July 8, 2025
·
5 min read
Ekho Raises $17.3M from Activant, JPMorgan Payments, Winnebago Industries, YC
Rowan & Chris
Cofounders
We’re excited to announce $17.3M in total funding, including a $15M Series A led by Activant Capital, with participation from JPMorgan Payments, Winnebago Industries, and Y Combinator. Other investors include RiverPark Ventures, Westcott Investment Group, Funding Secured (the Tesla alumni fund), Steve Rayman (auto dealer operator), Severin Hacker (CTO, Duolingo), Billy Blaustein (launched Tesla Direct Delivery), and Jimmy Douglas (former Tesla executive).
The Origin Story
Like many startups, Ekho began with a shared frustration.
Why, in 2025, is true online vehicle checkout still almost nonexistent—often just a lead form that sends buyers to the dealership? And why are OEMs and marketplaces still risking dealer relationships by attempting workarounds for direct-to-consumer sales?
We started Ekho to solve this.
We met at Stanford while studying computer science. We built projects together constantly—everything from social apps to COVID-era student marketplaces—and eventually made a pact: one day, we’d build something enduring together.
Coming out of the pandemic, we noticed a step-function shift in buyer behavior: people wanted to buy vehicles online, but the infrastructure just didn’t exist. Tesla had proven it was possible and what consumers wanted, but every other OEM and dealer we spoke with said the same thing: they didn’t have the tools, and they didn’t want to burn bridges by cutting stakeholders out of the process.
So we built Ekho: an end-to-end commerce platform for vehicles that automates all the messy, state-specific steps in a transaction—from titling to taxes to financing—and connects OEMs, dealers, and buyers in a single flow that just works.
Why Vehicle Sales Are Still Offline
Several core challenges have kept this industry from going fully online, including:
- Sales orchestration is extremely complex.
Selling a vehicle involves identity checks, license validation, secured lending, insurance verification, title generation, registration, taxes, fraud checks, and state-specific paperwork—often still requiring wet signatures and DMV drop-offs. - Franchise laws prevent OEMs from selling directly to consumers.
In nearly every state, vehicle sales must flow through a licensed dealer. That means any digital experience must respect dealer boundaries—or risk legal and commercial backlash. - High-margin upsells traditionally happen in person.
Physical retailers rely on in-store interactions to drive backend revenue through financing, warranties, accessories, and service add-ons. In-person reps can read buyer intent and tailor offers accordingly.
Ekho: Unified Commerce Platform for Vehicle Sales
Ekho is a dealer-connected, end-to-end vehicle commerce platform that handles every step of the sales process—compliance, coordination, and complexity included.
Behind the scenes, we combine:
- AI-driven automation
- State-by-state compliance infrastructure
- Dozens of legacy integrations
- A growing stack of licenses
- And a modern, lightning-fast UI
The result?
Buyers complete purchases in minutes.
OEMs, marketplaces, and dealers can launch nationwide online sales without legal headaches.
And in all cases, dealers stay at the center—earning their margin and backend revenue on every deal.
Even better: with Ekho, digital sales can reach or exceed in-person profitability. Smart recommendation engines, dynamic bundling, and one-click integrations for F&I and PG&A allow retailers to present upsell opportunities with precision and speed—maximizing revenue without disrupting the buyer experience.
One Platform, Three Configurations
Ekho is built to support the entire industry. We offer three core products:
- Ekho Dealer – For individual dealerships that want to close sales online or in-store, without the processing overhead.
- Ekho Access – For newer entrants selling out of warehouses who want to reach all 50 states—fast.
- Ekho Omni – For large OEMs and marketplaces managing dealer networks, routing orders to the right dealer by PMA, inventory, or delivery radius.
Backed by Industry Leaders
This raise was led by Activant Capital, a research-led firm with a proven track record backing commerce infrastructure.
"Everyone knows the vehicle-buying experience needs to change—Tesla has set the bar and there is no going back on consumer expectations. But this is a deeply complex transaction to digitize. What Ekho has built is staggering in both scope and execution, and it shows what a killer team leveraging AI can really do. Brands and dealers are leaning in, consumers are responding, and it’s clear they’re setting a new standard "
Andrew Steele, Partner at Activant
We’re also thrilled to welcome JPMorgan Payments to the table.
“We are excited to support Ekho in redefining the vehicle purchase experience. As the
payments ecosystem continues to evolve within the broader shift to a digital economy, Ekho’s
innovative approach aligns with our commitment to powering more seamless and efficient
commerce and payment experiences for our clients and their customers.”
Jason Tiede, Global Head of Corporate Development & Partnerships, J.P. Morgan Payments.
Real Results, Real Volume
In our first 12 months of live sales, we’ve already:
- Enabled tens of millions in partner revenue
- Powered sales for publicly traded OEMs and dealer networks across the country
- Seen shoppers complete purchases entirely online in minutes—including financing, paperwork, and insurance
Ekho is helping OEMs test new markets without needing to spin up dealer infrastructure. We’re helping dealers cut overhead and close more deals. And we’re unlocking the kind of seamless experience today’s buyers expect—without forcing anyone to compromise.
What’s Next
We’re just getting started.
This raise allows us to expand our engineering team, strengthen our state-by-state compliance infrastructure, and scale platform stability for our OEM and dealer partners.
We also recently welcomed Mike Cunningham—former VP at Piaggio (Vespa, Aprilia, Moto Guzzi), Triumph, and Zero Motorcycles—to lead OEM and Dealer Relations.
“Ekho is building what this industry has needed for decades — it’s why I sought them out. What this team is doing is truly transformational. It has the potential to become the backbone of the next era of vehicle retail, where OEMs, dealers, and shoppers all win.”
Mike Cunningham
If you’re an OEM, marketplace, or dealer looking to take online sales seriously—we’d love to talk.
If you’re an engineer, designer, or operator who wants to modernize how vehicles are sold—we’re hiring.
To our investors, our customers, and our team: thank you for joining us as we build the next generation of vehicle commerce.
— Rowan & Chris
Co-founders, Ekho