Bidbus Raises $15 Million Series A to Scale Its Live Dealer Auction Marketplace
Bidbus, an online automotive marketplace facilitating real-time competition among licensed dealers for vehicles directly from consumers, has announced a $15 million Series A funding round. The funding was led by Ibex Investors and included participation from Mucker Capital, Data Point Capital, FJ Labs, Motley Fool Ventures, Walter Ventures, and existing investors.
The company is focused on enhancing the transaction infrastructure of a competitive and transparent vehicle-selling market. Its live auction platform allows consumers to conduct guided virtual vehicle inspections, set expected prices, and receive multiple bids from licensed dealerships, helping to avoid reliance on a single trade-in or instant-buy offer.
Since its inception, Bidbus has catered to over 10,000 vehicle sellers, achieving approximately $300 million in annualized gross merchandise value. The company has seen a sevenfold increase in growth over the past year while also expanding its dealer network and establishing operations in California and Texas.
“Consumers should not have to visit multiple dealerships or negotiate against a single buyer to understand what their car is worth,” stated Duke Yan, co-founder and CEO of Bidbus. “We built Bidbus to create a transparent marketplace where qualified dealers compete for every vehicle. This funding allows us to expand that marketplace while building the technology, operating systems, and team required to scale.”
The newly acquired capital will support Bidbus's expansion into additional metropolitan markets, the growth of its dealer network, and the strengthening of its product, engineering, and marketplace operations teams. Additionally, the company plans to invest in technology aimed at enhancing virtual vehicle evaluation, auction performance, and operational efficiency.
As Bidbus moves into its next growth phase, it will transition from a founder-led operating model toward a scalable system emphasizing functional ownership, repeatable processes, and technology-enabled execution. “Our next chapter is not simply about adding more markets or more people,” Yan emphasized. “It is about building a marketplace and operating system that can compound—where better technology, stronger dealer participation, and more efficient operations reinforce one another as we scale.”
Bidbus is headquartered in Irvine, California, and currently operates across major markets in California and Texas.