AUTO1 Group

What AUTO1 Group does

AUTO1 Group SE (Frankfurt: AG1, MDAX) is a Berlin-headquartered digital automotive platform founded in 2012 by Christian Bertermann and Hakan Koç. The company operates a two-sided European used-car business: AUTO1.com runs the B2B wholesale marketplace serving more than 60,000 active dealer partners across 30+ countries, while the Autohero retail brand, together with the wirkaufendeinauto.de branch network and 11+ regional sister brands, handles consumer purchases and trade-ins. Underlying the marketplace is a proprietary transaction dataset of approximately 6 million vehicles (built since January 2015) that powers the AUTO1 Group Price Index and AI-driven vehicle pricing.

The platform is supported by an integrated pan-European logistics footprint of 170+ logistics centers, 300+ logistics partners, and 725+ drop-off locations, plus in-house Consumer and Merchant Financing solutions launched in 2023. Revenue derives from spread economics on vehicle transactions (gross profit per unit of €1,080-€1,200 in Merchant and €3,880-€4,470 in Retail at target) and from financing economics; securitization activity (most recently EUR 249M in October 2025) supports inventory turnover. The company sold 842,200 vehicles in FY2025, generating approximately EUR 8.2 billion in revenue and a record EUR 197.5 million in adjusted EBITDA (+80.8% YoY).

Management has set a 2026 gross profit target of EUR 1.1-1.2 billion and adjusted EBITDA of EUR 250-275 million, with longer-term targets of 10-15% annual unit growth in Merchant and 20-40% in Retail, scaling toward a stated 1.5 million-vehicle annual ambition. Competitive positioning rests on marketplace liquidity, accumulated pricing data, financing products, and cross-border logistics — rather than on any single proprietary AI model.

Name

AUTO1 Group

Legal name

AUTO1 Group SE

Website

https://auto1-group.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

AUTO1 Group operates Europe's largest digital used-car platform, combining the AUTO1.com B2B wholesale marketplace serving 60,000+ dealer partners across 30+ countries with the Autohero consumer retail brand, regional trade-in brands, and integrated Consumer and Merchant Financing solutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Vehicle Sales - Merchant Segment: B2B wholesale platform revenue from selling used cars to 60,000+ professional dealer partners across 30+ European countries. Targets 10-15% annual unit growth with gross profit per unit of €1,080-€1,200
2. Vehicle Sales - Retail Segment: B2C retail sales through Autohero brand. Targets 20-40% annual unit growth with gross profit per unit of €3,880-€4,470
3. Consumer Financing: Growing portfolio of financing options offered to retail customers purchasing used cars through Autohero
4. Merchant Financing: Digital financing solutions for B2B dealer partners launched 2023 to support partner business growth
5. Securitization Revenue: €249 million multi-country public securitization completed October 2025

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

AUTO1 Group operates a digital automotive platform that buys, sells, and finances used cars across 30+ European countries. Its wholesale arm AUTO1.com serves 60,000+ professional dealer partners; its retail arm Autohero sells inspected used cars directly to consumers with financing, delivery, and a 21-day money-back guarantee; a network of consumer-facing brands (wirkaufendeinauto.de and sister sites) buys cars from consumers via 725+ drop-off locations; and in-house Consumer and Merchant Financing provide fully digital lending products.

Product overview

AUTO1 Group operates a multi-brand digital automotive platform architecture comprising three core product pillars: (1) AUTO1.com — the wholesale B2B marketplace serving 60,000+ professional dealers across 30+ countries; (2) Consumer brands (Autohero for retail car purchases and regional consumer-purchase brands like wirkaufendeinauto.de and its sister sites across Europe) enabling individuals to sell their used vehicles; and (3) ancillary services including Merchant and Consumer Financing (digital in-house solutions), and the AUTO1 Group Price Index (a market intelligence tool published with Moody's Analytics). The platform connects over 170 logistics centers, 300+ logistics partners, and 725+ drop-off locations across Europe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AUTO1 Group Price Index: Monthly European used car price report analyzing approximately 6 million transactions, published in partnership with Moody's Analytics
• Merchant Financing
• Consumer Financing

Products and services

• AUTO1.com Europe's largest wholesale trading platform for car dealers, supporting professional buyers and sellers in trading used vehicles across 30+ countries with over 60,000 active dealer partners.
• Autohero Retail brand offering consumers an inspected used car buying experience with vehicle inspection, financing options, delivery, trade-in, and a 21-day money-back guarantee.
• wirkaufendeinauto.de and sister consumer brands Europe-wide consumer-purchase branch network enabling consumers to sell their used cars quickly and easily through physical locations across multiple European countries.
• Merchant Financing Fully digital in-house financing solution for B2B dealer partners, providing fast and easy financing options to support partner business growth.
• Consumer Financing Growing portfolio of fully digital and fast in-house financing solutions offered directly to consumers purchasing used vehicles through Autohero.
• AUTO1 Group Price Index Monthly published European used car price index analyzing approximately 6 million transactions since January 2015, partnered with Moody's Analytics for long-term forecasting (baseline forecast +24.7% to 175.6 by 2036).

Quantifiable outcome

• Merchant segment: 10-15% annual unit growth with GPU of €1,080-€1,200 and adjusted EBITDA per unit of €480-€720
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Moody's AnalyticscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 May 2026Strategic collaboration to provide in-depth analysis of European used car market. Combines AUTO1 Group's price index data with Moody's Analytics forecasting expertise to offer reliable market trends and long-term price predictions. Partnership helps automotive businesses and partners make smarter decisions in evolving market. Moody's Analytics baseline forecast predicts used car prices to increase 24.7% by 2036.
• CARA (Car Remarketing Association Europe) - Battery Health InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Joined CARA Battery Health initiative alongside other major remarketing dealers to create common standards for battery health verification, facilitating remarketing and promoting confidence in battery-electric vehicle residual values.
• London Stock Exchange (LON:0A9L)minorOthersStock traded on London Stock Exchange alongside Frankfurt primary listing (ATOGY)

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Carvana: US-based online used car retailer combining inspection, reconditioning, financing, and home delivery. Closest analog to AUTO1's Autohero retail model, with a similar vertically integrated, capital-intensive consumer used-car playbook adapted to the US market.
• AutoScout24: Europe's largest online car marketplace connecting consumers and dealers for new and used vehicles across multiple European countries. Closest European classifieds peer to AUTO1's marketplace and dealer-network businesses.
• Mobile.de (Adevinta): Leading German online vehicle marketplace, part of Adevinta's portfolio. Comparable to AUTO1 as a digital used-car discovery and dealer lead-generation platform serving the German consumer market.
• Auto Trader (UK): UK's largest digital automotive marketplace connecting car buyers and sellers, with a focus on used vehicles and dealer advertising. Comparable to AUTO1's marketplace model at a national level with similar data and pricing analytics offerings.
• CarGurus: US-headquartered online automotive marketplace with dealer and consumer offerings across North America and the UK. Comparable to AUTO1 as a digital marketplace with data-driven pricing transparency for used vehicles.

Broad incumbents

• Cox Automotive (Manheim): Cox Automotive operates Manheim, the largest US wholesale vehicle auction platform, alongside dealer software, financing, and remarketing services. Directly comparable to AUTO1.com's wholesale platform and remarketing business, with broader services and North American scale.
• BCA Marketplace: European wholesale vehicle auction and remarketing operator owned by TDR Capital. Directly comparable to AUTO1.com's B2B wholesale and remarketing business across European markets with established physical auction infrastructure.

Emerging players

• Kavak: Mexico-headquartered used car platform operating across Latin America with inspection, reconditioning, and financing services. Closest emerging-market analog to AUTO1's vertically integrated retail and financing model.
• Cars24: India-based online used car marketplace with full-stack inspection, valuation, and financing services. Comparable emerging-market peer to AUTO1's consumer-facing purchase and retail offerings, though operating in a different geography.

Others

• Volkswagen Financial Services: Captive finance and leasing arm of Volkswagen AG offering consumer auto financing across Europe. Adjacent competitor in AUTO1's growing Consumer and Merchant Financing business, with OEM-backed scale advantages.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/auto1_group
• Facebookfacebook.com/AUTO1-Group-175891653028689
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/auto1-group
• Instagraminstagram.com/auto1group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds12 records

Investors23 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AUTO1 Group