Company Description
ACV Auctions Inc. (NYSE: ACVA), commonly referred to as ACV, is a digital automotive marketplace and data services company focused on the wholesale used-vehicle ecosystem. According to the company, its mission is to transform the automotive industry by building trusted and efficient digital marketplaces and data solutions for sourcing, selling and managing used vehicles with a high degree of transparency and detailed insights. ACV operates in the wholesale trade sector, serving dealers and commercial partners that participate in the remarketing and wholesale distribution of vehicles.
ACV provides a mobile and digital platform for wholesale car auctions and related services. The company’s marketplace and data offerings are designed to help dealers and commercial consignors source inventory, sell vehicles, and manage remarketing activities with data-backed valuations and structured vehicle information. ACV emphasizes transparency and accuracy in vehicle information, aiming to replace subjective assessments with standardized, data-driven insights across the wholesale process.
Core marketplace and remarketing solutions
ACV’s core marketplace is delivered through ACV Auctions, which facilitates digital wholesale vehicle transactions between sellers and buyers. The company highlights that its tools support consumer vehicle acquisition, inventory management, appraisals and pricing, enabling dealers to make more consistent and informed decisions. ACV has also developed a No Reserve Sale format on its platform, where vehicles are launched at a zero-dollar reserve price and every car listed in that event sells to the highest bidder. In these sales, dealers can receive a guaranteed payout from ACV and retain any upside if the auction result exceeds that guarantee, while ACV covers any shortfall if the sale price is lower than the guaranteed amount.
Beyond auction events, ACV notes that it has built a remarketing organization and technology capabilities to support both dealer and commercial consignor needs. The company references a remarketing footprint that includes remarketing centers and a nationwide approach to bringing vehicles to market, and it positions its marketplace as a way to move inventory faster, reduce risk and increase transparency in wholesale transactions.
Integrated services and product portfolio
ACV’s portfolio includes several branded offerings that extend beyond the auction lane. These include:
- ACV Auctions – the company’s digital wholesale auction marketplace for used vehicles.
- ACV Transportation – services associated with moving vehicles, including logistics support for vehicles bought and sold on the platform and, as described by ACV, transportation services that are expanding off-platform.
- ACV Capital – financing solutions that include floorplan loan arrangements and other capital offerings to support dealers’ vehicle acquisition and wholesale activities.
- MAX Digital / ACV MAX – tools that ACV associates with dealer solutions, including pricing, merchandising and inventory-related capabilities.
- True360 – inspection-related services that support detailed vehicle condition reporting and valuations.
- ClearCar – a brand within ACV’s portfolio referenced as part of its data and marketplace offerings.
Together, these offerings are described by ACV as a connected platform that supports sourcing, appraisals, pricing, inventory management, transportation and funding. The company frequently highlights the role of data and artificial intelligence in these products, such as pricing intelligence, appraisal standardization and data-backed valuations.
Use of data and AI in wholesale automotive
ACV states that its tools are powered by high-fidelity, structured data paired with artificial intelligence. In its public communications, the company points to AI-enabled solutions that support precision appraisals, pricing science and inventory management. Examples include data-driven pricing intelligence, on-demand recommendations and the use of AI to develop rationales for decisions such as pricing, disposition and merchandising. ACV also discusses the application of data rigor to wholesale pricing and inventory strategies, with the goal of bringing greater consistency and predictability to dealer operations.
The company’s leadership regularly participates in industry events and educational sessions on topics such as vehicle-transport fraud, integrating data into pricing and inventory decisions, and the wholesale market outlook. ACV positions itself as a data services partner for dealers and commercial clients, emphasizing that its marketplace metrics—such as marketplace gross merchandise value (GMV) and marketplace units—are indicators of customer engagement and the scale of its transaction activity.
Dealer and commercial partner focus
ACV describes itself as a partner to both dealers and commercial consignors. For dealers, the company promotes tools to help acquire more vehicles, including consumer-sourced inventory, and to accelerate vehicle turn times. It has launched educational initiatives, such as digital roundtable series, to share strategies on consumer vehicle acquisition, trade-in programs and operational improvements. ACV also references financing options through ACV Capital that can help dealers scale their consumer vehicle buying efforts.
For commercial consignors and larger remarketing clients, ACV points to solutions that unify pricing, appraisals, inventory management, financing and transportation. The company notes that it is enhancing its product portfolio to address the specific requirements of commercial consignors and that it is building a footprint of remarketing centers to support these customers. ACV’s communications highlight its intent to help both dealers and commercial consignors manage risk, streamline operations and access data-driven insights across channels.
Financial framework and key metrics
ACV, as a public company, reports both GAAP and non-GAAP financial measures. In its investor communications, the company explains that it uses metrics such as Adjusted EBITDA, non-GAAP net income (loss) and non-GAAP operating expenses to evaluate operating performance and to facilitate period-to-period comparisons. ACV defines Adjusted EBITDA as net loss adjusted for items including depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation expense, interest income and expense, income taxes and certain one-time or non-recurring items such as acquisition-related and restructuring expenses.
The company also regularly discusses operating metrics such as Marketplace GMV and Marketplace Units. ACV defines Marketplace GMV as the total dollar value of vehicles transacted in a given period, excluding auction and ancillary fees, and views it as an indicator of customer satisfaction, marketplace health and business scale. Marketplace Units are defined as the number of vehicles that reach sold status on the platform in a given period, including units where transactions are later unwound but excluding inspected vehicles that do not sell. ACV states that these metrics help management and investors understand the engagement level of customers and the company’s share of wholesale transactions.
Capital structure and credit facilities
ACV has disclosed the use of revolving credit facilities to support its operations and financing activities. Through its subsidiary ACV Capital Funding II LLC, the company maintains a revolving credit and security agreement that finances ACV Capital’s activities. An amendment to this agreement increased the committed amount of the revolving credit facility and extended the scheduled commitment termination date, while also adjusting certain definitions and reducing the applicable margin used to calculate interest rates on loans under the facility.
Separately, ACV has a corporate revolving credit agreement under which it is the borrower. An amendment to this agreement increased the committed amount of the company’s revolving credit facility, extended its maturity date, modified minimum total revenue covenants, introduced a maximum total net leverage ratio covenant effective after a specified covenant conversion date, and provided for adjusted pricing of loans after that date. The company also agreed that certain subsidiaries, including ACV Capital LLC and Indiana Auto Auction LLC, would guarantee the debt under this credit agreement, secured by substantially all of their assets.
Risk management and credit exposure
ACV’s filings describe its exposure to credit risk through ACV Capital. In one disclosure, the company reported that a customer of ACV Capital filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection while having an outstanding floorplan loan balance. The borrowings under that facility were secured by vehicles, and ACV indicated that it was assessing the status and valuation of the collateral and any necessary provisions for doubtful receivables. The company stated that it planned to pursue available remedies to protect its interests, while noting that it was not yet able to determine the amount of losses or the impact on its financial results.
Position within the wholesale automotive ecosystem
Across its public statements, ACV characterizes itself as a digital automotive marketplace and data services partner that works closely with dealers and commercial partners across the wholesale remarketing ecosystem. The company highlights its use of data, AI and structured vehicle information to support pricing, appraisals and inventory decisions, and it emphasizes transparency and efficiency as central themes of its business model. ACV’s offerings—spanning auctions, transportation, capital, inspections, pricing tools and remarketing support—are presented as interconnected capabilities that support the sourcing, selling and management of used vehicles in the wholesale channel.