프리핀스, 720억 달러 시장에 새로운 '렌탈 전환' 모델을 선보이다
※렌털전환(RX) 전문기업 프리핀스의 신상용 각자대표가 코리아타임스와의 인터뷰를 통해 프리핀스 서비스의 경쟁력과 혁신에 대한 포부를 밝혔습니다.
| 렌탈 시장의 혁신을 이끄는 프리핀스 RX 솔루션
국내 렌탈 시장이 2025년 100조원 규모로 성장할 것으로 전망되는 가운데, 프리핀스가 중소 렌탈 기업을 위한 혁신적인 솔루션을 선보이고 있습니다.
신상용 각자대표와 김병석 각자대표가 이끄는 프리핀스는 엑셀 시트로 관리되던 렌탈 데이터를 실시간 디지털 데이터로 전환하는 '렌탈전환(RX)' 솔루션을 개발했습니다.
| 렌탈 기업과 금융기관의 디지털 혁신을 주도하다
2020년 기준으로 연매출 1000억원 미만의 중소 렌탈 기업이 시장의 77%를 차지하고 있으나, 대부분이 수작업으로 재무정보와 자산을 관리하고 있었습니다.
프리핀스의 RX 솔루션은 이러한 중소 렌탈 기업들에게 맞춤형 ERP 시스템을 제공합니다. 특히 금융기관으로부터 대출을 받을 때 신뢰성 있는 데이터를 제공함으로써, 원활한 자금 조달이 가능하도록 지원합니다. 렌탈 기업은 운영·관리 비용을 절감할 수 있고, 금융기관은 고객 확보 비용과 모니터링 비용을 줄일 수 있습니다.
| 성장을 위한 투자 유치와 글로벌 시장 진출 계획
프리핀스는 올해 1월 15억원의 시드 투자를 유치했으며, 현재 프리 시리즈 A 단계에서 50억원 규모의 투자 유치를 진행 중입니다. 서비스 출시 6개월 만에 비즈니스 모델 검증을 완료했으며, 향후 투자금은 영업인력 확충과 마케팅에 집중적으로 투자할 계획입니다.
또한, 일본 등 해외 시장 진출도 준비하고 있습니다. 현재 프리핀스의 클라이언트인 사운드그래프가 일본 대형 커피 체인점에 디지털 사이니지 솔루션을 공급하는 과정에서 프리핀스와 협력하여 일본 시장 진출을 추진하고 있습니다.
신상용 대표는 파킹클라우드의 창업자로서의 경험을 바탕으로, 소유에서 사용으로 변화하는 시장 트렌드에 주목하고 있습니다. 특히 로봇, 스마트 리테일 등 다양한 분야에서 렌탈 수요가 증가할 것으로 전망하며, 프리핀스의 RX 솔루션이 시장의 새로운 패러다임을 제시할 것으로 기대하고 있습니다.
Startup turns Excel sheets into real-time data, helping both rental operators, lenders save costs
By Jun Ji-hye
Coway’s introduction of rentable water purifiers to the Korean market in 1998 transformed the consumption model, leading many consumers to choose rental services over purchasing products.
According to the KT Economic Management Research Institute, the domestic rental market grew to 40.1 trillion won ($29 billion) in 2020 and is expected to expand to 100 trillion won by next year.
The rental industry operates on a model where operators purchase goods upfront, lease them to customers and receive monthly rental payments, gradually recovering the costs over an extended period. Due to this, securing initial working capital is crucial.
For large companies, like Coway and Bodyfriend, this is not a significant issue as they have their own enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions, which help them effectively accumulate relevant data needed for financial procurement.
However, many small and medium-sized rental businesses have not yet undergone a proper digital transformation and often manually record financial information and inventory assets on Excel spreadsheets.
As of 2020, these small and medium-sized firms with annual revenues of less than 100 billion won account for 77 percent of the market.
The problem arises when companies need to secure loans from financial institutions to purchase rental products, as lenders often do not trust Excel data, which they see as lacking credibility.
Startup Frefins focuses on this chronic issue in the promising rental market, offering a customized ERP system for small and medium-sized rental businesses.
Shin Sang-yong, CEO and co-founder of the company, named the firm’s service “rental transformation (RX)” solution, inspired by the idea of digital transformation, or DX.
“We have two main types of clients. One is companies that want to enter the rental business, and the other is financial institutions looking to provide loans to these companies. Our RX solution helps both of them save costs,” Shin said during a recent interview with The Korea Times.
For rental companies, which used to manage rental data manually in Excel, operational and management costs are significantly reduced with this digital solution.
When trying to secure loans, these companies had to approach each financial institution individually, but through the service, they can easily be matched with the right lender by utilizing the data generated, in addition to multiple financial partners of Frefins.
From a financial institution’s perspective, meanwhile, there are various costs involved in customer acquisition, such as agency fees and monitoring costs, Shin points out.
“Our solution acts as a channel that enables lenders to offer loans to good companies across various industries as we provide real-time data on a company’s operations and cash flow. This makes it easier to monitor loan assets and detect potential risk signals early.”
Rental transformation, or RX, solution provided by Frefins / Courtesy of Frefins
Shin is widely recognized as the founder of ParkingCloud, which developed and operates iParking, the country’s largest smart parking lot management system.
He founded ParkingCloud in 2011 when the concept of cloud computing was still relatively unknown in Korea. The company gained significant attention with its cloud-based parking management service, launched in 2020, creating a major shift in the market.
Shin sold ParkingCloud to NHN and SK E&S in November 2021 and co-founded Frefins the following year, alongside Kim Byung-seok, the former head of Hyundai Card and Hyundai Capital’s financial division.
Shin mentioned that his experience at ParkingCloud served as a crucial foundation for starting Frefins, as the iParking solution also involves the rental business.
The solution automatically recognizes the number plate of a vehicle when it enters the parking lot, opens the barrier and records the parking time to calculate the fee. To help building owners who found the initial installation costs burdensome, the solution was offered for a rental fee of 365,000 won per month, which became very popular.
“Frefins was the first to introduce the concept of RX, but it was not an idea that came out of nowhere,” Shin said. “In the past, I experienced how shifting from lump-sum purchases to rental models helped both the company grow and lighten the burden for customers. This made me realize that such a model is needed in all areas of purchasing.”
By demonstrating the potential of its business, Frefins successfully secured 1.5 billion won in seed funding in January this year, and is currently in the process of raising 5 billion won in pre-series A funding.
The initial seed investment was used to strengthen research and development capabilities in order to customize the RX solution to be more customer-friendly. The upcoming investment will be used with the goal of growing the company.
“It has been almost six months since we officially launched the service, so we have completed the validation of our business model. In other words, the phase of spending on development is over, and we are now entering the phase of making money,” Shin said. “We plan to use the upcoming investment to hire more sales staff and invest in marketing to help grow the company.”
Shin highlighted that the concept is now shifting from ownership to usage across all sectors, with the range of rental items gradually expanding. He mentioned robotics and other equipment as prime examples, along with the smart retail sector.
“Many smart retail solutions such as self-service kiosks, which provide convenience to customers while reducing labor costs and other expenses, are emerging,” he said. “However, the initial investment can be difficult for business owners since they often have to spend several months’ worth of revenue upfront. This indicates the potential for the market to grow steadily.”
While stable growth in the domestic market is the primary goal, Shin is also considering international expansion.
“Some of our clients are already expanding into overseas markets. As a result, we also need to accompany them, so our international growth is likely to accelerate,” he said.Related discussions are already underway.
SoundGraph, one of Frefins' clients, is currently working to supply its digital signage solution to large coffee chain stores in Japan. The solution converts menus or signboards, typically used in restaurants, cafes and other retail stores, into digital formats.
“The Japanese firm has requested equipment rentals. So, SoundGraph is collaborating with us for joint expansion into the Japanese market,” Shin said.
관련기사 >> 2024년 11월 23일 토요일 코리아타임스 보도
프리핀스, 720억 달러 시장에 새로운 '렌탈 전환' 모델을 선보이다
※렌털전환(RX) 전문기업 프리핀스의 신상용 각자대표가 코리아타임스와의 인터뷰를 통해 프리핀스 서비스의 경쟁력과 혁신에 대한 포부를 밝혔습니다.
| 렌탈 시장의 혁신을 이끄는 프리핀스 RX 솔루션
국내 렌탈 시장이 2025년 100조원 규모로 성장할 것으로 전망되는 가운데, 프리핀스가 중소 렌탈 기업을 위한 혁신적인 솔루션을 선보이고 있습니다.
신상용 각자대표와 김병석 각자대표가 이끄는 프리핀스는 엑셀 시트로 관리되던 렌탈 데이터를 실시간 디지털 데이터로 전환하는 '렌탈전환(RX)' 솔루션을 개발했습니다.
| 렌탈 기업과 금융기관의 디지털 혁신을 주도하다
2020년 기준으로 연매출 1000억원 미만의 중소 렌탈 기업이 시장의 77%를 차지하고 있으나, 대부분이 수작업으로 재무정보와 자산을 관리하고 있었습니다.
프리핀스의 RX 솔루션은 이러한 중소 렌탈 기업들에게 맞춤형 ERP 시스템을 제공합니다. 특히 금융기관으로부터 대출을 받을 때 신뢰성 있는 데이터를 제공함으로써, 원활한 자금 조달이 가능하도록 지원합니다. 렌탈 기업은 운영·관리 비용을 절감할 수 있고, 금융기관은 고객 확보 비용과 모니터링 비용을 줄일 수 있습니다.
| 성장을 위한 투자 유치와 글로벌 시장 진출 계획
프리핀스는 올해 1월 15억원의 시드 투자를 유치했으며, 현재 프리 시리즈 A 단계에서 50억원 규모의 투자 유치를 진행 중입니다. 서비스 출시 6개월 만에 비즈니스 모델 검증을 완료했으며, 향후 투자금은 영업인력 확충과 마케팅에 집중적으로 투자할 계획입니다.
또한, 일본 등 해외 시장 진출도 준비하고 있습니다. 현재 프리핀스의 클라이언트인 사운드그래프가 일본 대형 커피 체인점에 디지털 사이니지 솔루션을 공급하는 과정에서 프리핀스와 협력하여 일본 시장 진출을 추진하고 있습니다.
신상용 대표는 파킹클라우드의 창업자로서의 경험을 바탕으로, 소유에서 사용으로 변화하는 시장 트렌드에 주목하고 있습니다. 특히 로봇, 스마트 리테일 등 다양한 분야에서 렌탈 수요가 증가할 것으로 전망하며, 프리핀스의 RX 솔루션이 시장의 새로운 패러다임을 제시할 것으로 기대하고 있습니다.
Startup turns Excel sheets into real-time data, helping both rental operators, lenders save costs
However, many small and medium-sized rental businesses have not yet undergone a proper digital transformation and often manually record financial information and inventory assets on Excel spreadsheets.
As of 2020, these small and medium-sized firms with annual revenues of less than 100 billion won account for 77 percent of the market.
The problem arises when companies need to secure loans from financial institutions to purchase rental products, as lenders often do not trust Excel data, which they see as lacking credibility.
Startup Frefins focuses on this chronic issue in the promising rental market, offering a customized ERP system for small and medium-sized rental businesses.
Shin Sang-yong, CEO and co-founder of the company, named the firm’s service “rental transformation (RX)” solution, inspired by the idea of digital transformation, or DX.
“We have two main types of clients. One is companies that want to enter the rental business, and the other is financial institutions looking to provide loans to these companies. Our RX solution helps both of them save costs,” Shin said during a recent interview with The Korea Times.
For rental companies, which used to manage rental data manually in Excel, operational and management costs are significantly reduced with this digital solution.
When trying to secure loans, these companies had to approach each financial institution individually, but through the service, they can easily be matched with the right lender by utilizing the data generated, in addition to multiple financial partners of Frefins.
From a financial institution’s perspective, meanwhile, there are various costs involved in customer acquisition, such as agency fees and monitoring costs, Shin points out.
“Our solution acts as a channel that enables lenders to offer loans to good companies across various industries as we provide real-time data on a company’s operations and cash flow. This makes it easier to monitor loan assets and detect potential risk signals early.”
Shin is widely recognized as the founder of ParkingCloud, which developed and operates iParking, the country’s largest smart parking lot management system.
He founded ParkingCloud in 2011 when the concept of cloud computing was still relatively unknown in Korea. The company gained significant attention with its cloud-based parking management service, launched in 2020, creating a major shift in the market.
Shin sold ParkingCloud to NHN and SK E&S in November 2021 and co-founded Frefins the following year, alongside Kim Byung-seok, the former head of Hyundai Card and Hyundai Capital’s financial division.
Shin mentioned that his experience at ParkingCloud served as a crucial foundation for starting Frefins, as the iParking solution also involves the rental business.
The solution automatically recognizes the number plate of a vehicle when it enters the parking lot, opens the barrier and records the parking time to calculate the fee. To help building owners who found the initial installation costs burdensome, the solution was offered for a rental fee of 365,000 won per month, which became very popular.
“Frefins was the first to introduce the concept of RX, but it was not an idea that came out of nowhere,” Shin said. “In the past, I experienced how shifting from lump-sum purchases to rental models helped both the company grow and lighten the burden for customers. This made me realize that such a model is needed in all areas of purchasing.”
By demonstrating the potential of its business, Frefins successfully secured 1.5 billion won in seed funding in January this year, and is currently in the process of raising 5 billion won in pre-series A funding.
The initial seed investment was used to strengthen research and development capabilities in order to customize the RX solution to be more customer-friendly. The upcoming investment will be used with the goal of growing the company.
“It has been almost six months since we officially launched the service, so we have completed the validation of our business model. In other words, the phase of spending on development is over, and we are now entering the phase of making money,” Shin said. “We plan to use the upcoming investment to hire more sales staff and invest in marketing to help grow the company.”
Shin highlighted that the concept is now shifting from ownership to usage across all sectors, with the range of rental items gradually expanding. He mentioned robotics and other equipment as prime examples, along with the smart retail sector.
“Many smart retail solutions such as self-service kiosks, which provide convenience to customers while reducing labor costs and other expenses, are emerging,” he said. “However, the initial investment can be difficult for business owners since they often have to spend several months’ worth of revenue upfront. This indicates the potential for the market to grow steadily.”
While stable growth in the domestic market is the primary goal, Shin is also considering international expansion.
“Some of our clients are already expanding into overseas markets. As a result, we also need to accompany them, so our international growth is likely to accelerate,” he said.Related discussions are already underway.
SoundGraph, one of Frefins' clients, is currently working to supply its digital signage solution to large coffee chain stores in Japan. The solution converts menus or signboards, typically used in restaurants, cafes and other retail stores, into digital formats.
“The Japanese firm has requested equipment rentals. So, SoundGraph is collaborating with us for joint expansion into the Japanese market,” Shin said.
관련기사 >> 2024년 11월 23일 토요일 코리아타임스 보도