What Etrace does

Etrace (주식회사 이트레이스, also styled E-trace / eTrace) is a South Korea-based, privately-held fleet management service provider that delivers real-time vehicle tracking and operational data analytics to enterprise logistics and transportation customers. Founded in 1996, the company was the first to implement vehicle tracking services in the Korean market and holds two government designations: national logistics information network operator (1996) and location-based service provider (2005). Its customer base consists of fleet operators who require real-time visibility into vehicle location, speed, fuel-cost settlement, departure/arrival detection, and off-hours operation monitoring.

The company's product portfolio comprises three components: a cloud-hosted vehicle control platform, the MDT (Mobile Data Terminal) hardware device — a compact cigarette-pack-sized GPS unit that transmits position, speed, direction, distance, and optional cargo temperature readings — and the SmartHandle Android application, which converts smartphones into tracking terminals capable of work start/end, break, and meal reporting. The underlying platform supports multi-source location detection using GPS, Wi-Fi access-point matching, PDR inertial dead reckoning, Bluetooth beacons, and geomagnetic indoor positioning. From August 2025, Etrace is migrating its infrastructure from KT-IDC to AWS to improve system stability and enable near-zero-downtime scaling.

Etrace operates on a contract-based subscription model, selling or renting MDT hardware while collecting recurring service fees for ongoing tracking; specific pricing is not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is direct enterprise sales with individualized customer onboarding and migration support, and the company maintains a single headquarters in Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, plus phone/fax-based customer service channels. The business has undergone significant restructuring in 2025–2026: CEO 이훈 (Lee Hun) replaced 권태섭 (Kwon Taeseob) effective September 2025, and the company has entered a business transfer (영업양수도) agreement with 주식회사 에이아이소프트테크 (AIST), under which the vehicle control service business — and all associated customer personal and location information — will transfer to AIST effective 1 July 2026.

Name

Etrace

Legal name

주식회사 이트레이스

Website

https://etrace.co.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Etrace is a South Korea-based fleet management service provider, founded in 1996, that delivers GPS-based real-time vehicle tracking, operational analytics, and route/driver monitoring to enterprise logistics and transportation customers via MDT hardware and Android applications. The company is divesting its core vehicle control business to AIST effective July 2026.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fleet Management & Vehicle Tracking Services

NAICS

Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (3345)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

ELD/HOS Compliance & Tachograph Services (TLABAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mileage & Trip Expense Capture (Odometer, GPS-Based, Per-Diem) (TLABAMAE), Fuel, Idling & Emissions/Carbon Analytics (TLABAJAF)

Keywords

• Vehicle tracking services
• Fleet management solutions
• GPS vehicle monitoring
• Location-based services
• Logistics tracking platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Vehicle Tracking Service Subscription: Monthly/contract-based subscription service for real-time vehicle location monitoring and tracking. Pricing is based on service terms and contract period as specified in individual contracts.
2. Hardware Terminal Sales/Rental: MDT (Mobile Data Terminal) devices sold or provided as part of the vehicle tracking solution package.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Etrace provides a real-time vehicle control and fleet management platform that uses GPS-based tracking via compact MDT hardware terminals and a smartphone application (SmartHandle) to monitor vehicle location, speed, direction, mileage, and cargo temperature. The service delivers operation data analysis, fuel cost settlement, departure/arrival detection, and off-hours operation monitoring for logistics companies and fleet operators in South Korea.

Product overview

Etrace offers a vehicle fleet management and tracking solution comprising the core Etrace Vehicle Control Service platform, hardware-based MDT terminals for GPS tracking, and smartphone-based Android applications (Smart Handle for new AWS service, Smart Logistics for legacy service). The company is transitioning from KT-IDC infrastructure to AWS cloud services starting August 2025.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 스마트핸들: 스마트폰을 차량관제용 단말기로 만들어주는 안드로이드 앱
• 스마트로지스

Products and services

• Etrace Vehicle Control Service (이트레이스 차량관제 서비스) Real-time vehicle location and status monitoring platform that provides GPS tracking, operation data analysis, and cost reduction solutions for fleet management. Accessible via PC, smartphone, and tablet for logistics companies and fleet operators.
• MDT (Mobile Data Terminal) Compact GPS-based tracking device smaller than a cigarette pack without an LCD screen. Receives GPS satellite signals to calculate and transmit vehicle location, speed, direction, distance, and optional cargo temperature data to the monitoring center. Used by logistics fleet operators.
• SmartHandle (스마트핸들) Android Application Android application that transforms a smartphone into a vehicle tracking terminal. Enables work start/end reporting, breaks, and meals. Can serve as a backup terminal during hardware device maintenance for fleet operators.
• Smart Logistics (스마트로지스) Android Application Previous Android application used for vehicle tracking on the legacy KT-IDC service for fleet operators in South Korea.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced vehicle maintenance costs through operational data analysis
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• AWS (Amazon Web Services)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 August 2025Etrace is migrating their vehicle tracking service infrastructure from KT-IDC to AWS cloud services starting August 2025. This migration enables professional AWS management of equipment, improved system stability, and near-zero downtime scalability for service expansion.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Trimble Transportation: Enterprise mobility and transportation management suite within Trimble, covering fleet visibility, telematics, and logistics workflows; comparable as a broad incumbent overlapping on GPS-based fleet tracking.
• Verizon Connect: Large enterprise telematics and fleet management suite owned by Verizon, covering GPS tracking, asset management, and IoT at scale; comparable as a broad incumbent in the same fleet visibility category.
• Webfleet: Bridgestone-owned commercial fleet telematics platform (formerly TomTom Telematics) offering GPS tracking, vehicle data, and driver behavior scoring; comparable as a broad incumbent in fleet visibility.

Direct peers

• Geotab: Major global fleet telematics provider offering GPS tracking, vehicle data analytics, and ELD/HOS solutions to enterprise fleets; directly comparable on the core GPS vehicle control and subscription use case.
• KONAI: Korean fleet management and GPS vehicle tracking provider serving enterprise fleets with subscription services; directly comparable as a domestic peer operating in the same Korean fleet tracking category.
• IOSIS: Korean vehicle telematics and fleet management provider offering GPS tracking and vehicle control services to enterprise customers; directly comparable as a domestic Korean fleet tracking peer.
• Samsara: NYSE-listed fleet telematics platform offering GPS tracking, vehicle diagnostics, dashcams, and workflow automation to commercial fleets globally; directly comparable to Etrace on GPS-based vehicle visibility and B2B subscription model.
• Motive: Fleet management and ELD platform (formerly KeepTruckin) serving commercial vehicle operators with GPS tracking, dashcams, and compliance tools; directly comparable on fleet telematics and driver activity tracking.

Regional players

• Tmap Mobility: SK Telecom-affiliated Korean mobility platform combining navigation, fleet/ride-hailing services, and connected-vehicle data; regionally comparable as a Korean mobility data provider overlapping on location-based services.
• SK Networks: Korean conglomerate with telematics and mobility-adjacent businesses; relevant as a Korean regional player with footprint in fleet/vehicle data services.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Etrace