The first Artificial Intelligence (machine learning, natural language understanding) mobile application for the Automotive Repair and Maintenance Service Industry that enables Technicians to perform their work quickly, safely and with a higher degree of accuracy – today announced it has raised over $3 million in Angel funding, with Hike Ventures LLC. as the lead investor, with participation from others.
Angel investors and advisors include Automotive icons such as Les Silver, former CEO of Identifix and Chairman of Dynatron, Ron Frey, former Chief Strategy Officer for CDK Global and AutoNation and Mario Recchia, former Senior Vice President of Marketing for WorldPac – a subsidiary of Advance Auto Parts. Also included in CYTK’s Angel round are senior technology and business leaders from Amazon, Oracle and IBM.
Technicians are calling CYTK the first comprehensive, frictionless repair search application available on a smartphone (iOS or Android):
- CYTK is the first mobile assistant that enables techs to search on their smartphones a complete range of Automotive repair and parts information, through keyword search, touch or voice (hands free) and right at the vehicle or on site at a customer’s home or office.
- CYTK provides state of the art mobile AI technology to help train and onboard new Technicians.
- CYTK combines OEM repair procedures, technical specifications (wiring diagrams and technical service bulletins) and parts information with crowd-sourced “most viewed” YouTube videos, empowering Automotive Technicians to deliver unmatched productivity and quality.
“Automotive repair facilities are under increasing pressure to deliver more with less due to the ongoing Technician and Computer Chip shortages. In addition, keeping up with the rapid increase in vehicle technology and aging vehicle population there just won’t be enough Automotive Technicians to meet the increasing demand over the coming years. CYTK’s objective is simple: Empower new and experienced Automotive Technicians with advanced AI technologies such as machine learning and natural language processing, providing frictionless access to the full range of repair information they need to meet increasing productivity demands,” said CYTK Founder and CEO, Bryan Levenson, an experienced ML, NLU, Cloud leader in Automotive. “We are bullish about this opportunity to optimize vehicle repair in New or Used Vehicle Dealerships, Automotive Repair and Maintenance Chains, Independent Repair Facilities as well as for Mobile Automotive Technicians. From the moment a customer drops off their car or completes an online request for a mobile Technician, CYTK plays an important role in streamlining repair processes by offering a mobile search application for vehicle repair data.”
CYTK is tapping into a large and growing presence of mobile technology in the Automotive Repair Bay. IMR, Inc. Reports that nearly every Automotive Repair Technician owns a mobile phone (99.6%) and nearly half owns a tablet or iPad (46.4%). The vast majority of technicians (87.4%) use mobile phones for work in their Bays.
“CYTK is uniquely positioned to rewrite the Automotive industry’s rules on how Technicians access data while repairing vehicles,” said Ron Frey, an industry veteran and strategic adviser. “CYTK is modernizing how vehicles are repaired, and both the Dealerships and Independent Repair Facilities (and mobile technicians) are going to benefit from a new suite of AI powered mobile applications that deliver unparalleled efficiency. The industry is seeking ways to speed up processes and cut costs, and CYTK’s frictionless, touch or hands-free work environment in the Bay and on the road has the potential to deliver both.”
CYTK enables automotive Technicians to reclaim wasted time and facilitate the training and learning of new content all via AI powered mobile applications designed for Automotive’s workforce.
