Digital auto auction Roadra lands $5M in funding
The digital auto auction space continues to grow, with the latest expansion coming from Roadra, an online platform that lets consumers sell vehicles directly to dealers.
The company said Wednesday it has secured $5 million in funding to scale Roadra further. The planned expansion and development of new products include artificial intelligence-powered photo and video inspections for existing dealer partners.
Roadra, based in New York, was founded by brothers Satchel and Bridger Kolde.
“We are at the beginning of a new era in automotive auctions, especially after supply disruptions accelerated dealer adoption of consumer sourcing,” Satchel Kolde, who is CEO, said in the release.
“With more people choosing to sell to online vendors versus trading in, it’s time to connect dealer buyers directly with online consumers,” he said. “Using Roadra, consumers can create auction-ready profiles from their phone, and dealers can buy high-quality cars typically unavailable at traditional auctions.”
Bridger Kolde, who is president of the company, added: “As consumer sourcing for used car stock becomes more prevalent for professional dealers, it’s essential that they are able to efficiently evaluate and purchase the vehicles they need rather than struggling to connect with sellers, and we help them do what they do best.
“Roadra is a next-generation auction platform allowing cars to completely bypass the expensive logistics of massive incumbent wholesale auctions. Our AI-enabled platform allows us to run a more efficient auction with a fraction of the team and get a better deal for buyers and sellers.”