Aksel

What Aksel does

Aksel.nu is a Denmark-based digital marketplace that mediates private-to-private used car sales, targeting Danish consumers who want to avoid dealer trade-in prices and the friction of self-managed private sales. Sellers enter their license plate to receive a manual market-based valuation, after which Aksel creates the listing, screens buyer inquiries, screens for serious buyers, and handles the closing through MitID-signed contracts and Safepay escrow payments that automatically clear liens before funds are released. The company's claims include 15-20% higher sale prices versus dealer trade-ins and 30% shorter listing times than the market average. The fee structure is "sold or free," charging 4,000 DKK for vehicles under 75,000 DKK, 5,000 DKK for 75,000-90,000 DKK, and 7,500 DKK for over 90,000 DKK.

The underlying platform is a direct-to-consumer web application (aksel.nu) supplemented by a member portal at garage.aksel.nu. Core technical dependencies are third-party rather than proprietary: Safepay Nordic for escrow, MitID for digital identity and contract signing, Bilbasen for listing syndication, Santander for financing, AutoConcept/Helvetia for repair insurance, and Aura for EV charging. Around the transactional core, Aksel has built several add-on modules including Quick Salg (48-hour dealer-network sale), Bilmatch (car recommendation questionnaire), Bilvurdering (free valuation), and Aksels Garage+ (a 50 DKK/month or 300 DKK/year membership club with reminders, fuel discounts via Go'on, and partner offers). A private leasing product uses FDM-standardized contracts.

Revenue is generated from three streams: success-based transaction commissions, Garage+ subscription fees, and referral commissions from insurance, financing, and EV charging partners. The company was founded in 2023, is headquartered in Horsens, Denmark, operates with 1-10 employees, and was bootstrapped until a ~$788K round from Insero in May 2026. Geographic scope is Denmark only.

Name

Aksel

Legal name

Aksel.nu

Website

https://aksel.nu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Aksel.nu is a Danish digital marketplace connecting private car sellers with private buyers, handling listings, buyer screening, and MitID-signed escrow transactions via Safepay. It charges commission only on successful sales and layers on subscription, financing, insurance, and EV charging partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Used Car Marketplace

akta.pro primary industry

Wholesale Vehicle Auctions (Physical & Online) (TLABAKAA)

Keywords

• Used car marketplace
• Private car sales
• Car valuation services
• Vehicle escrow payments
• Car owner membership

Headquarters

HQ city

Horsens

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Car Sales Commission: Success-based transaction fee model where Aksel charges a fixed fee only when the car is sold. Fee varies by sale price: 4,000 kr for cars under 75,000 kr, 5,000 kr for 75,000-90,000 kr, and 7,500 kr for cars over 90,000 kr. This 'sold or free' model eliminates risk for sellers.
2. Garage+ Membership Subscription: Monthly or annual subscription providing car owner benefits including advisory services, personalized reminders, fuel discounts, and partner discounts. Priced at 50 kr/month or 300 kr/year.
3. Referral Commissions: Commissions from referring customers to partners for repair insurance (AutoConcept/Helvetia), financing (Santander), and EV charging stations (Aura)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Aksel operates a digital private car sales marketplace that connects Danish individual sellers with private buyers. The platform handles valuation, ad creation, buyer screening, digital contract signing via MitID, and secure escrow payment via Safepay on a 'sold or free' commission model. Supplementary offerings include the Garage+ subscription membership club, Quick Sale expedited service, repair insurance, financing, EV charging, and private leasing via partner integrations.

Product overview

Aksel operates a digital car marketplace (aksel.nu) that connects private sellers with private buyers for used car transactions. The core platform is supplemented by several add-on modules: Aksels Garage+ (subscription loyalty program with advice, reminders, and discounts), Quick Salg (expedited 48-hour sales through dealer network), Bilmatch (car recommendation questionnaire), Car Valuation, and related services including repair insurance (Reparationsforsikring via AutoConcept/Helvetia), financing (via Santander), EV charging stations (via Aura), and private leasing. The company takes a commission only on successful sales ('solgt eller gratis' model) with pricing tiers of 4,000-7,500 kr. depending on vehicle value.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Aksels Garage+: Membership club for car owners offering advice, reminders about vehicle inspections, fuel discounts, and partner discounts on car-related services. Priced from 25-50 DKK/month or 300 DKK/year.

Products and services

• Aksel.nu Private Car Sales Platform
• Aksels Garage+
• Quick Salg (Quick Sale)
• Car Valuation (Bilvurdering)
• Bilmatch (Car Match)
• Reparationsforsikring (Repair Insurance)
• Finansiering (Financing)
• EV Charging Station (Ladestander)
• Privatleasing (Private Leasing)

Quantifiable outcome

• 15-20% higher sale prices vs dealer trade-ins
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BilbasencoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBilbasen is Denmark's leading car marketplace. Aksel syndicates car listings to Bilbasen to reach a broader audience of potential buyers. The partnership logo appears prominently on Aksel's homepage, indicating primary channel importance.
• SafepaycoreTechnology or IntegrationSafepay (Safepay Nordic) provides the Danish escrow payment solution integrated into Aksel's digital sales process. The service holds buyer payments in a neutral account until car ownership transfer is completed, automatically releasing funds to sellers and handling any existing vehicle liens.
• AutoConcept / HelvetiacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAutoConcept provides Aksel's repair insurance products, backed by Helvetia insurance. Aksel acts as an approved accessory insurance distributor regulated by Finanstilsynet. The partnership offers Diamond, Electric, Silver, and Bronze tier coverage plans.
• SantandercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSantander provides car financing solutions for Aksel customers. The partnership enables quick credit decisions (within 5 minutes), variable or fixed rates, and competitive terms for financing used cars purchased through Aksel's platform.
• AuraminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAura provides EV charging station solutions offered to Aksel's car buying customers. Package includes 4,999 kr charging box with standard installation, 30-day commitment, and service from 49 kr/month, with access to Danish and European charging networks.
• Go'onminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGo'on provides fuel card benefits for Garage+ members offering 2 kr/liter discount on list price. Discount applies only with the physical card provided. Partnership terms can change without notice per Garage+ terms.
• AlkaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAlka insurance partner offering insurance review services to Aksel customers. Referenced in navigation menu with tracked affiliate link (cid=par9677126588).
• FDMminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFDM (Forenede Danske Motorister) provides standardized contract templates for private leasing offerings through Aksel. All private leasing contracts are FDM-approved, ensuring consumer protection standards are met.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• CarGurus: US-headquartered online car marketplace with transparent pricing analytics and dealer/private listings. Comparable marketplace-plus-valuation model to Aksel, though primarily operating in the US and UK with a much broader, dealer-led inventory mix.
• mobile.de: Germany's leading online car marketplace (also under Adevinta), serving dealers and private sellers with extensive listing and valuation tooling. Comparable marketplace category and business model, though geographically concentrated in Germany and at far larger scale than Aksel.
• AutoScout24: Europe's largest generalist online car marketplace, operating across more than 20 countries with listings from dealers, private sellers, and OEMs. Comparable as a marketplace platform in the same category, though at much greater scale and broader inventory scope than Aksel's Danish private-seller focus.

Emerging players

• AutoUncle: Danish-born used-car price comparison and search engine that aggregates listings across marketplaces and offers valuation tools. Comparable in its Denmark-specific footprint and valuation focus, though AutoUncle is primarily a search/lead-gen layer rather than a transaction platform like Aksel.

Regional players

• Broom: Norwegian automotive marketplace combining listings, reviews, and editorial content for car buyers and sellers. Comparable Nordic private car-listing marketplace category to Aksel, though primarily a listings and content destination rather than a full transaction platform.

Direct peers

• Bilbasen: Denmark's leading car classifieds marketplace (owned by Adevinta), where Aksel already syndicates listings. Functions as both a primary channel partner and the dominant direct competitor for private-to-private used-car listings in Denmark; customers comparing Aksel against posting directly on Bilbasen is the core commercial dynamic.
• Wayke: Swedish digital car marketplace connecting private sellers with dealers and private buyers, with valuation tools and transaction support. Highly comparable Nordic marketplace model with similar commission-based revenue mechanics and seller-services focus as Aksel.
• Biltorvet: Danish used-car listing and marketplace platform with dealer and private listings, including valuation and financing tools. Direct in-country competitor for private car listings and dealer lead generation in the same Danish market Aksel serves.
• Auto1: Europe's largest online used-car platform, operating a pan-European C2B and B2C marketplace with similar transaction-fee economics and direct seller acquisition. Highly comparable in business model to Aksel's Danish private-seller marketplace, though at vastly greater scale across multiple European countries.
• CarNext: LeasePlan's pan-European online used-car platform offering end-to-end car sales with home delivery, financing, and trade-in. Closely comparable full-service online used-car buying experience to Aksel's private-seller offering, though CarNext sources from fleet/lease returns rather than private individuals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/aksel.nu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aksel-nu
• Instagraminstagram.com/aksel.nu

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

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 Aksel