The automotive industry is seeing the closure of Germany-based Twinner, the developer of the innovative Twinner Car Scanner technology. Despite pioneering advancements in vehicle imaging and creating digital twins of cars, the company has ceased operations after failing to secure further investment for its insolvent business.
Twinner’s core technology revolved around building a “digital twin” of vehicles. This sophisticated twinner car scanner system created virtual replicas that mirrored the exact condition of real-world cars. According to Twinner, their scanners allowed for the generation of identical data records, enabling vehicles to be thoroughly inspected, bought, and sold online, regardless of location or time. This promised a revolution in online car sales and inspections, leveraging detailed digital representations made possible by the twinner car scanner.
In a statement released by the company, Twinner expressed the difficulty in their decision: “In the last six months, we reached out to over 200 strategic partners across the globe. Without success. The last two months, everybody has been working frantically to find a smaller solution so that the mission can live on. Without success. While it’s hard to accept it, Twinner needs to abort its mission and sunset its activities.” This announcement marks a significant setback for the promise of advanced twinner car scanner technology in the automotive sector.
Established in 2017 and based in Halle, Germany, Twinner had accumulated $100 million in funding. They had formed partnerships with companies like car auction site CarSale24 to streamline digital processes for car sellers. Twinner also expanded internationally, opening two subsidiaries in Hungary. At its height, the company employed 150 people, a number that had unfortunately decreased to just 18 by the start of this year. Despite the initial promise and traction, the innovative twinner car scanner solution couldn’t secure the necessary ongoing financial support.
As of early 2024, Twinner operated 16 of its twinner car scanner units across car dealerships in Germany. Rajko Dambeck of Flöther & Wissing, the law firm managing the insolvency proceedings, stated that “For some customers who want this, Twinner ensures the operation of their scanners for another two-to-three months,” indicating a commitment to minimizing disruption for existing clients utilizing the twinner car scanner technology in their operations.
Reflecting on their journey, Twinner acknowledged the broader implications of their closure in their farewell message on LinkedIn: “We can not help but see Twinner for more than a failed moonshot. We want to believe that the last seven years have furthered the technological frontier. We believe that someday, sometime, somewhere, someone will build on the hard-earned pioneering work by all Twinner stakeholders.” This statement underscores the pioneering spirit behind the twinner car scanner and the hope that their efforts will contribute to future advancements in automotive technology, even as the company itself ceases to exist.
