandi can offer holistic solutions, including e-charging, in addition to the management of vacant parking spaces, and thus also meets the requirements of large tenders. Parcandi scores highly here with its very flexible solution, which can be easily implemented for residential or commercial buildings, districts or areas. Owners, managers and employers benefit from the high level of expertise and comprehensive service.