AUTOBYTEL INC.

What AUTOBYTEL INC. does

AutoWeb, Inc., the corporate successor to Autobytel Inc., is a performance-based digital marketing platform that connects automotive dealers and OEM partners with in-market car shoppers. Founded in 1995 and headquartered in Walnut Creek, California, the company operates consumer-facing properties including AutoWeb, UsedCars.com, and Car.com, collectively reaching 25M+ monthly visitors and a 42M total shopper audience, and transacting 4M leads annually through its two-sided marketplace.

The platform is built around three integrated components: a content and research layer for consumers (with vehicle specifications, pricing, and incentives sourced via a partnership with Chrome Data / Autodata, Inc.), a transaction layer that delivers qualified leads to dealers through a Quality Verification System, and an operational Dealer Extranet portal that dealers use to receive, route, and manage leads. The AutoWeb Ads product extends the platform into programmatic retail advertising for dealers.

Revenue is generated through two mechanics: per-lead transaction fees for qualified consumer leads routed to dealers, and advertising spend through AutoWeb Ads. The go-to-market is sales-led on the dealer and OEM side and product-led on the consumer side, with custom (non-public) pricing and multi-year dealer contracts. Geographic coverage spans the United States and Canada, with operational offices in the US, Canada, Ukraine, Armenia, and Guatemala supporting a multilingual workforce.

Name

AUTOBYTEL INC.

Legal name

AutoWeb, Inc.

Website

https://autobytel.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

AutoWeb (formerly Autobytel) is a performance-based digital marketing platform that connects automotive dealers and OEM partners with in-market car shoppers via consumer sites (AutoWeb, UsedCars.com, Car.com) and a dealer extranet, generating revenue through qualified lead transactions and retail advertising across the US and Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Automotive Marketing Platform

NAICS

Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers (441)

SIC

Retail-Auto Dealers & Gasoline Stations (5500)

akta.pro primary industry

Automotive Parts, Tools & Accessories Marketplaces (CRAFABAJ)

Keywords

• Automotive lead generation
• Dealer marketing solutions
• Automotive marketplace platform
• Performance-based marketing
• Car shopping website

Headquarters

HQ city

Ankeny, Iowa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Dealer Lead Generation: Performance-based marketing solutions generating high-quality leads for automotive dealers. Dealers receive purchase requests from in-market shoppers within their set radius, with leads designed to convert into sales.
2. AutoWeb Ads: Advertising platform reaching over 25 million monthly shoppers on their network of automotive websites. Connects car shoppers with dealers through targeted display advertising.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

AutoWeb operates a performance-based automotive marketing platform that generates high-quality purchase leads and delivers them in real time to automotive dealers within their specified geographic radius. The company monetizes through dealer subscriptions and per-lead fees for lead generation, plus display advertising on its consumer-facing vehicle research sites (Autoweb.com, UsedCars.com, Car.com), which attract over 25 million monthly shoppers researching new and used vehicles.

Product overview

AutoWeb (Autobytel) operates as a performance-based marketing platform for the automotive industry, offering a dual-sided marketplace connecting car dealers with consumers. The core AutoWeb platform provides lead generation (AutoWeb Leads), advertising (AutoWeb Ads), and dealer management tools (Dealer Extranet Portal). Supporting consumer-facing properties include UsedCars.com and Car.com for vehicle inventory search, plus editorial content including car reviews, road tests, Top 10 Lists, and buying guides. The company was founded in 1995 and serves OEM and dealer partners with marketing and sales solutions, reaching over 25 million monthly shoppers and generating approximately 4 million annual leads.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• UsedCars.com: Online marketplace for searching pre-owned cars, trucks, SUVs and other vehicles from dealers across the country
• Car.com

Products and services

• AutoWeb Leads High-quality lead generation service delivering targeted purchase requests to automotive dealers within their specified geographic radius, designed to convert into sales.
• AutoWeb Ads Advertising platform reaching highly engaged car shoppers before they visit other dealer sites, enabling dealers to capture in-market buyers across the AutoWeb network.
• Dealer Extranet Portal Secured dealer portal allowing dealers to view account details, purchase requests for up to 6 months, adjust settings, and manage bulk lead returns as part of their AutoWeb subscription.
• UsedCars.com Brand property providing search for pre-owned vehicles including cars, trucks, SUVs, and other vehicles from dealers across the country.
• Car.com Brand property offering car buying guidance and resources to help consumers navigate the car purchasing process.
• New Car Search Search tool for discovering new vehicles with make/model filtering and local pricing information on Autoweb.com.
• Used Car Search Advanced search for pre-owned vehicles with filters for make, model, year, and location on Autoweb.com.
• Car Reviews and Road Tests Expert vehicle reviews, road tests, and editorial insights covering new and used vehicles across all segments.
• Car Comparison Side-by-side vehicle comparison tool allowing shoppers to compare specifications, features, and pricing of different models.
• Top 10 Lists Curated rankings of best vehicles across categories such as sedans, coupes, SUVs, trucks, and electric vehicles.
• Research and Buying Guides Educational content including car buying tips, shopping guides, and financing information to help consumers make informed decisions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 25+ million monthly shoppers visit AutoWeb network
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• UsedCars.comcoreOthersAutoWeb subsidiary brand providing used car search across dealer inventory nationwide. Part of AutoWeb's brand portfolio offering consumers additional vehicle search capabilities.
• Car.comcoreOthersAutoWeb subsidiary brand offering car shopping experience and resources. Part of AutoWeb's portfolio helping consumers with car buying process through experience, network, and resources.
• Chrome Data (Autodata, Inc.)coreTechnology or IntegrationContent provider for vehicle specifications, pricing, colors, and detailed automotive data. Copyright 1986-2026 by Autodata, Inc. dba Chrome Data. Provides standardized vehicle data across AutoWeb platform.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Carfax: Vehicle history reports and used car listings owned by S&P Global, with a marketplace adjacent to AutoWeb's used car focus. Comparable as consumer-facing automotive research and discovery platform.
• Dealer.com: Cox Automotive subsidiary providing dealer websites, digital marketing, and inventory solutions. Overlaps with AutoWeb's dealer-side marketing and advertising offerings.
• Kelley Blue Book (KBB): Established vehicle valuation and research brand owned by Cox Automotive, providing pricing, reviews, and dealer connections. Comparable as consumer research destination and dealer lead source within a broader portfolio.
• Cox Automotive: Parent of AutoTrader, Kelley Blue Book, Dealertrack, and other dealer technology brands. Competes broadly with AutoWeb via overlapping dealer marketing, CRM, and inventory solutions.

Direct peers

• TrueCar: Online automotive marketplace focused on transparent pricing and dealer leads, with a performance-based dealer subscription model. Comparable in transaction-tied monetization and dealer/consumer dual-sided platform.
• Edmunds: Editorial-heavy automotive research site offering reviews, pricing, and dealer connections. Overlaps with AutoWeb's editorial content and dealer lead generation offerings.
• Cars.com: Directly competing automotive marketplace connecting car shoppers with dealers via leads, advertising, and editorial content. Closest comparable in product mix, dealer model, and multi-brand portfolio.
• Carvana: Online used car retailer with its own consumer marketplace and end-to-end digital purchase experience. Comparable as an automotive digital marketplace serving consumer research-to-purchase journeys.
• CarGurus: Online car marketplace and lead generation platform for dealers with strong consumer traffic and dealer subscription model. Comparable in dual-sided marketplace and dealer monetization.
• AutoTrader: Major automotive marketplace owned by Cox Automotive, offering new and used vehicle listings plus dealer advertising solutions. Direct overlap on lead generation and consumer vehicle research.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/autobytel-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 records

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 AUTOBYTEL INC.