Pace Group

What Pace Group does

Pace Group ApS is a privately held Danish digital automotive company headquartered in Aarhus, founded in 2021 as Bilhandel ApS and rebranded to Pace Group in June 2024. It operates a portfolio of more than ten interconnected platforms and services for the Danish car market — including the Bilhandel.dk car marketplace, TjekBil (license-plate lookup and vehicle data), SmartSalg (closed dealer-to-private auction), NEMbilhandel (digital contract signing via MitID), vindicate.io (vehicle fraud prevention), and enthusiast sites such as BilGalleri and MotorcykelGalleri. Its technology stack is anchored by direct integrations with Danish public vehicle registries (Motorregistret/DMR, Færdselsstyrelsen, Tinglysningsretten) and a public TjekBil API for B2B data customers, combined with dealer-side modules for lead generation, AI-powered chatbots, AI-generated video (via partner Phyron), automated social media, and cross-border vehicle import (Pace Import).

Pace generates revenue through a diversified mix of streams: subscription plus per-lead fees from car dealers on Bilhandel.dk, transaction fees on SmartSalg auction purchases, volume-based data and API monetization, partner/brand activation for insurance, financing, and importer customers, and commission on Pace Import. Its go-to-market blends product-led growth (self-serve consumer platforms reaching 600,000+ active car seekers and 800,000+ active car consumers monthly) with a direct sales team of dealer consultants and a Sales Director covering Danish dealer accounts. Heymate is the main shareholder, and the company is currently pursuing inorganic growth via its UK lift-maintenance subsidiary Deltron Lifts (LDC-backed) and minority strategic investments (e.g., Indian EV-charging startup ROADGRID), making Pace Group both a Danish automotive digital platform operator and a multi-vertical holding entity.

Name

Pace Group

Legal name

Pace Group ApS

Website

https://pace.dk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pace Group is a privately held Danish digital automotive company operating 10+ interconnected platforms — including car marketplace Bilhandel.dk, vehicle-data service TjekBil, and dealer auction SmartSalg — serving Danish car dealers, consumers, and automotive ecosystem partners with marketplace, lead generation, data API, and AI-powered marketing tools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Aarhus

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Lead Generation (Bilhandel): Dealers pay for customer leads generated from Bilhandel.dk. Payment is per qualified lead (email or phone call from user). Monthly subscription for car inventory listing with additional per-lead charges. Cancellation terms: 1 month notice.
2. SmartSalg Transaction Fees: Dealers pay purchase fees when buying cars through SmartSalg auction platform. Fee based on winning bid price. 7-day payment terms after bid acceptance.
3. Data/API Solutions: B2B customers (data companies, marketing setups) pay for vehicle data, valuations, technical data, and market insights. Volume-based pricing with attractive rates for larger volumes.
4. Partner/Brand Activation: Car dealers, importers, insurance companies, financing companies, and other automotive ecosystem players pay for brand activation, vehicle-specific advertising, brand visibility, email campaigns, and in-app messaging to reach Danish car owners.
5. Phyron Video Services: AI-generated video products for car dealers - inventory videos and paid ads for social media platforms. Automates video creation from existing images and data.
6. Pace Import Commission: Platform facilitating car imports from European suppliers. Pace acts as intermediary, with Nordic Auto Connect handling purchases, documentation, and transport. Commission-based model.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels9 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Pace Group ApS is a Danish automotive digital platform company that operates multiple online marketplaces and data services spanning the entire car ownership lifecycle. The company connects car buyers, private sellers, and professional dealers through platforms such as Bilhandel.dk (dealer listings marketplace) and SmartSalg (auction platform for private sellers), while providing vehicle data, history lookup (TjekBil), fraud detection (vindicate.io), digital sales contracts (NEMbilhandel), and API/data services to dealers and B2B customers.

Product overview

Pace Group operates a platform-plus-services architecture centered on Denmark's automotive digital ecosystem. The core platform includes Bilhandel.dk (primary marketplace), TjekBil (vehicle data/lookup), SmartSalg (dealer-to-private auction), NEMbilhandel (digital contracts), vindicate.io (fraud prevention), and several specialty sites (BilGalleri, MotorcykelGalleri, Privatleasingtilbud.dk, Nummerpladeregister, TjekBilsyn). Dealer-facing modules include lead generation services (Lead Abonnement, Leadbooster Premium), marketing tools (SoMe Booster, Databaseret trafik, Phyron AI video, AI chatbot), and Pace Import for European vehicle sourcing. A public API (TjekBil API) provides vehicle data, pricing, and service history to external developers. The company was founded in 2021 as Bilhandel ApS and rebranded to Pace Group in June 2024.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bilhandel: Denmark's best-rated car marketplace on TrustPilot, generating leads for car dealers
• TjekBil
• SmartSalg
• NEMbilhandel
• vindicate.io
• BilGalleri
• MotorcykelGalleri
• Nummerpladeregister
• Privatleasingtilbud.dk
• TjekBilsyn
• Pace Import

Products and services

• Bilhandel.dk

Quantifiable outcome

• 14% of inquiries lead to sales
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability7 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Motorregistret (DMR)coreTechnology or IntegrationData partnership providing access to Danish vehicle registry data including technical specifications, registration information, and ownership records. Core data source for TjekBil and other Pace platforms.
• FærdselsstyrelsencoreTechnology or IntegrationData partnership providing traffic authority data including inspection data, technical information, and regulatory records. Essential for TjekBil vehicle inspection lookup service.
• TinglysningsrettencoreTechnology or IntegrationData partnership providing registration and lien information from the Danish registration authority. Critical for debt checks and ownership verification on Pace platforms.
• BilinfocoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration for automatically importing dealer inventory. Pace pulls car data from Bilinfo for dealers to list on Bilhandel without manual data entry.
• AutoDesktopcoreTechnology or IntegrationAlternative inventory integration for dealer car listings. Allows dealers to automatically sync their inventory to Bilhandel for lead generation.
• Nordic Auto Connect ApScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHandles purchase of vehicles from foreign suppliers, documentation processing, transport coordination, and delivery to buyer's address in Denmark for Pace Import service.
• Safepay Nordic ApScoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment processing partner for Pace Import. Facilitates secure and documented payment process for car imports.
• PhyroncoreTechnology or IntegrationAI video generation technology that automatically creates vehicle videos and images from existing photos and data. Integrated into Bilhandel dealer inventory.
• Bilhandel Partners (Dealers)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHundreds of car dealers use Bilhandel to list inventory and generate leads. They pay subscription and per-lead fees to access Pace's 600K+ monthly car seekers.
• Facebook/Instagram/MetacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAdvertising partnership for Leadbooster Premium and other marketing products. Pace runs dealer ads on Meta platforms targeting car buyers.
• GooglecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAdvertising partnership for dealer visibility on Google search. Integrated into Leadbooster Premium product for dealer car marketing.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights9 records

Broad incumbents

• Cars.com: US-listed car marketplace offering dealer leads, OEM advertising, and data products. Comparable dealer-services business with multiple monetization streams.
• Mobile.de: Germany's leading car marketplace (owned by Adevinta). Operates an analogous dealer subscription + consumer listing model with vehicle data services, though at significantly larger scale.
• AutoScout24: Europe's largest online car marketplace, operating in multiple countries. Comparable marketplace-plus-data business model at much greater scale across DACH and beyond.

Direct peers

• Auto1 Group: European digital used-car platform combining B2B auction, B2C retail, and dealer software. Comparable marketplace-plus-auction-plus-fintech model that overlaps with Pace's SmartSalg and Pace Import.
• CarGurus: Data-driven car marketplace using pricing transparency and dealer reputation. Closest conceptual analog to Pace's data-forward approach (TjekBil valuations, fraud checks via vindicate.io).
• Bilbasen: Denmark's largest classified car marketplace, owned by Schibsted. Most direct competitor to Bilhandel.dk in the same geography with similar dealer lead-generation business model.

Emerging players

• CarVertical: Vehicle history and valuation data provider operating across Europe. Closest analog to Pace's TjekBil and vindicate.io products, though with cross-border rather than single-market focus.
• heycar: European used-car marketplace backed by Volkswagen and others. Targets similar dealer and consumer pain points around trust and inventory transparency in adjacent markets.

Regional players

• Auto Trader UK: UK's dominant car marketplace with similar dealer subscription and lead-generation model. Comparable in monetization, but operates in a different national market.
• DBA.dk: Denmark's largest general classifieds site (also Schibsted-owned) with a strong car vertical. Indirect competitor for consumer car listings in the same Danish market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pace-group-aps

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Pace Group