Draft:AUTO1 Group
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Comment: In accordance with the Wikimedia Foundation's Terms of Use, I disclose that I have been paid by my employer for my contributions to this article. Prupru-a1 (talk) 09:31, 10 June 2026 (UTC)
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| Type | Societas Europaea (SE) |
|---|---|
| ISIN | DE000A2LQ884 |
| Industry | Used car retail |
| Founded | July 2012 |
Key people | Christian Bertermann (CEO) Christian Wallentin (CFO)[1] Hakan Koç (Chairman of the Supervisory Board) |
| Revenue | €8.2 billion (2025)[2] |
Number of employees | 8,600 (2025) |
| Website | www |
AUTO1 Group SE is a vertically integrated, Berlin-based company founded in July 2012. It is recognized as Europe's largest used car dealer, operating a digital ecosystem for buying and selling vehicles across more than 30 countries.[3] The company operates several automotive brands, including wirkaufendeinauto.de (and its European equivalents, such as vendezvotrevoiture.fr in France, compramostucoche.es in Spain, and noicompriamoauto.it in Italy), AUTO1.com, and Autohero. AUTO1 Group went public on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange on 4 February 2021.[4]
History
[edit]Founding (2012)
[edit]AUTO1 Group was established in July 2012 by Hakan Koç and Christian Bertermann. Before co-founding AUTO1 Group, Bertermann had worked at Groupon, and Koç had worked at Home24.[5]
Growth and investment (2015–2020)
[edit]By 2015, AUTO1 Group had reached a valuation of approximately USD 1.2 billion following a funding round, qualifying it as a unicorn (start-ups valued at USD 1 billion or more) and one of Europe's most valuable startups at the time.[6] Investors have included Japan's SoftBank and venture capital firm Target Global.[7] Following further rounds of investment, AUTO1 Group was valued at €2.9 billion in January 2018.[7]
In 2018, Auto1 was trading over 3,000 vehicles daily.[8]
IPO and index listings (2021–2025)
[edit]On 4 February 2021, AUTO1 Group SE completed its initial public offering (IPO) on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, at a valuation of approximately €8 billion.[9] In June 2021, the company was added to Germany's MDAX index.[10] In March 2025, AUTO1 Group was included in the STOXX Europe 600 index.[11]
In 2024, AUTO1 Group reported its first annual net profit, recording a net gain of approximately €21 million.[12]
Business model and operations
[edit]AUTO1 Group specializes in the digitalization of the used car trade, offering services from vehicle evaluation and purchasing to financing, for both private customers and professional car dealers. The company's revenue model is primarily based on the margin between vehicle purchase and resale prices. In 2025, the group sold 842,271 vehicles across its brands.[13] By 2025, the company had passed 6 million total transactions across all brands. AUTO1 Group works with around 300 logistics partners and operates more than 170 logistics centers.[14]
Brands
[edit]wirkaufendeinauto.de
[edit]wirkaufendeinauto.de (We Buy Your Car) is AUTO1 Group's consumer-sourcing brand in Germany. Equivalent brands operate across Europe under localized names: vendezvotrevoiture.fr (France), compramostucoche.es (Spain), and noicompriamoauto.it (Italy), among others. At the end of 2025, the brand operated 725 branches across Europe.[14]
The brand's business model consists of purchasing used vehicles from private sellers. On the website, potential sellers enter their vehicle information, which is then verified before a purchase offer is made.[15] The price is determined using artificial intelligence-based technology capable of evaluating the vehicle's value within seconds. This assessment is provided free of charge. The valuation can be further refined during an appointment at one of the company's locations, and, if the sale proceeds, payment is transferred to the customer.[16]
The brand has appointed several sports personalities as ambassadors: former Formula One driver Ralf Schumacher for Germany (from 2023),[17] motorsport commentator Antonio Lobato for Spain (from 2024),[18] former footballer Frank Lebœuf for France (from 2024),[19] and gymnast Jury Chechi for Italy (from 2024).[20]
AUTO1.com
[edit]AUTO1.com is a business-to-business (B2B) online platform that facilitates the wholesale trade of used cars. It serves more than 60,000 partner dealerships across over 30 countries in Europe.[21] The platform supports auctions, dealer auctions, and instant sales. Vehicles sold on the platform are sourced from the group's consumer brands (primarily wirkaufendeinauto.de), partly also from the remarketing business, including sold vehicle fleets from companies. In 2024, AUTO1 Group introduced an integrated dealer financing program, enabling partner dealerships to obtain vehicle financing directly via the AUTO1.com platform. As of 2026, AUTO1 Financing is available in Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland, and Sweden.[22][23]
In 2025, the platform introduced a Premium Return Right option, allowing dealers to return a purchased vehicle within 24 hours if unsatisfied.[23]
AUTO1.com is also engaged in vehicle remarketing, through a dedicated channel for buying cars from fleets and dealers, which are later sold on Autohero or AUTO1.com.[24]
Autohero
[edit]Autohero is AUTO1 Group's direct-to-consumer retail brand, which launched its market activities in 2020. The platform sells fully reconditioned used cars directly to private customers via nearby pick-up locations or home delivery, available across multiple European countries. Vehicles sold on Autohero are accepted regardless of age or mileage and undergo refurbishment at one of its production centers.[25] Consumers benefit from home delivery or branch pick-up, a one-year warranty, and a 21-day return policy. In 2024, Autohero Financing was introduced to support consumer vehicle purchases on the platform.
Production Centers
[edit]The company operates production centers across Europe with a total annual capacity of 248,400 vehicles.[26] In these centers, cars are received, undergo quality control, and are repaired as necessary. A notable aspect of the process is the use of artificial intelligence to detect dents and scratches within seconds. Vehicles proceed through mechanical repairs, painting, and finishing work, after which they are photographed and listed for sale on the Autohero website.[27]
Leadership
[edit]AUTO1 Group's management board consists of CEO Christian Bertermann, who co-founded the company in 2012 and has served as CEO since inception, and CFO Christian Wallentin, who joined in 2026.[28] Co-founder Hakan Koç serves as Chairman of the Supervisory Board since 2024.[29]
Timeline
[edit]| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2012 | AUTO1 Group founded; wirkaufendeinauto.de launched |
| 2013 | AUTO1.com launched as a B2B wholesale platform |
| 2015 | AUTO1.com Remarketing launched; company reaches unicorn valuation (USD 1.2 billion) |
| 2018 | SoftBank Vision Fund investment; company valued at €2.9 billion |
| 2019 | wirkaufendeinauto.de and sister brands exceed 400 branches across Europe |
| 2020 | Autohero begins market activities |
| 2021 | IPO on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange; added to MDAX |
| 2023 | AUTO1 Financing launched for partner dealerships on AUTO1.com |
| 2024 | Autohero Financing launched; first annual net profit (~€21 million) |
| 2025 | Group surpasses 6 million cumulative transactions; added to STOXX Europe 600; 842,271 vehicles sold; revenue reaches €8.2 billion |
References
[edit]- ^ "Auto1 to appoint new CFO at year-end". Börsen-Zeitung (in German). 2025-10-01. Retrieved 2026-01-28.
- ^ "Annual Report 2025" (PDF). Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ^ "AUTO1 Group – Deutsche Börse". Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ^ "First IPO of the year in Frankfurt: AUTO1 Group SE new in Frankfurt Stock Exchange's Prime Standard". Deutsche Börse. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ^ "Auto1 Group, a young used-car marketplace serving Europe, is now worth $2.8 billion". TechCrunch. 2017-05-22. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ^ "AUTO1 Group becomes a unicorn". Business Insider Germany (in German). Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ^ a b "Auto1 valuation revs up to $2.9B following SoftBank deal". PitchBook. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ^ "Auto1-Chefs Christian Bertermann und Hakan Koç – Die Milliarden-Manager". Handelsblatt (in German). Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ^ "The ride continues: AUTO1 goes public". Cherry Ventures. 2021-02-04. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ^ "AUTO1 Group changes into MDAX". STOXX. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ^ "AUTO1 Group wird in den STOXX Europe 600 Index aufgenommen" (in German). 2025-03-21. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ^ "AUTO1 Group SE – Earnings Results for the Full Year Ended December 31, 2024". MarketScreener. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ^ "AUTO1 Group erzielt 2025 Rekordergebnisse bei verkauften Fahrzeugen" (in German). Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ^ a b "Company – AUTO1 Group". Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ^ "Autoverkauf – wirkaufendeinauto.de". Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ^ "Thomas Boiral, directeur de vendezvotrevoiture.fr". Autoactu (in French). Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ^ "Ralf Schumacher wird neuer Markenbotschafter für wirkaufendeinauto.de" (in German). 2023-11-02. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ^ "Antonio Lobato, la nueva cara de compramostucoche.es" (in Spanish). 2024-05-22. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ^ "Les dessous de la publicité devenue virale avec Frank Leboeuf". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ^ "Jury Chechi è il nuovo brand ambassador di noicompriamoauto.it" (in Italian). Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ^ "About AUTO1.com". Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ^ "Auto1 crée une solution de financement pour les professionnels". L'Argus (in French). Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ^ a b "La réponse aux défis de l'approvisionnement des parcs VO". Journal de l'Automobile (in French). Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ^ "Entretien avec Alexandru Marin, AUTO1 Group". Auto Infos (in French). Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ^ "Trade-in – Autohero". Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ^ "AUTO1 Group expands European used car production footprint to meet growing customer demand". AUTO1 Group. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ^ "Ketzin: So funktioniert die Gebrauchtwagenfabrik". ARD Mediathek (in German). rbb. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
- ^ "Auto1 will have a new CFO at the turn of the year". Börsen-Zeitung. Retrieved 2026-06-10.
- ^ "AUTO1 co-founder Hakan Koç to head supervisory board". AIM Group. 2024-06-11. Retrieved 2026-04-29.