2017 Under the Radar: ZOHR changing tires, traditional mindset on roadside aid
August 29, 2017 | Bobby Burch
Editor’s note: Startland News picked 10 early-stage firms to spotlight for its annual Under the Radar startups list. The following is one of 2017’s companies. To view the full list, click here.
Nearly anyone with a car can relate to the chore of replacing bald tires or the frustration of a flat.
Not only will you likely have to shell out a few Benjamins, but also find the time to wait for a busy mechanic whose hours are often only during the workday.
It’s this conundrum that Kansas City-based ZOHR aims to soothe with its on-site tire replacement services.
Half tech firm, half automotive servicing shop, ZOHR allows one to schedule a variety of tire services from a phone or computer to be completed at your home, office or stranded on the roadside. Working around your schedule, ZOHR mechanics swoop in like superheroes — but instead of the Batmobile, it’s a teched out van that can mount, balance, plug and rotate your tires.
Now in business for about two years, the company has grown to five staffers and has serviced more than 5,000 tires in the Kansas City area, ZOHR co-founder Komal Choong said. The firm is growing at a rate of about 15 percent month over month, he added. The company — which for now services only the Kansas City metro — also was a part of YCombinator’s Fellowship program, connecting it to mentors and many resources to grow.
Paired with steady growth, ZOHR has ambitious national expansion plans. ZOHR aims to be a household name for automotive services across the country within 10 years, Choong said. The firm is now looking to expand its services to eventually include on-site oil changes and car washes and subscription-based tire rotations.
Fun fact: About 18 months ago, Startland News shared the 1 Million Cups stage with ZOHR. Check out both of the presentations here.
2017 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Events Preview: BetaBlox Demo Day
There are a boatload of entrepreneurial events hosted in Kansas City on a weekly basis. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, investor, supporter or curious Kansas Citian, we’d recommend these upcoming events for you. WEEKLY EVENT PREVIEW KCedu and Lean Lab Meetup When: June 16 @ 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm Where: EduHub Join us as KCedu and…
Startup life and marriage: A spouse’s perspective
Editor’s Note: Dan and Gina Schmidt agreed to share their experience of how startup life has changed their relationship and family. This is Gina’s perspective; see Dan’s here. Opinions expressed this commentary are the author’s alone. A little over six years ago, my husband, Dan, approached me with a business idea. “Emerging Business CFO. That’s…
New batch of techies, educators to revamp learning with Lean Lab
After recently announcing it would award $100,000 for education startups, the Lean Lab on Thursday unveiled the five entrepreneur teams that represent its third cohort. The non-profit for the first time opened its fellowship program to accept international teams, reaping it more than 50 applications — some from as far as Iran and Bulgaria, said…
The Nerdery launches hiring spree at KC office
Nerds abound in Kansas City. Or at least the Nerdery’s local expansion seems to indicate as much. The software design and development firm has added 14 staffers in the last 18 months and is now launching another hiring spree. The Minneapolis-based firm — which opened a Kansas City office in late 2014 — plans to…