Special Edition: Steve Greenfield’s can’t miss NADA exhibitor picks

It’s Steve Greenfield from Automotive Ventures, and I’m back in the CBT News studio for a special edition of The Future of Automotive segment, given that it’s the week of NADA.

I’m glad that you could join us.

2023 NADA Show

Most of the auto industry has descended on Dallas for the NADA Conference. It’s my favorite week of the year as I get to catch up with many industry colleagues AND discover new, innovative technology companies who might be a prospect for our investment funds.

I did my homework ahead of time, reviewing the entire exhibitor list to find early-stage companies that might be of interest to check out. To me, NADA is a great opportunity to get to the very periphery of the exhibit hall to find those companies who might be there for the first time, with their small 10×10 booths.

So, let me share some of the companies that YOU might want to check out if you happen to be at NADA this year.

First up, you definitely want to check out SKAI Automotive Solutions in booth 6417. SKAI uses a dealership’s existing closed-circuit cameras, but then layers on artificial intelligence to drive process improvement and transparency. Imagine the power of real-time alerts that identify where critical bottlenecks are impacting operations, enabling immediate intervention for a faster, smoother workflow. Check out SKAI Vision at booth 6417.

Next up, check out MOVE at booth 6743. These guys are very early stage. MOVE is an innovative, digital ordering platform that offers solutions to order parts with urgency, accuracy, and simplicity. Customers and vendors can easily manage parts order history, payment, open tickets, closed tickets, wait times, and employee performance. MOVE’s patented, user-friendly technology, allows users to process an order by taking a photo or video of the product, inputting the detailed product information and then submitting the order on their platform. Check out MOVE at 6743.

Try to check out PartsTech at booth 857, PartsTech helps automotive repair shops find the right parts and tires fast. One search shows you live inventory and wholesale pricing from all of your suppliers in one lookup. Sign up for free and cut the hassle out of parts ordering. Check out PartsTech at booth 857.

Next up, check out MyDealerKPI at booth 4419.  MyDealerKPI was developed by a dealer, for dealers, as an essential tool to have Key Performance Indicator figures readily available to keep dealerships running at their peak performance. With one click of a button, you will have access to modules to view, track, and project the performance of your dealership, as well as individual associates, across all departments. Check out MyDealerKPI at booth 4419.

Try to check out one of Automotive Ventures’ portfolio companies, WarrCloud at booth 6701. I am definitely biased on this one, but WarrCloud is helping hundreds of dealers automate their warranty claims processing; helping them save money, increase accuracy, and decreasing the time to get paid in the process. Check out WarrCloud at booth 6701.

Next up, check out AutoVision at booth 6907. AutoVision has created a unified software platform to automate sourcing, appraising, and merchandising vehicles. AutoVision’s RACR product continuously monitors and analyses retail and wholesale listings and trend data using demographic, geographic, and sales data to dynamically define markets. Check out AutoVision at booth 6907.

Try to check out RockED at booth 6448. RockED’s mobile learning platform turns employees within minutes into customer-centric high-performers. With busy schedules in mind, RockED features highly relevant and actionable micro-learning content – Guides are no longer than 2 minutes followed by a 30-second activity. Accessible via phone anytime, anywhere – just like your favorite social media app. The RockED content includes sales, service, leadership, BDC, and compliance. Check out RockED at booth 6448.

Next up, check out VinCue at booth 6409. Dealerships across the country are replacing their inventory acquisition, management, and marketing tools with VINCUE. VinCue provides a better approach for acquiring, managing, and selling inventory that is based on real data about your buyers, your competitors, and your market. Check out VinCue at booth 6409.

Finally, try to check Automotive Ventures company HopDrive, at booth 6349. HopDrive helps dealers impress your customers with a concierge service that picks up their car from their driveway and transports it to the dealership and back, with minimal effort. HopDrive is ideal for customer concierge, on-demand short trips, loaner drop-offs, and driveway appraisals. Check out HopDrive at Booth 6349.

So there you go. A quick recap of some of the more interesting early-stage companies that you’ll see on the exhibit floor at NADA. Whether these companies resonate with you or not, I do hope you are able to get off the beaten path – out to the edges of the show floor at NADA and see some of these early, emerging companies. In five years, I hope to be able to report on huge acquisitions of some of these companies right here on a Future of Automotive segment.

So that’s your quick wrap-up of the big deals in the automotive technology space over the past week.

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If you’re an auto tech entrepreneur working on a solution that helps car dealerships, we want to hear from you. We are actively investing out of our new DealerFund.

If you’re a dealer who wants to invest in early-stage auto tech companies that benefit your business, let me know. We are still accepting new investors into the fund.

If you’re interested in joining our investment club to make direct investments into auto tech and mobility startups with small checks, let me know.

And don’t forget to check out my new book available on Amazon called “The Future of Automotive Retail.”

Thank you for tuning into CBT News for this week’s episode of The Future of Automotive, and we’ll see you next week!