September 16, 2019 — CDK Global’s 15-year run as being the exclusive vendor for General Motors’ dealership websites came to an official end last week as the automaker announced an additional three providers to its website program. The move likely will reshape the dealership website landscape over the next couple of years. The new vendors…
July 31, 2019 — Thoma Bravo emerged yesterday as the winning bidder for J.D. Power and Associates. It’s the private equity firm’s second automotive-data play since late April when it acquired Autodata Solutions from KKR. Bravo also owns Trader Corp., the leading automotive retail digital company in Canada (it acquired the Montreal-based digital marketing firm…
July 17, 2019 — New York-based private equity firm CIP Capital is continuing the roll-up strategy it started in 2016 when it acquired four marketing firms — OneCommand, Peak Performance, TimeHighway and DPS (Dealer Product Services) — combining them into a new entity called Affinitiv. CIP Capital is acquiring Clearwater, FL-based AutoLoop and will merge… Continue Reading
May 6, 2019 — Following a three and a half-year stint with Raycom Media, PureCars has been sold to private equity firm Diversis Capital and Stage 1 Ventures, its original investor. Raycom Media acquired the automotive marketing technology firm in October 2015 for more than $125 million. But as part of its January sale to… Continue Reading
May 1, 2019 — Yesterday’s announcement that PE firm Thoma Bravo is acquiring Autodata Solutions from Internet Brands could be Act Two in what may be an ambitious play in automotive. The pending transaction also portends an M&A market that is heating up after a slow first quarter that saw only 11 deals completed, down…
March 25, 2019 — Although sources confirmed to us two weeks ago an acquisition of Cars.com was close, we’re still waiting. But signs are a deal should be announced in the next several days. According to a press release this morning, the process is ongoing and involves “multiple parties.” The biggest indication, though, is that… Continue Reading
March 10, 2019 — An announcement regarding who Cars.com’s new owner will be could be made as early as this week. The company is an attractive play for numerous players — both from a strategic and an investment perspective. Cars announced in January the board had voted at the end of September to retain J.P.…
January 21, 2019 — A flurry of several mergers and acquisitions last week among auto retail vendors started 2019 off with a bang. Through the first two weeks of the year, six deals have been announced. The fast start follows a record-breaking 2018 in which 77 deals were completed. Additionally, Cars.com announced last week its board retained…
January 17, 2019 — Digital Air Strike will announce two acquisitions this week bringing its total to three in the last 10 months. The company is acquiring Target Media Partners Interactive (TMPi), a lead generation ad tech firm, and Libra Systems, a financing, and leasing software company. With the two additions, Digital Air Strike now… Continue Reading
November 13, 2018 — A flurry of 26 deals since the beginning of September has pushed the year’s total to 64, a record for investments and acquisitions in the automotive retail vendor space. The blistering pace continued into the first week of November with data analytics firm Marchex’s purchase of Telmetrics and Infomedia’s acquisition of…