I love to hear when people in Minnesota are smart about using technology (especially broadband technology) for good business ideas and I love it even more when it’s a business that will make my life easier. I read in Minneapolis St Paul Business Journal about such a great idea this morning…

Change Lane, a startup that lets consumers order at-home oil changes via the Web, has raised about $1.2 million in capital as it prepares to test-drive its service in Wayzata.

 

Chicago-based venture capital firm R7 Partners led the investment, part of a larger $2.3 million Series A round the Eden Prairie-based company aims to wrap up soon, CEO and founder David Harig said.

Here’s how the services works…

Consumers will be able to request Change Lane’s service by entering their address into the company’s website — which is down for maintenance now — or a mobile app. The company lets them know whether the service is available in their area and about how long it would take a mechanic to arrive. Users can snap a “car selfie” of their license plate and Change Lane will use the VIN number to determine the vehicle’s make and model, Harig said. (You can type the information in by hand as well).

 

The service borrows some features from car-service Uber Technologies Inc., sending people a photo and information about the mechanic who will arrive at their house. (Uber does the same for drivers preparing to pick up a customer.)

Very fun! I am a big fan of Uber. I use it a couple times a month. Cabs never just drive by my neighborhood in St Paul. But with Uber I can usually get one within 10 minutes and the financial transactions happen online so I don’t have to worry about having cash.