carwow has today announced it has raised a $39 million round of financing to further accelerate growth in the UK and to fuel further international expansion.
More than £2 billion of new cars have been bought through carwow since its launch in 2013, and this year around 5 per cent of all consumer new car purchases in the UK have been facilitated by the site.
Consumers can research, select and configure new cars before receiving up-front, no-haggle offers from UK franchised dealers. They can then make an informed decision on the offers based on price, location, dealer ratings and delivery time, before buying directly from the dealer of their choice. More than a third of UK new car dealers already use carwow as a route to reaching online-savvy buyers.
The website provides unprecedented insight into how new cars are bought and sold, and has seen a five-fold increase in the number of users considering electric or hybrid cars over the last 12 months.
carwow was launched in 2013 by CEO James Hind, Creative Director Alexandra Margolis and Chief Technology Officer David Santoro.
It employs 140 people at its head office in Holborn, central London, and last month sealed its first partnership with a motor manufacturer by introducing a live finance calculator from Volvo on its site.
Furthermore, carwow launched in Germany in 2016 and plans aggressive international expansion following its success in this market.
James Hind, founder and CEO of carwow said: “We’re relentlessly focused on creating the best car buying experience which benefits consumers, dealers and manufacturers. This new funding will allow us to put even more consumers in the driving seat when buying their next car. We’ll invest even further in improving our service for our partner dealers and manufacturers, who work with us to provide consumers an excellent way to buy a new car.
“We are very pleased to have Vitruvian Partners leading this new round of financing. They bring with them much expertise in growing international consumer-facing online marketplaces, and will add a lot of value.”
