Press Release: Wemolo Takes Over Insolvent Competitor Avrio and Digitizes Hamburg Parking Lots

Barrier-free AI technology replaces inefficient legacy systems and increases short-stay parking turnover by 50% with 25% lower operating costs.

Munich/Hamburg, July 01, 2025. Wemolo (www.wemolo.com), Europe's leading provider of fully digital parking solutions, has secured and successfully digitally transformed two strategically important parking locations in Hamburg-Winterhude and Hamburg-Altona by acquiring insolvent competitor Avrio: a 300-space parking garage in Hamburg-Winterhude and another parking area in Hamburg-Altona – both at retail locations.

Following the insolvency of DPG Deutsche Parken Gesellschaft GmbH (brand: Avrio), which relied on outdated barrier and ticketing systems, Wemolo implemented its AI-based license plate recognition system and developed new business models. The successful transformation of the formerly uneconomically operated sites into profitable assets is based on two core strategies: The switch to a barrier-free parking system based on camera technology minimizes system failures and does not require on-site personnel. In addition, the Wemolo platform enables parking spaces to be made available to residents in the evening and at night – generating additional revenue streams, while key and contract management is also fully digitalized.

“By taking over the Avrio parking lots, we are demonstrating that our digital parking management system is not only more customer-friendly, but also significantly more economically successful than conventional barrier solutions,” explains Jakob Bodenmüller, Co-CEO and Co-founder of Wemolo. “After the changeover, we were able to reduce operating costs by up to 25 percent and at the same time increase short-term parking revenue by 50 percent, while completely eliminating the maintenance-intensive hardware.”

From Barriers to AI: Transforming Analog Systems

In its nine years on the market, Avrio relied on conventional systems with physical barriers and tickets, which proved to be uneconomical. Wemolo has replaced these outdated systems with its AI-supported license plate recognition system.

The Winterhude site benefits from the complete modernization of the existing basic digital equipment, which has now been integrated into Wemolo's advanced AI infrastructure. The location in Altona – in the immediate vicinity of the train station and therefore in a highly frequented city center location – offers a smooth traffic flow without traffic jams thanks to barrier-free access.

“We have replaced the inefficient infrastructure with our tried-and-tested digital platform,” explains Bastian Pieper, CPTO and Co-founder of Wemolo. "The AI-based license plate recognition records parking transactions fully automatically and enables smooth processes. Users pay online via any standard smartphone or at a pay machine – without backlogs, paper tickets or waiting times."

Data-Based Revenue Optimization Through Real-Time Analytics

In addition to improved user-friendliness, the Wemolo system offers valuable real-time data for property owners: occupancy profiles, length of stay, frequency peaks, and willingness to pay are automatically recorded and can be used for dynamic pricing, for example.

“Our analytics platform makes it possible to analyze user behavior and adjust pricing models accordingly,” explains Dr. Yukio Iwamoto, Co-CEO and Co-founder of Wemolo. "This allows us to sustainably increase the return on space without compromising the user experience. The result is profitably operated parking assets with minimal operating costs.”

Additional Revenue Through Sharing Model for Residents

Wemolo has significantly optimized the existing sharing model for residents at the locations using its proven platform technology. Residents can flexibly book free parking spaces outside of retailer opening hours – as a daily, weekly, or monthly subscription. “This model maximizes asset utilization and generates additional revenue in otherwise unused time slots,” explains Bodenmüller. Especially in high-priced urban locations such as Hamburg-Winterhude and Altona with extreme parking pressure, this hybrid usage concept is proving to be a valuable contribution to yield optimization. The booking platform at www.go.wemolo.de/parken-hamburg enables efficient utilization in the evening and at night – periods in which conventional parking spaces often remain completely unused.

Focus on Premium Urban Locations with Multimodal Transport Connections

Wemolo focuses specifically on locations with high parking pressure and heavy traffic volumes, where outdated legacy systems operate inefficiently. “Both Hamburg properties show typical problems of traditional parking systems: high utilization meets failure-prone technology,” explains Sarina Decker, Director Commercial at Wemolo. “The excellent public transport connections – two bus lines in Winterhude and direct proximity to the long-distance train station in Altona – make these locations even more attractive for various property owners.”

This opens up specific new opportunities for asset managers: “Precise frequency analyses allow us to assess the property value more accurately,” explains Decker. “The data on vehicle models and length of stay also provides conclusions about the purchasing power of users – valuable insights for location assessments and rental pricing.”

The Avrio takeover marks a strategic expansion step for Wemolo, which is now expanding through targeted acquisitions in addition to organic growth. With around 3,000 locations and more than two million parking transactions processed daily, Wemolo has already successfully established its technology in various real estate classes.

About Wemolo

The Munich-based tech company Wemolo specializes in digital parking space management and optimization. The idea was born in July 2019 from a project at UnternehmerTUM. The team around the three founders Jakob Bodenmüller, Bastian Pieper, and Yukio Iwamoto now employs over 250 people in Munich and at four other European locations: Salzburg, Zurich, Wroclaw, and Milan. In the DACH region as well as in Poland and Italy, over 3,000 parking areas already rely on the Wemolo solution, which records more than 2 million parking transactions every day. In the Deloitte Fast 50 ranking, Wemolo is listed as the fastest growing startup in Germany. Its customer portfolio includes well-known retailers such as Aldi, Edeka, and Carrefour, leading real estate companies such as Defama Deutsche Fachmarkt AG and HIH Real Estate, restaurants such as McDonald's and Burger King, hotel chains such as Best Western, renowned healthcare facilities such as Asklepios Klinik, and numerous financial service providers and local authorities throughout Europe. Further information at www.wemolo.com.

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Company Contact

Wemolo GmbH

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Email: presse@wemolo.com

Website: www.wemolo.com