BacklotCars parks another $25 million in Series B round led by NY-based investor
April 15, 2019 | Startland News Staff
KC-fueled BacklotCars will further its mission to disrupt the wholesale automotive space, thanks to the close of a $25 million Series B funding round, the company announced Monday.
Led by New York-based growth equity firm, Stripes, the round brings BacklotCars — which seeks to ease pain points for automotive wholesalers — to $38 million in funding total since it was founded in 2014.
“We’re excited to have Stripes partnering with us on this next round of funding, as well as the continued support from existing investors,” said Justin Davis, CEO of BacklotCars. “Stripes’ experience with guiding high-growth, tech-driven marketplaces will be helpful as we double down on our mission of making wholesale easy.”
Backlot Cars’ latest round saw continued support from KCRise Fund, the company said, in addition to another seven existing investors that included: Origin Ventures, Pritzker Group Venture Capital, Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund, Royal Street Ventures, and Chaifetz Group.
“We are thrilled to be joining the BacklotCars team,” said Saagar Kulkarni, Principal at Stripes. “The BacklotCars marketplace, combined with its transportation and financing products, is a complete solution for dealers. We believe their tremendous growth is proving that car dealers want a digital marketplace for buying and selling inventory. We look forward to partnering with Justin and the team as they continue to expand their footprint and create value for dealers nationwide.”
Rapidly raising, the Crossroads-based company closed on an $8 million Series A round in December 2018.
Click here to read about the previous funding round.
“We have a talented team of problem solvers here that gets things done,” Nathan Sterner, growth and marketing manager, said of the company’s growth mindset at the time.
With it latest cash infusion, BacklotCars will continue its expansion, promising to enhance current products, expand inventory, and create additional resources focused on dealer success, Davis said.
“We’re focused on building one platform for all dealers to transact efficiently, not just a new version of the same old auction,” he said.
Featured Business

2019 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Industrial coworking space eyes downtown KC; plans mixed office, warehouse amenities
A Northwest Arkansas-based startup plans to bring a new coworking concept to Kansas City this year — one that combines flexible office and shared warehouse solutions, said CEO Brendan Howell. “We call it industrial coworking,” explained Howell, co-founder and CEO of Loloft . “That’s a term that we’ve coined.” The company is aiming for a…
‘Proud capitalist’ to young social entrepreneurs: It’s OK to make a buck while saving the world
Darcy Howe encouraged budding, would-be founders to think about ways they can effectively scale their mission-driven ideas, drawing on KCRise Fund’s model for social entrepreneurship. “Being socially mission-driven is not mutually exclusive to making money,” Howe, founder and managing director of KCRise Fund, told Enactus students gathered Tuesday during an end-of-year celebration for the University…
Million-dollar corporate gift puts $25M Negro Leagues capital campaign on the board; now you’re on deck
Editor’s note: Bank of America is a financial partner of Startland News, although this report was created independently by the nonprofit newsroom. A historic age of impact is under way, said Bob Kendrick, as Kansas City’s Negro Leagues Baseball Museum unveiled plans for a new, state-of-the art campus backed by a $1 million grant from…
They walked right past us: Small biz owners shocked by low NFL Draft sales, now wary of World Cup
A massive surge in visitors and foot traffic as Kansas City hosted its first NFL Draft failed to score many points outside the event grounds this weekend, as countless small businesses along the city’s urban corridor reported a sharp dip in revenue. “I think we’re all looking at our numbers and everything right now, and…


