GrooveCar
GrooveCar is a U.S. provider of auto leasing, indirect lending, and white-labeled car shopping platforms built exclusively for credit unions, serving 350+ partners and 9M+ members via CU Xpress Lease, GrooveCar Direct, and GrooveCar Retail.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersHauppauge, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What GrooveCar does
GrooveCar (legal entity Fusion AF, LLC dba GrooveCar) is a Hauppauge/Farmingdale, NY-based provider of automotive lending and car shopping solutions exclusively serving U.S. credit unions and their members, operating since 1999 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fusion Auto Finance since August 2017. The company's product portfolio centers on three core offerings: CU Xpress Lease (a credit-union-focused auto leasing program with a 100% residual value guarantee underwritten by Fusion Auto Finance), GrooveCar Direct (a white-labeled, credit-union-branded car shopping platform providing access to 4M+ vehicles from 15,000+ dealers with real-time lead alerts, CARFAX reports, Kelley Blue Book valuations, and a Preferred Dealer Network), and GrooveCar Retail (an indirect auto lending program connecting credit unions with dealers via Dealertrack and RouteOne integrations). Supplementary offerings include the AutoPilot managed email marketing add-on and Full Tank Creative marketing services (launched 2022).
The underlying technology stack is a cloud-based automotive lending and commerce platform integrating third-party dealer networks (Dealertrack, RouteOne), vehicle data providers (CARFAX, Kelley Blue Book), and credit-qualification technology (FlexPath DXP's VeriQual), with proprietary features including Forced Registration, real-time member lead alerts, and the Preferred Dealer Network designation system. Revenue is generated through three streams: annual subscription/platform fees from credit unions sized to their assets, transaction-based fees on leases and retail loans originated through the platform, and professional services revenue from Full Tank Creative marketing engagements. Pricing is consultation-based with annual subscription cadences for platform access, pay-as-you-go transaction fees for CU Xpress Lease, and monthly billing for the AutoPilot add-on. Go-to-market combines direct enterprise field sales with channel-driven distribution, where 350+ credit union partners effectively resell the platform under their own brands to 9M+ members, while a dedicated team of Dealer Relationship Managers across at least 10 states recruits and supports 15,000+ franchise and independent dealerships.
GrooveCar firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- GrooveCar
- Legal name
- Fusion AF, LLC dba GrooveCar
- Website
- https://groovecarinc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- GrooveCar is a U.S. provider of auto leasing, indirect lending, and white-labeled car shopping platforms built exclusively for credit unions, serving 350+ partners and 9M+ members via CU Xpress Lease, GrooveCar Direct, and GrooveCar Retail.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
GrooveCar industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Credit Union Indirect Auto Lending Software
- NAICS
- Sales Financing (52222)
- SIC
- Loan Brokers (6163), Finance Lessors (6172), Personal Credit Institutions (6141)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Vertical-Specific POS Financing (e.g., Healthcare, Auto, Home Improvement) (FSAGAIAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Leasing & Lease Buyout Financing (FSAKADAC), Auto & Vehicle Loan Brokerage (FSAEAEAK)
Keywords
Where GrooveCar is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hauppauge
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
GrooveCar business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Transaction-based lending fees: GrooveCar generates revenue through transaction fees based on loan volume originated through its platforms. Credit unions pay fees for each lease or retail loan originated through CU Xpress Lease and GrooveCar Direct programs.
- Platform subscription/membership fees: Credit unions pay for access to GrooveCar Direct platform, including car shopping sites, dealer networks, and marketing tools. The company offers scalable pricing for different credit union sizes.
- Marketing services: Full Tank Creative, the company's marketing arm, provides fee-based marketing services to credit unions including digital campaigns, email marketing, and creative services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | GrooveCar Direct platform with car shopping site |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | CU Xpress Lease program |
| Subscription | Monthly | AutoPilot email marketing add-on |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels10 records
GrooveCar product offering
Product offeringCore offering
GrooveCar provides credit unions with a cloud-based automotive lending ecosystem consisting of an indirect auto lending platform (GrooveCar Retail), a closed-end lease program (CU Xpress Lease), and a white-labeled car-shopping website (GrooveCar Direct) that routes members and leads to a network of 15,000+ U.S. dealers via integrations with Dealertrack, RouteOne, Kelley Blue Book, and CARFAX. The company monetizes through platform subscriptions and transaction fees to credit union clients, supporting member acquisition, loan origination, and indirect auto finance for partner credit unions.
Product overview
GrooveCar is a leading provider of automotive lending solutions for credit unions since 1999, operating as Fusion AF, LLC dba GrooveCar. The company offers a suite of products centered around two core programs: CU Xpress Lease (a Fusion Auto Finance product) and GrooveCar Direct. CU Xpress Lease is the nation's premier auto leasing program for credit unions with 207,000+ lease originations and $7.9B+ in leases funded, offering Traditional and Full-Service partnership models with a 100% residual value guarantee. GrooveCar Direct is a white-labeled, credit union-branded car shopping platform providing access to 4M+ vehicles from 15K+ dealers, with features including real-time lead alerts, integrated financing, CARFAX reports, Kelley Blue Book valuations, and the Preferred Dealer Network. GrooveCar Retail connects credit unions with dealers through Dealertrack and RouteOne networks. Optional add-ons include AutoPilot email marketing services. The company serves 350+ credit union partners with 9.0M+ members served and $11.6B+ in loans funded.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- CU Xpress Lease: Nation's premier auto leasing program for credit unions with 100% residual value guarantee, offering Traditional and Full-Service partnership models.
- GrooveCar Direct
- Full Tank Creative
Products and services
- CU Xpress Lease Closed-end auto lease program for credit unions, marketed as the only credit union leasing program offering a 100% residual value guarantee. Lets credit unions offer a turnkey leasing product to members without building a captive lease platform in-house.
- GrooveCar Direct White-labeled car shopping website deployed for credit unions, providing members with vehicle search, pricing tools (via Kelley Blue Book and CARFAX integrations), real-time lead alerts, and forced member registration to capture leads for the credit union.
- GrooveCar Retail Indirect auto lending platform that enables credit unions to fund member auto loans originated through a network of participating dealers, with credit application submission via Dealertrack and RouteOne integrations.
- AutoPilot Marketing automation tool for credit unions that uses FICO-based targeting and member data to send automated auto loan and lease offers to re-engage members and drive loan originations.
- Full Tank Creative Turnkey marketing services offering for credit union partners, providing creative, campaign, and content production to support indirect auto lending programs.
Quantifiable outcome
- 115% year-over-year increase in booked leases for CU Xpress Lease
- +8 more outcomes
Companies that use GrooveCar
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
GrooveCar technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature6 records
GrooveCar partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Fusion Auto FinancecoreFusion Auto Finance is the parent company and strategic partner of GrooveCar. Fusion provides the residual value guarantee and vehicle titling for CU Xpress Lease, while GrooveCar provides the indirect lending platform and dealer relationships. The two companies combined offer a complete suite of automotive lending solutions for credit unions.
- 350+ Credit UnionscoreCredit unions across the United States partner with GrooveCar to offer car shopping and leasing platforms to their members. Partners include Jovia, Kemba, Suffolk, Teachers FCU, ELGA, and many others ranging from $30M to $10B+ in assets.
- 15,000+ Auto DealerscoreFranchise and independent auto dealerships partner with GrooveCar to access credit union member financing. The dealer network spans multiple states and includes dealers for Honda, Toyota, and other major brands.
- DealertrackcoreDealertrack integration enables seamless submission of credit applications from GrooveCar's dealer network, streamlining the financing process.
- RouteOnecoreRouteOne integration provides additional channel for dealers to submit applications through GrooveCar's platform.
- EndTrust Lease End ServicescoreEndTrust provides strategic residual value management, loss mitigation, and profit enhancement tools for Fusion Auto Finance's lease portfolio. Combined with Fusion, they deliver unique lease termination capabilities.
- Novak MotorsminorNovak Motors operates the dealership and auction warehouse where CU Xpress Lease off-lease vehicles are remarketed, providing integrated disposition services.
Scale indicators28 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
GrooveCar competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- CUDL (Credit Union Direct Lending, now part of Origence): CUDL is the largest indirect auto lending network for credit unions in the U.S., connecting thousands of dealers to credit union financing. It is the most direct peer to GrooveCar, competing head-to-head on indirect auto lending origination volume for the same credit union customer base via Dealertrack and RouteOne.
- Origence: Origence (parent of CUDL) provides lending technology and indirect auto lending solutions specifically to credit unions. It competes directly with GrooveCar's GrooveCar Retail platform for credit union indirect auto lending share and serves as the most analogous scaled competitor in the same vertical.
Broad incumbents
- Cox Automotive (Dealertrack): Cox Automotive owns Dealertrack, the dominant application submission network that GrooveCar's dealer partners and credit unions rely on. As both an integration partner and a competitor via its broader auto finance software suite, Cox Automotive is the incumbent infrastructure player in the space GrooveCar operates in.
- RouteOne: RouteOne is a major indirect lending application network connecting dealers to lenders, and a direct integration partner for GrooveCar. It competes as a broad incumbent by aggregating multiple lenders and could over time expand into credit-union-targeted lending solutions that compete with GrooveCar Direct.
- CUNA Mutual Group (TruStage): CUNA Mutual / TruStage is the largest credit-union-focused financial services and insurance provider in the U.S. While not a direct auto lending competitor, it serves the same credit union customer base and represents a strategic partner-or-competitor dynamic for GrooveCar's core market of credit union auto lending products.
- LendingTree: LendingTree operates a broad online lending marketplace including auto loans, connecting consumers to multiple lenders. It is comparable as a broad incumbent in online auto loan lead generation and lender matching, the same category GrooveCar Direct occupies for credit union members.
Emerging players
- Open Lending: Open Lending provides risk-based pricing and lending enablement software to credit unions and other lenders across auto and other consumer credit products. It is comparable as a fintech serving credit union members in auto lending, though it is more focused on credit analytics and pricing than the full marketplace/shopping experience GrooveCar delivers.
- Lendbuzz: Lendbuzz is an auto lending fintech using alternative data for credit decisioning, with growing dealer and lender integrations. It is comparable as an emerging auto fintech platform focused on indirect lending and dealer financing, with overlapping customer base to GrooveCar's dealer network.
- AutoFi: AutoFi is a digital auto retail and financing platform that enables online car shopping with credit application and lender matching. It is comparable as an emerging player building online car-shopping + financing infrastructure that overlaps with GrooveCar Direct's white-labeled marketplace functionality.
Others
- TrueCar: TrueCar is a digital car shopping and pricing platform that connects consumers with dealers and provides transparency on vehicle pricing. It is comparable to GrooveCar Direct as a car-shopping platform with dealer network and pricing tools, though it serves consumers directly rather than routing through credit unions.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
GrooveCar social profiles
Digital presenceGrooveCar financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
GrooveCar leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
GrooveCar subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
GrooveCar funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
GrooveCar 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 GrooveCar
What does GrooveCar do?
GrooveCar provides credit unions with a cloud-based automotive lending ecosystem consisting of an indirect auto lending platform (GrooveCar Retail), a closed-end lease program (CU Xpress Lease), and a white-labeled car-shopping website (GrooveCar Direct) that routes members and leads to a network of 15,000+ U.S. dealers via integrations with Dealertrack, RouteOne, Kelley Blue Book, and CARFAX. The company monetizes through platform subscriptions and transaction fees to credit union clients, supporting member acquisition, loan origination, and indirect auto finance for partner credit unions.
Is GrooveCar a public or private company?
GrooveCar is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was GrooveCar founded?
GrooveCar was founded in 1999. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is GrooveCar based?
GrooveCar is headquartered in Hauppauge, United States, in the North America region.
How does GrooveCar make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Transaction-based lending fees are the primary driver. The others are platform subscription/membership fees and marketing services.
Who are GrooveCar's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are CUDL (Credit Union Direct Lending, now part of Origence) and Origence. Broad incumbents are Cox Automotive (Dealertrack), RouteOne, CUNA Mutual Group (TruStage) and LendingTree. Emerging players are Open Lending, Lendbuzz and AutoFi. TrueCar is listed as an others.
Does GrooveCar have an API?
No public API is recorded for GrooveCar.
What industry is GrooveCar in?
GrooveCar's product category is Credit Union Indirect Auto Lending Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAGAIAK, Vertical-Specific POS Financing (e.g., Healthcare, Auto, Home Improvement), with a secondary code of FSAKADAC, Leasing & Lease Buyout Financing. Its NAICS code is 52222 and its SIC code is 6163.