Bidbus operates a live bidding marketplace where dealerships compete to buy used cars from private sellers, displaying bids in real time to drive up offers. The company emphasizes price discovery for trade-ins and claims its process yields offers roughly $2,000 to $3,000 higher than services like Carvana on average. Founded and based in Los Angeles, Bidbus has facilitated about 10,000 car sales and partnered with dealer groups such as Lithia Motors and Penske Automotive. The startup began life bootstrapped and has dealt with platform governance challenges, including banning a large dealer for low-balling. With a $15 million Series A led by Ibex Investors and participation from several venture firms and angels, Bidbus plans to scale beyond its initial California and Texas markets. The business model captures part of the spread between online seller pricing and dealer payouts while aiming to grow dealer participation and consumer awareness through a social, stock-trading-like bidding experience.

Total raised

$18M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Series A

Latest activity

Jul 2026