What High Gear Media does

High Gear Media is an automotive digital publisher founded in 2007 and headquartered in Menlo Park, California. The company operates as a division of Internet Brands (legal entity MH Sub I, LLC), under the doing-business-as name Internet Brands Automotive. Its product surface is a portfolio of four automotive e-commerce websites — CarsDirect, The Car Connection, Motor Authority, and Green Car Reports — which collectively reach more than 11 million in-market, make/model car shoppers per month. The portfolio segments the audience across mainstream (CarsDirect, The Car Connection), luxury/performance (Motor Authority), and eco-friendly (Green Car Reports) verticals. Underlying activity is content production: an editorial team of dozens of automotive writers produces 1,000+ original pieces per month covering vehicle reviews, ratings, pricing, comparisons, and specifications, with content optimized for organic search. No proprietary technology stack, APIs, or AI/ML capabilities are publicly disclosed in the source material.

The business model is advertising-driven. High Gear Media monetizes its first-party audience of in-market auto shoppers by selling targeted advertising placements — display, native, and likely lead-gen units — to automotive manufacturers, dealers, and related brands via a direct sales team. The consumer-facing motion is self-serve and SEO-driven: car shoppers visit owned-and-operated sites directly for research, while the B2B advertiser motion runs through a dedicated Ad Sales contact line (1.888.879.0146) and quote-based, non-public pricing. Go-to-market is therefore hybrid: content marketing / owned media on the demand side, and a sales-led enterprise motion on the supply (advertiser) side. The company has historically raised approximately $12M across two early-stage rounds (2007–2009) from Accel, Greylock, and DAG Ventures, and executed one disclosed acquisition, MotorAuthority.com in August 2009 (per the structured funding/acquisitions data appended to the input). The firm operates with a 11–50 employee headcount range, leveraging parent-company overhead within Internet Brands.

Strategically, High Gear Media competes on editorial scale, brand portfolio breadth across automotive sub-verticals, and SEO-driven organic traffic capture rather than on proprietary technology. The company has no disclosed patents, certifications, regulatory credentials, or partnerships, and its competitive differentiation is concentrated in its content library and audience reach. As a private subsidiary of Internet Brands, it operates within a larger diversified online-publishing group that provides shared ad sales, back-office, and corporate infrastructure. The principal commercially material risks implied by the source data are reliance on cyclical automotive advertising spend, dependence on organic search rankings for audience acquisition, and exposure to AI-mediated content summarization — none of which are mitigated by any disclosed proprietary technology or AI capability.

Name

High Gear Media

Legal name

MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands

Website

https://highgearmedia.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

High Gear Media, operating as Internet Brands Automotive, is an automotive digital publisher running four content websites — CarsDirect, The Car Connection, Motor Authority, and Green Car Reports — that reach 11M+ monthly in-market car shoppers and sell targeted advertising to auto manufacturers, dealers, and brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Menlo Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Advertising Revenue: Internet Brands Automotive generates revenue primarily through advertising. The platform connects advertisers (car manufacturers, dealers, automotive brands) with its audience of 11 million+ monthly in-market car shoppers. The advertising model leverages the company's original editorial content and high-intent consumer traffic to deliver targeted ad placements.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

High Gear Media operates a portfolio of automotive e-commerce websites (CarsDirect, The Car Connection, Motor Authority, and Green Car Reports) that provide in-market car shoppers with reviews, ratings, pricing, comparison, and specification information. The company monetizes this audience by selling targeted advertising placements to car manufacturers, dealers, and automotive brands through a direct ad sales motion. An in-house editorial team of dozens of automotive editors and writers produces more than 1,000 original content pieces each month across the portfolio.

Product overview

High Gear Media operates under Internet Brands Automotive as a multi-platform automotive e-commerce collection consisting of four distinct branded websites (CarsDirect, The Car Connection, Motor Authority, and Green Car Reports). The portfolio serves in-market car shoppers with reviews, ratings, pricing, comparison tools, and specification information, collectively reaching over 11 million monthly visitors. An editorial team of dozens of automotive editors and writers produces more than 1,000 pieces of original content each month across these platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CarsDirect Automotive shopping website providing in-market car shoppers with reviews, ratings, pricing, comparison, and specification information across vehicle makes and models.
• The Car Connection Automotive platform connecting car shoppers with reviews, ratings, pricing, comparison tools, and specification information for vehicle research and purchase decisions.
• Motor Authority

Quantifiable outcome

• 11 million+ monthly in-market car shoppers reached

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Cars.com: Operates a leading digital automotive marketplace with reviews, pricing, and comparison tools serving in-market car shoppers; directly competes with High Gear Media's CarsDirect and The Car Connection for audience and advertising dollars.
• Autotrader: One of the largest US automotive marketplaces, offering research, pricing, and dealer listings to car shoppers; competes head-on with High Gear Media's portfolio for advertisers and consumer attention.
• Edmunds: Long-standing automotive research and shopping site providing reviews, pricing, and comparison content; competes directly with High Gear Media's editorial sites on SEO and OEM/dealer advertising.
• Kelley Blue Book (KBB): Iconic automotive valuation and research brand (owned by Cox Automotive) offering pricing, reviews, and comparison tools; overlaps substantially with High Gear Media's content-led shopping proposition.
• MotorTrend: Automotive enthusiast and editorial publisher producing reviews, comparisons, and features; similar editorial/audience model to Motor Authority and Green Car Reports within High Gear Media's portfolio.
• Car and Driver: Major automotive enthusiast publication with reviews, ratings, and buying advice; competes for advertiser dollars and consumer attention against High Gear Media's editorial brands.
• TrueCar: Online automotive marketplace combining vehicle research, pricing, and dealer connections; competes for in-market car shoppers and dealer advertising spend much like High Gear Media's e-commerce properties.
• AutoGuide: Automotive research and review site covering new and used vehicles; smaller but direct competitor for editorial traffic and ad budgets in the same content-led niche as High Gear Media.

Broad incumbents

• J.D. Power (Cars & Vehicles): Diversified automotive data and research firm providing vehicle quality, valuation, and shopping insights; broader incumbent that overlaps with High Gear Media's pricing/comparison content from a data-rich position.

Others

• DriveTime: Used vehicle retailer with online research, financing, and inventory tools; ecosystem participant that intersects with High Gear Media's audience through shared car-shopping intent and adjacent advertising ecosystems.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HighGearMedia
• Facebookfacebook.com/internetbrandsinc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors3 records

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about High Gear Media