AI Car Diagnostics Startup CodeOC Rebrands as WrenchLane to Empower Mechanics
AI Car Diagnostics Startup CodeOC Rebrands as WrenchLane to Empower Mechanics
Stockholm, Sweden – CodeOC, a two-year-old AI startup aiming to revolutionize vehicle repair, has officially rebranded as WrenchLane. The new name reflects the company’s focus on car mechanics and speed: “wrench” pays homage to the universal tool of the trade and the fellow Swede JP Johansson who invented the Wrench, while “lane” evokes the fast-paced pit lane spirit of motorsports. Co-founders Hans Markebrant and Magnus Stein – both serial entrepreneurs with a passion for cars – launched the venture in 2023, also bringing on Jonas Sjöström, a Professor of Information Systems, to help drive their vision. Their mission remains the same: to harness artificial intelligence and large language models (LLMs) to make life easier for independent auto workshops, by drastically cutting the time technicians spend searching for information.
From Passion to Product: The Road to WrenchLane
Markebrant, Stein and Sjöström founded the company (originally named CodeOC, short for “Code of Cars”) after recognizing how modern car repair has become a data deluge. “We’ve been on a mission to put cutting-edge AI into the hands of those who keep our cars running,” says Hans Markebrant, co-founder of WrenchLane. “By rebranding from CodeOC to WrenchLane, we’re emphasizing our commitment to mechanics on the ground, giving them a tool that feels like a natural extension of their craft.” Over the last year, the WrenchLane team embedded itself in roughly 100 auto workshops in Europe and the U.S., collaborating with mechanics to fine-tune the product. This on-site research ensured that the platform addresses real-world pain points – from hard-to-find repair procedures to the trial-and-error of troubleshooting complex issues. “In the field, we saw firsthand how much time is wasted flipping through manuals, databases or scouring forums,” notes Magnus Stein. “Those experiences shaped WrenchLane’s development. We want to give every mechanic a co-pilot that provides answers immediately, so they can work smarter, faster, and more efficiently.”
The venture has attracted venture capital backing to fuel its R&D. Magnus Stein, co-founder, points out that independent and small franchise workshops often lack the advanced diagnostic resources of large dealerships. “Our goal is to level the playing field for the independent garage,” Stein says. “WrenchLane is about delivering speed and expertise to any workshop, whether you’re a one-person operation or a multi-bay repair center. The new name captures that spirit – the trusty wrench and the fast lane – a blend of hands-on knowhow and rapid results.”
Why “WrenchLane”? A Name with a Story
The change from CodeOC to WrenchLane is more than cosmetic; it’s a statement of the company’s identity and values. The “wrench” in WrenchLane underscores the startup’s deep connection to the wrench-wielding professionals who form its user base – it’s a tribute to the global symbol of car repair found in every workshop’s toolbox. “Lane” nods to the pit lane of a racetrack, symbolizing speed, agility, and progress. Together, the name conveys a promise: fast, efficient support for mechanics where it matters most. “The name WrenchLane is our tribute to the unsung heroes of the automotive world – the mechanics,” explains Hans Markebrant. “We chose ‘wrench’ because it’s universal in our industry, and ‘lane’ because we’re helping shops move at a faster pace, just like a race car in the pitlane.”
The rebranding also helps differentiate the company in the automotive tech space. CodeOC’s original name reflected coding and diagnostics, but WrenchLane more vividly captures the blend of traditional workshop culture and modern technology that the platform represents. The team notes that the new name has been well received in pilot communities, striking a chord with mechanics who often refer to themselves as “wrenchers.” It aligns with WrenchLane’s aim to be seen not as an outsider tech tool, but as a natural part of the mechanic’s workflow – a digital wrench in their digital toolbox.
AI-Driven Tools to Supercharge Auto Repairs
WrenchLane’s platform is built to empower independent and franchise workshops with advanced diagnostics and repair intelligence. It tackles a common challenge in auto repair: the overwhelming amount of scattered technical information. Instead of poring over OEM manuals, database subscriptions, search engines, or YouTube, mechanics can turn to WrenchLane’s all-in-one system for help. “We’ve aggregated decades of automotive knowledge – into one accessible AI assistant,” says Jonas Sjöström. “It’s like having an expert technician who’s seen every problem, available at your side whenever you need guidance.” WrenchLane’s AI-driven platform puts expert mechanic knowledge at the technician’s fingertips via a modern, intuitive interface. Mechanics can diagnose issues faster and with greater confidence using insights drawn from vast automotive data.
At its core, WrenchLane uses large language models and specialized automotive data to understand questions or trouble codes and provide real-time diagnostic advice. The system can interpret an engine’s Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) or a described symptom and instantly suggest likely causes and recommended fixes. It also provides guided troubleshooting – interactive step-by-step procedures that adapt based on the mechanic’s findings. The platform delivers smart repair insights as well, highlighting patterns (for example, a specific sensor failure common on a certain make and model) and sharing tips gleaned from experienced technicians. By restructuring and summarizing this wealth of data through a clean, conversational interface, WrenchLane aims to limit the time mechanics spend searching for answers and help them get straight to solving the problem.
Key features of the WrenchLane platform include:
AI-Powered Diagnostics: Input one or more DTC:s or describe a problem in plain language, and WrenchLane’s AI engine analyzes the issue against a vast database of car faults to pinpoint probable causes and solutions. This allows even complex issues to be narrowed down in seconds, improving accuracy in diagnostics.
Real-World Insights: Beyond official data, WrenchLane incorporates knowledge from veteran mechanics and real workshop cases. The AI might warn if a certain error code often actually results from a different underlying issue, or suggest, for example, cleaning a corroded ground wire as a quick fix if other users found it solved a similar symptom. Such tribal knowledge, now captured and delivered via AI, can save a garage hours of trial and error.
All of this is delivered through a modern, intuitive user experience that the team has honed with constant feedback from workshop professionals. The interface is designed to be device-agnostic – whether on a garage PC, a tablet next to the lift, or even a mechanic’s phone – and to integrate seamlessly with a busy shop’s workflow. “We know mechanics aren’t interested in clunky software or spending more time on a screen,” says Markebrant. “So we built WrenchLane to feel like talking to a fellow technician who instantly knows the context. It’s quick, conversational, and cuts straight to what you need.” The result, he notes, is that garages can diagnose and repair cars faster and with greater confidence, improving customer turnaround and shop profitability.
A New Chapter and the Road Ahead
The rebranding to WrenchLane comes at a pivotal time for the company. After months of private beta testing and iterative development, the platform is gearing up for broader global release. The name change signals a readiness to scale up and make a mark in the automotive aftermarket industry. WrenchLane is positioning itself as a crucial ally for the Independent Automotive Aftermarket (IAM) – a sector facing increasing complexity as vehicles become more computerized. By bridging the knowledge gap, WrenchLane ensures that independent workshops can compete with dealership service centers on diagnostics and repair efficiency.
Looking ahead, the WrenchLane has an ambitious roadmap. In the near future, the platform plans to incorporate predictive maintenance analytics – using AI to anticipate issues before they occur – and to deepen integration with on-board vehicle systems for real-time data streaming. There’s also a focus on expanding the knowledge base: as new car models, and automotive technologies emerge, WrenchLane’s AI will continuously learn and update. “Cars are evolving rapidly, and so will we,” says Jonas Sjöström. “We want WrenchLane to be the go-to resource. Our vision is to support mechanics through the next decades of automotive innovation.”
In an industry both steeped in tradition and hungry for innovation, WrenchLane is aiming to merge the best of both worlds. By honoring the humble wrench while embracing cutting-edge AI, the company’s new identity captures its ethos of putting mechanics in the fast lane of technology adoption.
“This is just the beginning of WrenchLane,” Hans Markebrant emphasizes in closing. “Rebranding is a milestone, but our ultimate success will be measured in the garages – when a mechanic fixes a tricky problem in minutes instead of hours because our AI gave them exactly what they needed. That’s the future we’re driving toward.”