May 10, 2023 — STELLA Automotive AI, a provider of high-end conversational AI technology, announced yesterday it has closed a seed round of financing. The round included multiple well-known dealer groups such as Maroone USA, the Pohanka Automotive Group, and Czubay Family Enterprises. Terms of the financing of the seed were not disclosed. However, investors… Continue Reading
May 9, 2023 — UVeye, the developer of automated vehicle-inspection systems for the auto industry, raised $100 million in a Series D funding round to support new sales and manufacturing initiatives in North America. Hanaco VC, a New York and Tel Aviv venture capital firm, led the investment with participation from existing investors General Motors… Continue Reading
October 11, 2022 — Last week, after 16 years at the helm of the National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers (NAMAD), Damon Lester retired, handing the reins to Hugene T. Fields. In July 2008, I wrote a cover story for Ward’s Dealer Business magazine (Now WardsAuto) about Lester’s efforts at shoring up the association’s declining membership.… Continue Reading
August 2, 2022 — Canada’s TD Bank Group (Toronto Dominion) confirmed this morning the month-long speculation that it will acquire U.S.-based investment bank Cowen Inc. The deal, which is expected to close in the first quarter of 2023, is for $39 a share — a 62% premium more than what it was trading for in… Continue Reading
July 25, 2022 — AutoWeb, formerly known as Autobytel, announced this morning that a subsidiary of One Planet Group is acquiring it for $0.39 a share. The transaction, valued at nearly $5.5 million, is expected to close in September this year. Payam Zamani, founder and CEO of One Planet, will replace Jared Rowe as CEO… Continue Reading
October 25, 2021 — This morning, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed Arizona’s District Court’s decision denying Reynolds and Reynolds’ and CDK Global’s motion requesting a preliminary injunction to prevent enforcement of Arizona’s Dealer Data Security Law, signed into law in 2019. The legislation gives dealerships greater control over the… Continue Reading
July 21, 2021 — Following a scuttled SPAC attempt earlier this year for portfolio company Solera Holdings, Vista Equity Partners now is planning for an initial public offering later this year or early next year. The original strategy called for partnering with special purpose acquisition company Apollo Growth Strategic Capital, which had raised $817 million…
November 6, 2020 — Reynolds and Reynolds announced today Bob Brockman has stepped down as chairman and CEO. Tommy Barras is adding the CEO role to his responsibilities. He was named president and COO in early June. A new chairman has not been named according to a Reynolds spokesperson. Brockman earlier this month was indicted… Continue Reading
October 30, 2020 — Earlier this week, CDK Global and Authenticom settled their lawsuits that were part of several data access-related lawsuits that were consolidated into a multi-district litigation (MDL) in federal court in Illinois’ Northern District. From February 2017 to February 2019 as many as seven vendors and 25 dealerships filed lawsuits against either…
Updated: 5-yr growth plan and new online brand unveiled. July 22, 2020 — Lithia Motors’ share price is at its all-time high trading above $195 in early trading this morning — which is up from $62.98 on March 18. The Oregon-based dealer group reported its highest ever second-quarter net income this morning generating $3.72 per… Continue Reading