AppFueled
AppFueled is a privately held US software company (operating as ReferACar, LLC) that builds an app-powered CRM platform combining custom mobile loyalty apps, scheduling, call-center tools, and rewards programs specifically for independent auto repair shops, sold via subscription and bespoke development engagements.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersNampa, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What AppFueled does
AppFueled (legal entity: ReferACar, LLC) is a privately held, founder-led software company founded in 2015 by Jeremy Glassco and headquartered in Nampa, Idaho. The company builds an app-powered customer relationship management (CRM) platform purpose-built for independent and chain auto repair shops in the United States. Its core offering combines a custom-branded mobile loyalty app published to the Apple App Store and Google Play with a CRM backend that includes a loyalty ladder, 2-way online scheduling, a concierge call center suite, rewards/rebates/referrals programs, Google Reviews management, and CARFAX vehicle health reporting. The platform is differentiated from generic CRMs by its vertical specificity to auto repair, its proprietary "33 app ninja tricks" engagement methodology, and its deep 2-way API integrations with the three dominant independent shop management systems (Tekmetric, Protractor, and Shop-Ware), plus official Google Reserve Book Now approval.
The product is delivered across three pricing tiers: a Turn Key App subscription at $284/month with one-time $599 build and $299 listing fees and a 30-day launch guarantee; a Custom App engagement starting at a $30,000 minimum with 4–5 month delivery; and a Spotlight App growth program at $99/year that sells geographic exclusivity (two spots per city, 2-year non-compete) and guarantees 25 new customers per month. Distribution is direct-to-SMB through the company website, supplemented by a content engine (founder's book, playbook, whitepaper, 33 App Ninja Tricks download), organic social, and founder-led podcast appearances on Ratchet & Wrench. The company has a headcount of 1-10 employees, no disclosed institutional funding, and no disclosed revenue.
Underlying technology components include Twilio for telephony and AI call scoring, Mandrill for transactional email, a Google Reviews API integration with automated 24-hour sync and AI-generated reply suggestions, and a Chrome extension (Sidekick Ninja) that embeds service-advisor workflows directly into Tekmetric. AppFueled's go-to-market motion is consultative and sales-led, with founder Jeremy Glassco personally conducting custom app vision sessions and a VP of Growth (also Glassco) running Spotlight App intake — a structural bottleneck for scaling but also a credibility lever for SMB buyers in a relationship-driven vertical.
AppFueled firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- AppFueled
- Legal name
- ReferACar, LLC
- Website
- https://appfueled.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- AppFueled is a privately held US software company (operating as ReferACar, LLC) that builds an app-powered CRM platform combining custom mobile loyalty apps, scheduling, call-center tools, and rewards programs specifically for independent auto repair shops, sold via subscription and bespoke development engagements.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
AppFueled industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Auto Repair CRM Software
- NAICS
- Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Price Comparison, Deals, Cashback & Loyalty Shopping Platforms (BPAMAGAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Mobile App Stores & Marketplaces (BPAMADAA)
Keywords
Where AppFueled is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nampa
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
AppFueled business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Subscription Revenue (Turn Key App): Monthly subscription of $284/month for turnkey app customers, includes 33 app ninja tricks, 2,500+ custom settings, full onboarding, complimentary trainings, and dedicated client liaison. Setup fees of $599 App Ninja Build Cost and $299 App Ninja Listing Service apply.
- Custom App Development: Minimum $30,000 for custom app MVP development including up to 5 new features, one-on-one vision sharing session with founder, and 4-5 month launch timeline
- Spotlight App Program: $99/year program guaranteeing 25 new customers per month, requires 2-year non-compete agreement
- Additional Staff User Calling: $50/month per additional staff user authorized for calling beyond the first staff user (unless on Call Center Suite Plan)
- Apple Developer Program Fee: Customers pay $99 annual Apple Developer Program fee separately for app store publishing
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Turn Key App - Standard subscription with full onboarding |
| Subscription | Annual | Turn Key App - Annual pre-pay option |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Custom App - Bespoke MVP development |
| Subscription | Annual | Spotlight App - Local market guarantee program |
| Subscription | Monthly | Call Center Suite Plan |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
AppFueled product offering
Product offeringCore offering
AppFueled provides an app-powered CRM platform with a custom-branded iOS/Android loyalty app, designed specifically for auto repair shops. The platform bundles loyalty/engagement automation, 2-way online scheduling, member enrollment tools, a concierge call center suite, and rewards/referral programs, published to both app stores with a claimed 30-day launch turnaround.
Product overview
AppFueled is an app-powered CRM platform specifically designed for auto repair shops, founded in 2015. The core offering combines a custom mobile loyalty app with CRM functionality, positioning itself as 'unlike any other auto repair CRM.' The platform operates on a modular architecture comprising the core AppFueled CRM Platform, Custom Loyalty App, and multiple integrated modules including the Client Engagement Loyalty Ladder (averaging 6.9 interactions per download), Reservation Loop & Visit Tracker with 2-way scheduling sync, Concierge Call Center Suite with AI-powered call tracking and scoring, Rewards/Rebates/Referrals Program, Google Reserve Book Now integration, Google Reviews with AI Replies, CARFAX Vehicle Health Indicator, and the Oil Change Sticker Revolution. Additional platform access includes the Admin Panel (full backend control), 2-Way Portal (staff communication), Call Center Suite Portal (multi-location call handling), and Sidekick Ninja Chrome Extension (Tekmetric workflow assistance). The company offers three pricing tiers: Turn Key App ($284/month), Custom App (minimum $30,000), and Spotlight App ($99/year). Educational resources include Jeremy's Book, the Beginner Playbook, Case Study Whitepaper, and 33 Mobile App Ninja Tricks.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- AppFueled CRM Platform App-powered CRM platform specifically designed for auto repair shops, combining customer relationship management with mobile app technology, loyalty programs, scheduling, and call center tools.
- AppFueled Custom Loyalty App Custom mobile loyalty apps for auto repair shops built and published to Apple App Store and Google Play, bundling 33 app ninja tricks, 2,500+ custom settings, full onboarding, complimentary training, dedicated client liaison, and 30-day launch guarantee.
- Concierge Call Center Suite Twilio-powered call center suite that delivers call tracking, recording, AI scoring, customer preference management, engagement reporting, and advisor prompts for personalized follow-up calls, accessible through the dedicated Call Center Suite Portal.
- Rewards, Rebates & Referrals Program Built-in loyalty suite offering a birthday club, rebate program, referral program, turn-key membership program, and star rewards system for customer retention and engagement.
- Oil Change Sticker Revolution Separate branded digital oil change sticker reminder product (myoilsticker.com) that supports customer vehicle maintenance tracking and engagement for auto repair shops.
- Sidekick Ninja Chrome Extension Standalone Chrome Web Store browser extension for service advisors that integrates with Tekmetric to deliver in-app workflow assistance, including microphone-enabled hands-free operation.
Quantifiable outcome
- 90% return-again rate for engaged customers (vs baseline 2 visits/year)
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use AppFueled
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
AppFueled technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration9 records
AI capability4 records
Feature7 records
AppFueled partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- TekmetriccoreComplete 2-way API integration with Tekmetric shop management system. Customer/vehicle/repair order/appointment data syncs automatically in real-time. Appointment scheduling reflects in both systems.
- Protractorcore2-way SMS integration with Protractor shop management system for customer communication sync and appointment management.
- Shop-Warecore2-way SMS integration with Shop-Ware shop management system. Full appointment integration mentioned as coming soon.
- Google (Reserve Book Now)coreOfficial approval from Google to offer Google Reserve Book Now functionality, allowing 'Book Now' button on Google Business Profile pages.
- TwiliocoreTwilio powers AppFueled's phone number functionality including call tracking, recording, AI scoring, and call forwarding. Uses Twilio long code phone numbers.
Scale indicators13 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
AppFueled competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Protractor (AutoVitals): Shop management and digital vehicle inspection platform serving independent repair shops. AppFueled integrates with Protractor for 2-way SMS and appointment sync; overlapping customer-engagement capabilities make it a direct comparable.
- Shop-Ware: Cloud shop management platform with workflow, customer communication, and reporting tools for auto repair shops. AppFueled is an integration partner, and Shop-Ware's expanding CRM surface competes for the same customer-engagement budget.
- BayIQ: Customer retention and marketing-automation platform tailored to auto repair shops. Comparable GTM (small independent shops) and overlapping feature set (loyalty, reviews, communications).
- Tekmetric: Shop management system (SMS) for independent repair shops. AppFueled integrates with Tekmetric, but Tekmetric itself is moving toward broader CRM and customer-engagement features that overlap with AppFueled's surface area.
- Shopmonkey: Cloud-based shop management and CRM platform for auto repair shops. Competes directly with AppFueled on shop CRM, customer communication, and digital workflow tools, but does not center its offering on a custom consumer-facing mobile app the same way.
- Kukui: Marketing, CRM, and customer-retention platform purpose-built for auto repair shops. Competes head-to-head with AppFueled on loyalty, email/text marketing, and customer engagement, though without AppFueled's custom branded-app focus.
Others
- Twilio: Communications infrastructure provider (calling, messaging) that powers AppFueled's phone system and AI scoring features. Indirect peer as a vendor that could expand vertically into SMB customer engagement.
Broad incumbents
- Podium: Customer interaction platform with a strong auto repair vertical offering including messaging, reviews, and payments. Competes for the same customer-engagement budget and is a much larger, better-capitalized player.
- Mitchell 1: Long-established provider of shop management, estimating, and repair information to the auto repair industry. Broader portfolio than AppFueled, but overlapping on shop CRM and customer management functions.
Emerging players
- ServicePM: Emerging shop management and CRM platform targeting small to mid-sized auto repair shops. Smaller and earlier stage than AppFueled, but addressing overlapping workflows around CRM and customer retention.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
AppFueled social profiles
Digital presenceAppFueled financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
AppFueled leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
AppFueled funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
AppFueled 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 AppFueled
What does AppFueled do?
AppFueled provides an app-powered CRM platform with a custom-branded iOS/Android loyalty app, designed specifically for auto repair shops. The platform bundles loyalty/engagement automation, 2-way online scheduling, member enrollment tools, a concierge call center suite, and rewards/referral programs, published to both app stores with a claimed 30-day launch turnaround.
Is AppFueled a public or private company?
AppFueled is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was AppFueled founded?
AppFueled was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is AppFueled based?
AppFueled is headquartered in Nampa, United States, in the North America region.
How does AppFueled make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Subscription Revenue (Turn Key App) is the primary driver. The others are custom App Development, spotlight App Program, additional Staff User Calling and apple Developer Program Fee.
Who are AppFueled's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Protractor (AutoVitals), Shop-Ware, BayIQ, Tekmetric, Shopmonkey and Kukui. Twilio is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are Podium and Mitchell 1. ServicePM is listed as an emerging player.
Does AppFueled have an API?
Yes. AppFueled offers a 2-way API integration with shop management software platforms (SMS). When integrated, customer/vehicle/repair order/appointment data added/updated/deleted in the SMS automatically syncs to AppFueled, and vice versa. Appointments scheduled in AppFueled automatically appear in both systems. The integration supports Tekmetric, Protractor, and Shop-Ware. Developer documentation is at appfueled.com/help/-api-2-way-integration-cheat-sheet-.
What industry is AppFueled in?
AppFueled's product category is Auto Repair CRM Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAGAH, Price Comparison, Deals, Cashback & Loyalty Shopping Platforms, with a secondary code of BPAMADAA, Mobile App Stores & Marketplaces. Its NAICS code is 541511 and its SIC code is 7372.