KeyMe plans expansion of automated locksmith kiosks

KeyMe, a New York-based automated locksmith kiosk company, announced it plans to add locations in the Chicago area as part of an aggressive national expansion.

The kiosk allows customers to copy keys, including automobile transponder keys and remote key fobs, and are located inside local retail businesses, such as 7-Eleven, Bed, Bath & Beyond and Sears and Kmart stores.

The company already has 30 kiosks in the Chicago area, including Aurora, Mount Prospect, Des Plaines, Norridge and Skokie.

It plans to add more than 50 locations per week, with plans to have over 2,000 kiosk in local retail stores by the end of 2017. In addition to Chicago, KeyMe plans to grow its markets in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia and San Diego. It also plans to expand into Atlanta, Houston, Tampa-St. Petersburg, Phoenix, Detroit, Seattle-Tacoma, Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, Denver, Cleveland-Akron, Pittsburgh and Portland, Ore.

The expansion is being funded through $70 million in total funding, including a $25 million round led by Benefit Street Partners, an affiliate of Providence Equity Partners.

In addition to making copies. the KeyMe kiosks also let customers securely store digital copies of their keys, which can be used to make replacements if the key is lost or if they are locked out. KeyMe's free iOS and Android apps also save keys in the cloud, and keys can be shared among friends or family members..

"KeyMe will make millions of keys in 2017, as tremendous consumer and retailer demand is driving the deployment of hundreds of new kiosks," said Greg Marsh, CEO of KeyMe. "We are on the forefront of the industry, utilizing the latest technology in our next-gen kiosks, allowing us to provide an even better and more seamless experience for the consumer than ever before."