LiveAuctioneers
LiveAuctioneers is a global online auction marketplace founded in 2002 that connects thousands of auction houses with millions of collectors and bidders in art, antiques, jewelry, furniture, and collectibles, generating revenue via transaction commissions and operating a public 29-million-record auction price database.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What LiveAuctioneers does
LiveAuctioneers operates a global two-sided online auction marketplace that connects thousands of auction houses with millions of collectors and bidders seeking art, antiques, jewelry, furniture, collectibles, coins, fashion, and home décor. Founded in 2002 and headquartered in New York, the platform hosts both live and timed online-only auctions across broad vertical categories, supporting bidders in over 100 countries. Its core product surface is the web platform (liveauctioneers.com), supplemented by native iOS and Android mobile apps, a searchable Auction House Directory, and a location-based 'Find Auctions Near Me' discovery feature.
A central, separately strategic asset is the Auction Price Results Database, which contains 29 million historical hammer prices dating back to 1999 and is updated daily as a free public research tool for collectors, consignors, and appraisers. The underlying marketplace technology is a standard online auction platform supporting real-time bidding, watchlists, and seller listing workflows; no public API, SDK, or developer platform is offered, and there is no documented proprietary AI or ML stack. Distribution is primarily through organic search, mobile app stores, and earned media, with the company holding BBB accreditation and references from outlets such as NBC, ABC, the Today show, the Chicago Tribune, and Architectural Digest.
LiveAuctioneers generates revenue via marketplace commissions on transactions processed between auction houses and buyers; buyer-side pricing is not disclosed publicly. The platform has scaled to 1,000+ active auctions at any given time, with a customer base spanning smaller regional houses (Miller & Miller, Woody Auction, Fairhill Auction, SJ Auctioneers, Artemis Fine Arts) and larger, brand-name firms (Freeman's, Bonhams). LiveAuctioneers was backed by Bessemer Venture Partners in 2014 (a $47.6M growth round) and was owned by private equity firm Cove Hill Partners from 2019 until September 2025, when Auction Technology Group (ATG), a London-listed auction technology operator, completed its acquisition. Following the transaction, LiveAuctioneers operates as a subsidiary within ATG's portfolio, contributing North American marketplace volume alongside ATG's European assets (Auction.fr, biddingX, salerooms.com).
LiveAuctioneers firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- LiveAuctioneers
- Legal name
- LiveAuctioneers LLC
- Website
- https://liveauctioneers.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- LiveAuctioneers is a global online auction marketplace founded in 2002 that connects thousands of auction houses with millions of collectors and bidders in art, antiques, jewelry, furniture, and collectibles, generating revenue via transaction commissions and operating a public 29-million-record auction price database.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
LiveAuctioneers industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Auction Marketplace
- NAICS
- Used Merchandise Retailers (459510), Used Merchandise Retailers (4595)
- SIC
- Retail-Catalog & Mail-Order Houses (5961)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Online Collectibles Marketplaces & Auction Retail (CRALAGAO)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Social Commerce & Livestream Shopping Platforms (BPAMAGAJ), Auction Houses (Luxury Watches & Jewelry) (CRAKAKAF)
Keywords
Where LiveAuctioneers is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
LiveAuctioneers business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Marketplace Commission: LiveAuctioneers generates revenue by facilitating online auctions between auction houses and bidders, taking a commission on transactions processed through the platform.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
LiveAuctioneers product offering
Product offeringCore offering
LiveAuctioneers operates an online auction marketplace connecting thousands of global auction houses with millions of bidders for art, antiques, jewelry, furniture, coins, fashion, and collectibles. The platform supports both live and timed online bidding, complemented by a research database of 29 million historical auction results dating back to 1999. Revenue is generated via marketplace commissions on transactions processed through the platform.
Product overview
LiveAuctioneers is a unified online auction marketplace platform operating since 2002 that connects buyers with thousands of global auction houses across art, antiques, jewelry, furniture, collectibles, coins, fashion, and home decor categories. The core platform enables live and timed online bidding, supported by an Auction Price Results Database containing 29 million historical auction results. Mobile applications for iOS and Android extend access to auction browsing and bidding. The platform also provides discovery tools including a location-based 'Find Auctions Near Me' feature and an Auction House Directory for following preferred sellers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- LiveAuctioneers Online Auction Marketplace Core marketplace platform enabling auction houses to list inventory and bidders to browse and place live and timed online bids across art, antiques, jewelry, furniture, collectibles, coins, fashion, and home decor categories.
- Auction Price Results Database Free research tool providing access to 29 million historical auction results for art, antiques, jewelry, furniture, collectibles, and fashion. Results are updated daily with hammer prices dating back to 1999, enabling collectors, consignors, and appraisers to research and determine item values.
- LiveAuctioneers Mobile App Native iOS and Android applications enabling users to browse auctions, place bids, and manage auction activity from mobile devices. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Companies that use LiveAuctioneers
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
LiveAuctioneers technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
LiveAuctioneers partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
LiveAuctioneers competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Bidsquare: Online auction aggregator for fine art and antiques partnering with hundreds of US auction houses. Competes directly for both supply (auction houses) and demand (collectors) in the same North American specialty segment.
- Invaluable: Major US-based online auction aggregator connecting auction houses with buyers across art, antiques, jewelry, and collectibles. Closest North American direct competitor to LiveAuctioneers with nearly identical two-sided marketplace model.
- Lot-Art: Online aggregator marketplace for fine art auctions across European and global houses. Competes directly with LiveAuctioneers in aggregating auction house inventory for online bidders, with overlapping target audience of collectors.
- The Saleroom: Operated by Auction Technology Group, The Saleroom is one of the largest online auction platforms in the UK for art and antiques. Direct sister platform under ATG with very similar marketplace model for live/timed auctions, making it the closest direct peer.
Emerging players
- Artnet: Online art market platform providing auction results databases, galleries, and private sales. Strong competitor to the Auction Price Results Database with significant overlap in price-research functionality and gallery/private-sale listings.
- Artsy: Online platform aggregating art galleries, auction houses, and fairs, with significant auction-results and editorial content. Overlaps with LiveAuctioneers in the higher-end art segment and competes for collector mindshare and discovery.
Broad incumbents
- Bonhams: International auction house with significant online auction capabilities and a featured house on LiveAuctioneers itself. As a hybrid supplier/customer, Bonhams illustrates how major houses may increasingly favor proprietary tech over third-party marketplaces.
- Heritage Auctions: Largest US collectibles auction house with a leading proprietary online bidding platform. While it is itself a major auction house, its online platform competes for bidder attention and consignor relationships with aggregator marketplaces like LiveAuctioneers.
- Sotheby's: One of the world's leading auction houses with its own proprietary online bidding platform. Not a marketplace aggregator, but represents major supply-side competition as it digitizes and captures premium art inventory that could otherwise flow through LiveAuctioneers.
- Christie's: Global auction house with proprietary online bidding for fine art, jewelry, and collectibles. Like Sotheby's, it competes at the supply side; its premium-brand digital experiences set the bar LiveAuctioneers must meet for bidder experience.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks1 record
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
LiveAuctioneers social profiles
Digital presenceLiveAuctioneers financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
LiveAuctioneers leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
LiveAuctioneers funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
LiveAuctioneers M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about LiveAuctioneers
What does LiveAuctioneers do?
LiveAuctioneers operates an online auction marketplace connecting thousands of global auction houses with millions of bidders for art, antiques, jewelry, furniture, coins, fashion, and collectibles. The platform supports both live and timed online bidding, complemented by a research database of 29 million historical auction results dating back to 1999. Revenue is generated via marketplace commissions on transactions processed through the platform.
Is LiveAuctioneers a public or private company?
LiveAuctioneers is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was LiveAuctioneers founded?
LiveAuctioneers was founded in 2002. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is LiveAuctioneers based?
LiveAuctioneers is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does LiveAuctioneers make money?
One revenue line is on record: marketplace Commission.
Who are LiveAuctioneers's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bidsquare, Invaluable, Lot-Art and The Saleroom. Emerging players are Artnet and Artsy. Broad incumbents are Bonhams, Heritage Auctions, Sotheby's and Christie's.
Does LiveAuctioneers have an API?
No public API is recorded for LiveAuctioneers.
What industry is LiveAuctioneers in?
LiveAuctioneers's product category is Online Auction Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALAGAO, Online Collectibles Marketplaces & Auction Retail, with a secondary code of BPAMAGAJ, Social Commerce & Livestream Shopping Platforms. Its NAICS code is 459510 and its SIC code is 5961.