Edmunds.com Expands Automotive Accelerator Program with Announcement of 2015 Fastlane Class
SANTA MONICA, Calif. — June 2, 2015 — Car-buying platform Edmunds.com today announced the six startups chosen for the 2015 class of its Fastlane accelerator program: fiSpeed.com, ZipFlip.com, MyCarBuyingSecrets.com, MyAutoCloud.com, Credit Concierge and Leasify. Throughout the three-month program, these startups will have the opportunity to work with the technology, design, analytics and business development departments at Edmunds to refine their products and better understand the value they can bring to the automotive industry. By giving each of the selected startups access to a vast network of internal and external resources, Edmunds hopes to provide a path to foster innovations that will improve the car shopping experience in creative ways.
"Since our inception as a dot com, we have been committed to driving innovation in the automotive space," said Edmunds.com CEO Avi Steinlauf. "The six companies that we have chosen to make up our 2015 Fastlane class represent different, yet crucial, pillars of car shopping. By giving them access to our resources to further develop their solutions, we are confident that we will continue to act as a catalyst for positive change within the automotive industry."
For the 2015 Fastlane class, Edmunds chose companies with a diverse set of services and products to ensure that all elements of the car buying process are considered. These companies include:
- fiSpeed.com, a web-based tool to accelerate the F&I process in the automotive sales industry
- ZipFlip.com, a peer-to-peer marketplace for buying and selling used cars
- MyCarBuyingSecrets.com, a robust information platform for car shoppers
- Credit Concierge, a web and mobile solution for expediting pre-approved financing
- MyAutoCloud.com, a fully automated loyalty and retention platform
- Leasify, the first mobile app to enter the car leasing space.
The Fastlane program will begin at the end of June and run through the end of September. The startups will be evaluated each month by Fastlane board members, a team consisting of Edmunds.com President Seth Berkowitz, and other senior executives and product leaders. The program culminates on Fastlane Demo Day, when the teams that have been selected by Edmunds present their final product offering to the Fastlane board and the entire Edmunds staff. For additional information about the program, please visit http://www.fastlaneaccelerator.com/.
About Edmunds.com
Car-shopping website Edmunds.com serves nearly 18 million visitors each month. With Edmunds.com Price Promise®, shoppers can get an instant, upfront price for cars and trucks currently for sale at 10,000 dealer franchises across the U.S. Shoppers can browse not only dealer inventory, but also vehicle reviews, shopping tips, photos, videos and feature stories on both Edmunds' wired site and on its acclaimed mobile apps. Regarded as one of the best places to work in Southern California, Edmunds.com was also named one of "The World's Top 10 Most Innovative Companies of 2015 in Automotive" by Fast Company. Edmunds welcomes all car-shopping questions at our Help Center and on Twitter and Facebook. The company is based in Santa Monica, Calif. and has a satellite office in downtown Detroit, Mich., but you can find Edmunds from anywhere on YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Instagram, Google+ and Flipboard.
