Heycar
Heycar was a Berlin-based used-car marketplace app, operated by Mobility Trader GmbH, that connected individual car buyers with automobile dealers via AI-powered search and notifications. The platform ceased operations in 2025.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersBerlin, Germany
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Heycar does
Heycar was a Berlin-based online used-car marketplace operated by Mobility Trader GmbH, founded in 2017 and serving two primary customer segments: individual car buyers searching for vehicles and automobile dealerships seeking lead generation. The platform was delivered through a mobile application featuring AI-powered search and push-notification capabilities designed to match buyer queries with relevant dealer inventory. The business model centered on marketplace lead generation: Heycar monetized by routing qualified buyer interest to dealers rather than facilitating direct transactions, positioning itself as a digital alternative to traditional classifieds.
Strategically, Heycar attracted two major OEM investors — Mercedes-Benz Group AG (2018) and Renault Group (2021) — which provided both capital and potential dealer-network alignment. The company expanded internationally into India via heycar.in, targeting a projected $80 billion used-car market by 2028, in addition to its German home market. Headcount was reported in the 251–500 range. Technical differentiation was modest: the AI-powered search bar improved query-to-listing matching accuracy, while notifications proactively surfaced relevant inventory to users.
As of 2025, Heycar has permanently ceased operations. Its website displays the message 'Wir parken jetzt für immer' ('We're parking forever now'), and Mobility Trader GmbH has wound down its marketplace activities. No acquisition, merger, or restructuring outcome has been publicly disclosed, and the company's strategic assets (app, brand, OEM relationships) appear to have been retired alongside the platform.
Heycar firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Heycar
- Legal name
- Mobility Trader GmbH
- Website
- https://hey.car
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Closed
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Heycar was a Berlin-based used-car marketplace app, operated by Mobility Trader GmbH, that connected individual car buyers with automobile dealers via AI-powered search and notifications. The platform ceased operations in 2025.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Heycar industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Automotive Marketplace
- NAICS
- Used Car Dealers (44112), Used Car Dealers (441120)
- SIC
- Retail-Auto Dealers & Gasoline Stations (5500)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Automotive Parts & Accessories Omnichannel (CRAFAEAL)
Keywords
Where Heycar is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berlin
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Heycar business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Dealer Lead Generation: Platform generates revenue by driving leads to car dealers through its marketplace app, connecting buyers with relevant vehicle listings
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Heycar product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Heycar was an online used car marketplace operating in Germany and India, connecting individual car buyers with dealerships through a mobile-first platform. The service, operated under the legal entity Mobility Trader GmbH, used AI-powered search and a notification system to match buyers with vehicle listings from third-party dealers. The company ceased operations in 2025.
Product overview
Heycar was a used car marketplace platform connecting buyers with dealers through a mobile app. The platform consisted of a core mobile application with AI-powered search capabilities and notification features. The company has ceased operations (parked forever as of 2025).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Heycar App Mobile-first marketplace application that allows individual car buyers to search for used vehicles listed by third-party dealers using AI-powered search and personalized notifications. Targeted at consumers in Germany and India seeking to discover and compare used vehicles.
Companies that use Heycar
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Heycar technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature2 records
Heycar partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Heycar competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Spinny: India-based used car marketplace with full-stack inspection and pricing model. Direct competitor to Heycar's Indian operations with similar technology-enabled buyer experience.
- Cars24: Major used-car marketplace operating in India and other markets. Direct overlap with Heycar's heycar.in India operations and similar B2C marketplace model connecting buyers with inspected used vehicles.
- mobile.de: Germany's leading online marketplace for vehicles, now part of the AutoScout24 group. Closest direct competitor to Heycar in its primary German market, with dominant dealer-side inventory.
- AutoScout24: Europe's largest online vehicle marketplace, operating across multiple European countries with new and used car listings. Direct competitor to Heycar in the German market with significantly larger inventory and brand recognition.
- CarGurus: Used car marketplace leveraging data and search technology to connect buyers with dealers. Comparable tech-led marketplace approach with AI/transparency features similar to Heycar's AI search.
Broad incumbents
- Vroom: Online used car retailer in the US operating an end-to-end e-commerce vehicle buying experience. Comparable digital-first used-car retail model to Heycar's marketplace, serving a different geography.
- Carvana: Large online used-car retailer in the US offering end-to-end purchasing with home delivery. Comparable vertically-integrated online used-car model, though operating at much greater scale in a different geography.
- TrueCar: US-based digital automotive marketplace providing pricing transparency and dealer network connections. Comparable dealer lead generation model and marketplace approach to Heycar's buyer-dealer matching.
- Cars.com: Established US online automotive marketplace connecting buyers with new and used car dealers. Comparable marketplace model and dealer lead generation revenue approach, broader in scope than Heycar's used-car focus.
Regional players
- CarDekho: India-based automotive marketplace with new and used car listings plus financing services. Regional competitor to Heycar's India operations within the same local market dynamics.
Market position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Heycar social profiles
Digital presenceHeycar financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Heycar leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Heycar funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Heycar 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 Heycar
What does Heycar do?
Heycar was an online used car marketplace operating in Germany and India, connecting individual car buyers with dealerships through a mobile-first platform. The service, operated under the legal entity Mobility Trader GmbH, used AI-powered search and a notification system to match buyers with vehicle listings from third-party dealers. The company ceased operations in 2025.
Is Heycar a public or private company?
Heycar is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently closed.
When was Heycar founded?
Heycar was founded in 2017. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Heycar based?
Heycar is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Heycar make money?
One revenue line is on record: dealer Lead Generation.
Who are Heycar's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Spinny, Cars24, mobile.de, AutoScout24 and CarGurus. Broad incumbents are Vroom, Carvana, TrueCar and Cars.com. CarDekho is listed as a regional player.
Does Heycar have an API?
No public API is recorded for Heycar.
What industry is Heycar in?
Heycar's product category is Online Automotive Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAFAEAL, Automotive Parts & Accessories Omnichannel. Its NAICS code is 44112 and its SIC code is 5500.