International Newsmaker Q&A Todor Kalaydjiev

Oct. 18, 2016
Based in Sofia, Bulgaria, Carista has recently rolled out a major update and redesign of its OBD2 mobile application that “enables drivers to seamlessly diagnose, customize and service their cars.”

Based in Sofia, Bulgaria, Carista has recently rolled out a major update and redesign of its OBD2 mobile application that “enables drivers to seamlessly diagnose, customize and service their cars.”

By developing tools that were once available only to automotive industry professionals, “Carista allows users to diagnose mechanical and electronic issues and address them in due course,” says company founder and CEO Todor Kalaydjiev.

“In addition, the customization capabilities enable personalization of lights, windows, doors, displays and other settings,” he says. Drivers can now reset oil service indicators or service electronic parking brakes directly from their iOS or Android devices.

The system connects with all OBD2-compatible vehicles via its own OBD2 unit, which plugs directly into the car’s diagnostic port.

All of the features can be accessed for a weekly pass of $9.99 or a yearly subscription of $39.99. Standard diagnostics are free.

“We look forward to continuing to drive innovation by democratizing dealer-only functionality while delivering on our vision to bring the benefits of smart cars to every driver across the globe,” according to Kalaydjiev, who recently answered a series of questions posed by Aftermarket Business World:

Q: What does your OBD2 system entail?

A: Carista is a mobile application that empowers drivers from around the world to seamlessly diagnose, customize and service their vehicles.

With Carista users can quickly and easily check if there are any problems detected by their vehicle’s electronic systems, similar to what a dealer would do. Unlike other OBD2 apps, Carista is not limited to regular OBD2 diagnostics, but can also scan all other electrical components, such as ABS, airbag and navigation, for a wide range of supported models by Volkswagen Group, Toyota Group and BMW Group.

Due to this advanced connection with the car, Carista also enables users to personalize their car’s convenience settings. Whether they want to unlock only the driver’s door at the first click of the remote, or want all doors unlocked simultaneously, Carista can do that and much more. In fact, for some models there are more than 100 available customizations.

With the launch of version 3.0, we have started rolling out a new set of features – service tools. Currently, we offer Electronic Parking Brake and Service Reset for VW/Audi, with many more in the pipeline.

Q: How does it operate?

A: The only prerequisite for using Carista is a small wireless OBD2 adapter. Carista makes its own high-quality OBD2 adapter that’s compatible with both iOS and Android, but the app can also be used with generic standard OBD2 adapters (WiFi for iOS, Bluetooth for Android).

The user just plugs in the OBD2 adapter into the car’s diagnostic port, turns on the ignition, and picks one of Carista’s three main features: Diagnose, customize, or service. No prior technical knowledge about cars is required and the interface is no harder to use than changing your smartphone’s wallpaper, for example.

Q: How does it benefit motorists who use it?

A: Carista provides valuable information about the “health” of the vehicle, with dealer/mechanic level precision. Drivers also have the ability to change the behavior of their car, without wasting many hours and dollars (at the repairer). And all of this is available through the convenience of a smartphone, which makes it easy to use whether you’re at home, at work or on the side of the road.

We take great pride in the way we have designed the user interface of the app: Anyone can use it without being a “car geek” or knowing how every system in the car works. All of this comes as an inexpensive and convenient alternative (to going to a repair facility).

Q: Can aftermarket businesses benefit by encouraging their customers to use this? Can it be applied for increasing sales of automotive parts and service offerings?

A: Carista has access to very contextual information about a driver’s needs and their vehicle’s condition. Specifically, by analyzing user data, Carista can anticipate upcoming maintenance and offer targeted offers for service and supplies.

Q: What was the process of inventing this system?

A: I have two passions – consumer-facing mobile applications and cars. So it was natural for me to combine them into a new venture after I left Google and Amazon. I started on my own and developed the first version of Carista, which included only basic OBD2 diagnostics but emphasized ease-of-use to less-technical users.

Later on, I started exploring different ways to communicate with other car components and found out that it is indeed possible to communicate with them through standard hardware, albeit with a very brand-specific software implementation. At that time, I started building a team and introduced the first disruptive features – customizations and manufacturer-specific diagnostics for a variety of brands and models.

Q: How long did it take to bring it to market?

A: Five months from the start of full-time work to initial launch. Then another 11 months to the first set of advanced features.

Q: What markets are you in?

A: Given the nature of business, Carista’s market is global. However, our largest markets are the USA, Canada, UK and Germany.

Q: Where can it be purchased?

A: The Carista App is available on both Google Play and the App Store. Many users were finding it difficult to find an appropriate OBD2 adapter, so we developed our own, which can be purchased through Amazon internationally.

Q: How well is this selling?

A: We have more than a quarter-million downloads, tens of thousands of paid users, and thousands of hardware units sold.

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