A year ago when we caught up with North Carolina-based Spiffy, the on-demand car care startup was rebounding from Covid with a new franchising expansion plan.
A year into the franchising effort, Grayson Leverenz, Spiffy’s Chief Marketing Officer, told Hypepotamus that the startup has expanded into 10 markets and has plans to double that in 2022.
Franchises have been opened by “automotive dealer groups, several entrepreneurial owner/operators, and several “career after retirement” professionals,” added Leverenz.
The franchising is not the only sign of growth for the startup, which brings wash and detailing, oil change, and other car care services directly to customers.
Spiffy is rolling into Q2 of 2022 with a fresh $10 million investment from Edison Partners out of New Jersey. This is an extension of its $22 million Series B investment in October 202 that was led by Tribeca Venture Partners, with participation from Bull City Venture Partners, Shell Ventures, Idea Fund Partners, and Trog Hawley Capital, Goodyear Ventures, Private Access Network, Gaingels, and Flucas Ventures.
“Spiffy has grown into a formidable leader within the mobile car care industry – making it easier for both consumer and fleet clientele to save time with truly convenient services, something we have seen gain exponential value coming out of the pandemic,” said Lenard Marcus, General Partner at Edison Partners, when asked about the new funding round. “We’ve enjoyed watching their team consistently rise to overcome new challenges for their customers and look forward to supporting their continued growth in the months and years ahead.”
The team currently has over 400 technicians working in the field and 50 employees working out of its Durham HQ.
The Automotive space is changing rapidly, says Leverenz, and it is not just electric and autonomous vehicle startups that are providing necessary innovation.
Spiffy is one of several B2C startups looking to move the “digitization” of the car-owners customer journey forward, which Leverenz says “covers the ownership cycle from shopping > buying/financing > insuring > servicing > selling. It’s a fascinating industry and we are thrilled to be a part of its evolution!”
That “servicing” aspect is becoming more important for two reasons. First, contactless service options continue to be in high demand in our post-COVID world. Additionally, people are driving cars for longer and need to keep up with necessary repairs.
Recent data shows the average age of a car on the road today is over 12 years old and the aftermarket auto space is expected to reach $950 billion in the next five years.
Following the funding round, Spiffy is gearing up for a busy spring ahead on the roads and is planning rollouts of new service offerings for individuals and fleet customers.
