What started as a hands-on side hustle in a Canadian parking lot has become a disruptive force in the car care industry, and Houston is playing a central role in its rapid U.S. expansion.
Panda Hub, a mobile-first platform often referred to as “Uber for car detailing,” is reshaping how car owners book car detailing services, while giving independent professionals a steady stream of income and visibility. Since quietly launching in Houston in late 2023, the Panda Partner app has already completed over 50,000 bookings across North America, with hundreds of them happening just in Houston and nearby areas.
The idea first took shape in 2020, during the early months of the pandemic. Co-founder Reza Ahmadi saw how difficult it was for everyday people to find and book car detailing services online. While millions were searching for “car detailing near me,” what they found were outdated websites, confusing options, and slow response times.
Rather than build from the top down, Ahmadi and co-founder Abdullah Sharief chose to start from the ground up. They detailed cars themselves, learned the ins and outs of the service process, and focused on simplifying the customer experience. Within six months, their initial operation grew to five trucks and surpassed $100,000 in revenue.
That early traction didn’t just validate the model, but also attracted the attention of NBA star Dillon Brooks, who tried the service while living in Houston. Impressed by the quality and ease of the experience, Brooks later joined as a lead investor in Panda Hub.
“Houston became a kind of testing ground and turning point for us,” says Ahmadi. “It’s where we proved the model works at scale for both customers and detailers.”
Panda Hub operates as a vertical marketplace, matching car owners with local detailing professionals through a seamless two-minute booking process. Unlike traditional platforms, every professional is vetted, trained, and reviewed, helping independent detailers. Additionally, they handle all the back-end work from marketing to customer acquisition, so detailers can focus on what they do best.
Most detailers on the platform earn around $3,000 a month, with a few crossing $5,000. According to Ahmadi, “If you’re consistent enough and available in high-demand areas, it’s very possible to earn over $5,000 a month.”
There are now over 120 detailers operating through Panda Hub in the Texas area, part of a larger network of more than 1,000 across North America. The company’s services are available in 15 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. In 2024, it reported a staggering 1,400% year-over-year revenue growth, propelled largely by demand in urban markets like Houston, Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth, and other nearby cities.
“This industry was long overdue for innovation,” says Ahmadi. “Our goal has always been to build a platform that gives hardworking professionals better access to consistent work and makes car care more convenient for busy people.”
For Houston’s growing population, often stuck between extreme weather, hectic commutes, and jam-packed schedules, the convenience is proving especially relevant. But for the city’s detailing professionals, Panda Hub offers something more enduring: consistency, community, and a way to grow their business in a rapidly digitizing world.
As local service marketplaces continue to surge from food delivery to home cleaning, Panda Hub’s momentum suggests that car care may be the next frontier!