February 18, 2021 - London, UK / Tokyo, Japan
Parkopedia, the world’s leading parking service provider with headquarters in London, UK, has announced the launch of its Japanese subsidiary ‘Parkopedia Japan Limited’ registered in Tokyo, Japan. The launch follows the continued growth of Parkopedia’s automotive business in Japan, with major Japanese OEM brands including Toyota, Lexus, Honda, Mazda, and Nissan already working with Parkopedia in various geographies globally.
In Japan, Apple Maps, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen Group drivers already use the parking services provided by Parkopedia, which cover over 1000 cities and towns nationwide. The service has been integrated into selected vehicles since 2019, providing static and dynamic parking data after the initial launch with Apple Maps in 2018. The launch of the local Japanese business further strengthens Parkopedia’s commitment to its Asian customers and drivers. It joins other Parkopedia global business sites including Europe, USA and China as Parkopedia looks to roll out its end-to-end product portfolio across major markets in 2021.
As part of its Japanese expansion, Parkopedia has also announced the appointment of Tomohiko Ishibashi as Representative Commercial Director of Parkopedia Japan, effective immediately. Tomohiko has extensive experience in the mapping and automotive industries, having worked with location-based and ride-sharing service businesses, in addition to roles in Silicon Valley working within the technology industry. Tomohiko will lead Parkopedia’s operations in Japan and will report to Hans Puvogel, Parkopedia’s COO.
With Parkopedia Japan, Parkopedia has brought the Japanese parking data collection in-house to address growing driver demands for a seamless premium parking experience. The move aims to deliver an automotive-grade level of quality and accuracy that is unprecedented in the Japanese market. Parkopedia will bring its vast global experience with aggregated in-car payment solutions to Japan, working with OEMs to better serve their drivers.
Commenting on the announcement, Eugene Tsyrklevich, Founder and CEO of Parkopedia, said: “I’m delighted to launch our business in Japan and at the same time, welcome Tomohiko to Parkopedia as we continue to scale our operations. We truly believe that Japan should be at the forefront of this industry as a proven technology leader, and features some of the largest automotive brands and customer bases globally. Our ambition is to continue to best serve all our clients and drivers around the world, and this launch, combined with our experience and product quality will only bring us closer to that goal for the Japanese market.”