CarOnSale Raises €82 Million Series C to Transform Used Car Auctions Across Europe
July 11, 2025
byFenoms Start-Up Research
CarOnSale, the leading B2B online auction platform for used cars, has announced a remarkable €82 million (approximately $89 million) Series C funding round. This substantial new capital will enable the Berlin-based company to accelerate its mission to modernize and digitize wholesale used car trading across Europe.
Founded in 2018 by Tom Krüger, Fabian D. Roth, Oguz Özgüler, and Maximilian Schilling, CarOnSale was born out of the founders’ firsthand experiences with the outdated, inefficient, and often opaque processes plaguing the traditional wholesale car market. Their vision was simple yet ambitious: bring speed, trust, and transparency to dealerships through technology.
Addressing Deep-Rooted Inefficiencies
In Europe’s wholesale car market, millions of vehicles change hands each year, but the process has long remained stuck in analog. Traditional physical auctions are time-consuming, costly, and often involve travel and logistical headaches for dealers. Sellers have struggled with unpredictable pricing, while buyers face uncertainty around vehicle conditions and hidden damages.
CarOnSale directly solves these problems through a fully digital auction platform that connects professional sellers to a vetted network of buyers across Europe. Every vehicle is subjected to rigorous, standardized inspections and accompanied by detailed condition reports. This approach drastically reduces disputes and helps both parties transact confidently, regardless of location.
Scaling to Meet Europe’s Growing Needs
With this new Series C funding, CarOnSale plans to expand its reach further into European markets beyond its strongholds in Germany, France, and Spain. The capital will support scaling inspection and logistics operations, investing in advanced platform features, and deepening partnerships with local dealerships.
The European used car market is huge and largely untapped digitally. As more dealerships realize the advantages of online wholesale transactions - including speed, wider buyer networks, and reduced risk - CarOnSale is perfectly positioned to become the go-to platform for professional automotive traders.
Building Deep Trust and Operational Stickiness
A big part of CarOnSale’s rapid growth has been its laser focus on building trust in a notoriously skeptical industry. Through transparent inspections, reliable condition reports, and seamless integrated logistics, the company has succeeded where many predecessors failed. Dealers no longer need to worry about surprise repairs or incomplete histories, empowering them to make faster, data-driven decisions and serve their retail customers better.
But the real insight behind CarOnSale’s success lies in how it embeds itself into the operational core of dealerships. Instead of simply offering a transactional service, CarOnSale integrates logistics, payments, inspection workflows, and analytics into one cohesive ecosystem. By making the platform a daily operating tool rather than an occasional auction site, switching away becomes not only inconvenient but operationally disruptive.
This is a crucial takeaway for founders: when your product shifts from being a standalone solution to becoming part of a customer's daily operations - their infrastructure - you create an almost unbreakable bond. Customer lifetime value increases, churn drops dramatically, and your brand becomes synonymous with critical business functions. This operational embeddedness is one of the most powerful growth levers a startup can unlock, yet it's often overlooked in favor of chasing short-term metrics or flashy feature updates.
Investor Confidence and Strategic Support
The Series C round was led by Northzone, with participation from HV Capital, Insight Partners, Stripes, and Creandum - a strong lineup of top-tier investors who see the massive potential in modernizing Europe’s wholesale automotive market.
This robust financial backing not only provides critical capital but also validates CarOnSale’s vision and operational strategy. With the support of these experienced investors, CarOnSale is well-positioned to further enhance its technology stack, strengthen data and analytics capabilities, and attract top talent to drive its continued expansion across Europe.
Designed for Dealers, by Dealers
CarOnSale’s platform offers a comprehensive, dealer-first experience. Sellers benefit from simple, streamlined listings and transparent pricing models, while buyers gain access to a broader vehicle pool with verified condition reports. The integrated logistics services further reduce operational headaches, allowing dealerships to focus on retail customers and growth.
Moreover, CarOnSale’s advanced analytics tools help dealerships forecast demand, optimize inventory, and maximize margins. By providing actionable insights alongside transactions, the company empowers dealerships to move beyond gut instinct and towards data-driven growth strategies.
The Road Ahead
With the additional €82 million in funding, CarOnSale plans to deepen its presence across key European markets and continue refining its tech-driven services. The company is also exploring value-added services such as integrated financing and warranty solutions, creating a fully rounded digital wholesale experience.
As consumer buying behaviors evolve and the demand for used vehicles continues to surge, dealerships will increasingly rely on efficient, scalable, and trustworthy wholesale partners. CarOnSale is well-positioned to meet this need and lead the market transformation.
Conclusion
CarOnSale’s €82 million Series C round marks a pivotal moment not only for the company but for the entire European wholesale automotive sector. By merging trust, transparency, and operational integration, CarOnSale is redefining what a used car auction platform can be.
With strong investor support, a forward-thinking leadership team, and a strategic focus on becoming an irreplaceable part of daily dealership operations, CarOnSale is set to drive the industry into a new era of efficiency and growth - proving once again that when a startup moves from being a service to being infrastructure, the possibilities become limitless.