CarsOnTheWeb

What CarsOnTheWeb does

CarsOnTheWeb operates the OPENLANE platform, a European B2B online car auction marketplace founded in 2004 and headquartered in Tienen, Belgium. The platform connects institutional vehicle sellers — primarily large European fleet operators and leasing companies (Arval, Ayvens, Alphabet, Athlon, Santander, Allane Mobility Group, Stellantis) — with registered car dealers and automotive traders who purchase used passenger cars, vans, light trucks, margin cars, and damaged vehicles. Listings include standardized inspection reports and high-quality vehicle descriptions, and buyers transact through competitive bidding or fixed-price "Buy now" options, with additional services for transport, delivery, and financing provided in the customer's local language via a single dedicated contact person.

The core product is the OPENLANE auction marketplace, augmented by two curated sub-brands — OPENLANE Select and Next-to-New — which target dealers seeking younger, low-mileage premium inventory. The platform operates as a self-serve 24/7 online marketplace with a mobile app, advanced search and filtering across make, model, fuel type, transmission, mileage, and registration year, and an integrated partnership with EUROCOC to streamline cross-border Certificates of Conformity. CarsOnTheWeb is a private company with 11-50 employees, no public ticker, and a single disclosed funding event (Vortex Capital Partners, December 2016).

Name

CarsOnTheWeb

Legal name

OPENLANE

Website

https://carsontheweb.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CarsOnTheWeb operates OPENLANE, a European B2B online car auction marketplace founded in 2004, connecting major fleet operators and leasing companies with registered car dealers and automotive traders for used passenger cars, vans, light trucks, and damaged vehicles.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Auto Auctions

NAICS

Automobile and Other Motor Vehicle Merchant Wholesalers (42311), Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers (441)

SIC

Wholesale-Motor Vehicles & Motor Vehicle Parts & Supplies (5010)

akta.pro primary industry

Wholesale Vehicle Auctions (Physical & Online) (TLABAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dealer-to-Dealer (B2B) Vehicle Remarketing Networks (TLABAKAB), B2B Marketplaces & Wholesale Platforms (BPAMAGAD)

Keywords

• B2B car auctions
• Used car marketplace
• Vehicle remarketing platform
• Auto auction platform
• Dealer vehicle sourcing

Headquarters

HQ city

Tienen

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Auction Transaction Fees: The platform charges fees on vehicle transactions conducted through the auction marketplace. Sellers list vehicles and buyers purchase through competitive bidding or 'Buy now' pricing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

CarsOnTheWeb (branded OPENLANE) operates a European online B2B auction marketplace where professional car dealers and automotive traders buy and sell used passenger cars, vans, light trucks, margin cars and damaged vehicles. Inventory is sourced from fleet operators, leasing companies, finance firms and dealers, with vehicles sold via competitive bidding, 'Buy now' fixed prices, 'Estimated price' or 'Target price' formats, and supported by transport, delivery and financing solutions.

Product overview

OPENLANE is a B2B online car auction platform that operates as a unified marketplace for car dealers and automotive traders. The platform's core offering is the OPENLANE auction marketplace, supplemented by two specialized sub-brands: OPENLANE Select and Next-to-New, which offer exclusive selections of young, low-mileage vehicles. The platform provides high-quality vehicle descriptions and inspections, and supports various auction channels including fleet/lease companies, finance companies, and dealer inventory.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• OPENLANE B2B Car Auction Platform European online B2B auction marketplace where professional car dealers and automotive traders buy and sell high-quality used passenger cars, vans, light trucks, margin cars and damaged vehicles sourced from fleet operators, leasing companies, finance firms and dealers.
• OPENLANE Select Exclusive curated selection of young, low-mileage vehicles offered within the OPENLANE auction platform, targeting premium vehicle inventory for dealers.
• Next-to-New Exclusive selection of young, low-mileage vehicles available only at OPENLANE, providing higher-quality inventory for dealers seeking newer used cars.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• EUROCOCcoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership renewal with EUROCOC to provide Certificates of Conformity (COCs) for cross-border vehicle sales. Enables fast ordering of COCs with promotional pricing.
• ArvalmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor fleet leasing company listing vehicles on OPENLANE's auction platform.
• Ayvens (ex ALD)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor fleet leasing company listing vehicles on OPENLANE's auction platform.
• AlphabetmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFleet management company listing vehicles on OPENLANE's auction platform.
• AthlonmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFleet leasing company listing vehicles on OPENLANE's auction platform.
• SantandermajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFinancial services company listing vehicles on OPENLANE's auction platform.
• Allane Mobility GroupmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMobility solutions provider listing vehicles on OPENLANE's auction platform.
• StellantismajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor automotive group listing vehicles on OPENLANE's auction platform.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Copart: Global online vehicle auction platform with significant presence in salvage, total-loss, and used-vehicle remarketing — comparable marketplace auction model and dealer customer base, though with a heavier tilt toward insurance and salvage vehicles.
• ADESA: European and North American vehicle auction operator with both physical and online channels serving dealers, fleets, and OEMs — directly comparable remarketing model, though at much larger scale as part of a broader auction portfolio.
• Manheim (Cox Automotive): Global vehicle auction powerhouse within Cox Automotive, operating physical and online auction channels for dealers, fleets, and OEMs — overlaps directly with CarsOnTheWeb's auction-based B2B model but as part of a much broader automotive services portfolio.
• IAA (Insurance Auto Auctions / RB Global): Major salvage and total-loss vehicle auction operator under RB Global, competing in the online vehicle auction category with overlapping dealer buyers and digital marketplace infrastructure comparable to CarsOnTheWeb's platform.

Others

• EUROCOC: European provider of Certificates of Conformity and vehicle documentation services, integrated as a partner into CarsOnTheWeb's platform — adjacent enabling service rather than a competitor, but tightly coupled to the cross-border B2B used-car workflow.

Direct peers

• Auto1 Group: Europe's largest publicly listed B2B used-car platform, connecting professional dealers with inspected used-vehicle inventory sourced from fleet, leasing, and consumer channels — directly overlapping CarsOnTheWeb's B2B auction model and target dealer customer base.
• BCA Marketplace: Pan-European B2B vehicle remarketing and auction business owned by TDR Capital, serving the same fleet lessor and dealer customers as CarsOnTheWeb with comparable online and physical auction channels.
• Autorola: European online B2B vehicle remarketing platform operating across multiple countries, offering fleet appraisal, auction, and remarketing tools to dealers and fleet operators — directly competitive in the same European B2B used-car marketplace category.

Regional players

• KBC Auctions: Belgian and broader Benelux-focused vehicle auction house offering physical and online B2B remarketing — overlaps regionally with CarsOnTheWeb's European marketplace focus, particularly for dealers sourcing inventory in the Benelux region.

Emerging players

• AUTOproff: Nordic-origin B2B used-car auction platform expanding across Europe, providing professional dealer-to-dealer auctioning with inspection services — a smaller but directly comparable digital B2B auction model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/carsontheweb
• Facebookfacebook.com/carsontheweb
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/719051

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

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 CarsOnTheWeb