How it all started
The idea for Car Wash Pilot was not born in a startup incubator but in the family: a family member manages a car wash in England — and wrestled daily with the same problems as many operators: bookings over the phone, no online payments, and no simple way to turn regulars into members.
Altin Etemaj, a software developer from Elmshorn, Germany, and a car enthusiast himself, was the obvious person to ask. That combination is exactly what makes the difference: industry knowledge from the family's real car wash operations, paired with professional software development. The solution for one site quickly grew into a bigger idea: what helps one car wash in England is missing across Germany — there is hardly any software built specifically for car washes and detailers, let alone one that lets businesses offer their own wash memberships with automatic billing.
So the family project became a platform: Car Wash Pilot — a booking system with wash memberships, online payments and license plate scanning that any business can set up in about 10 minutes. No agency, no setup fees, no fine print. Best of all: the car wash where it all began already runs on it successfully — every feature is proven in real operations before it reaches you.