Assemb is a startup that developed a platform for sharing small cargo vehicles, Self Yondal. It was founded in October 2024 by CEO Haesoo Cho (30), who said,
"I started this service because I wondered why single-person households had to make several phone calls to move small loads and why the cost was so difficult to predict. I also thought it would be beneficial to have a service that allows people to rent cargo vehicles directly, so I planned and developed Self Yongdal."
Self Yongdal is a car-sharing platform that allows users to rent small cargo vehicles with a loading space of up to 1.5 meters in length for as long as they want. Users can reserve a vehicle on the Self Yongdal app, pick it up at the nearest Self Zone (garage), and return it to any location. The vehicle doors can be opened with a digital key on a smartphone, and customers drive the vehicle themselves to transport their belongings and then return it via the app.
According to Cho, "Our biggest competitive advantage is our straightforward usage process, prompting users to ask, 'Is it truly this simple?'
There is no need to call the delivery driver or coordinate times. Just select the desired time and Self Zone on the app, and the reservation is complete. With no delivery driver cost, the price for transporting medium-sized loads is reasonable, and the app automatically calculates the fare. This is available 24 hours a day and is an unmanned service. Customers can use the service at any time by opening the door with a digital key at the reserved time and pressing the return button on the app."
Assemb is creating a flow of "direct transactions and self-delivery reservations" in collaboration with secondhand trading platforms, such as Daangn Market.
"We are working with local governments to install unmanned return zones in public parking lots so that local residents can use the service conveniently. We post short videos of actual customers moving into studio apartments and transporting used furniture on social media to show that anyone can do it."
Cho said, "We are currently planning to attract seed-round investment. We have already received government funding and secured mobility demonstration funds from Goyang City and Seongnam City. Therefore, we are moving forward with software development. With this investment, we plan to expand our fleet and stage our autonomous driving demonstrations."
What made CEO Cho decide to start a new company? "When I had to make about five phone calls to get quotations for moving used furniture, I thought, ‘Why is this process so complicated?' Even when I moved out of a studio apartment, I didn't have much stuff, and I felt uncomfortable calling a delivery service that charged over 100,000 won. My previous job was at a car rental company, and as I gained more experience in the market, I thought, 'I can apply that expertise to a car rental service.'"
At Assemb, CEO Cho comprehensively manages all service planning and operations. In addition, CTO Hokyun Kim, who is pursuing a doctorate at KAIST Graduate School of Future Strategy, app developer and former CPA Sihoo Cho, and advisor Inpyo Hong, who is responsible for field operation data, are also working with the company.
Regarding future plans, Cho said, "First, we plan to conduct a pilot program with unmanned operations in the Goyang Special Zone for Autonomous Driving. Then, we want to increase the number of vehicles throughout the Seoul metropolitan area to solidify the image of Self Yongdal as the first choice for delivery when people need to move things themselves. Ultimately, our goal is to introduce autonomous driving and establish ourselves as an unmanned freight platform."
Founded: October 2024
Main business: car-sharing platform for small cargo and autonomous driving logistics solutions
Achievements: Made 912 trips during a four-month pilot program; Achieved 1,000 registered card customers within three months of the service's beta launch; Admitted to the 2025 Youth Entrepreneurship Academy in Daejeon; Selected as a company to implement the Goyang Special Zone for Autonomous Driving Innovation Project with opportunities for demonstrations; and Selected as a Seongnam Local Creator Company for 2025 with opportunities for demonstrations
이진호 기자 jinho2323@hankyung.com
