Autoweb.com, Inc. Nasdaq: AWEB Branch: Internet Shops & Markets

Profile:
Autoweb focuses on the online selling of new and pre-owned cars. You can easily compare prices and the site will give you the cheapest car dealer-- as long as he is a member, of course. The dealership has to pay Autoweb to be on the list of car dealers. This is also the biggest part of Autoweb's revenue.

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 Management:
Dean A. DeBiase is the CEO of Autoweb.com. We hope Dean will bring his experience from the online gaming industry (WorldPlay) into Autoweb. We all know cars are boys-toys, so we will see what he can do.
We also mention the founders of Autoweb here: the brothers Farhang and Payam Zamani, who together own about 32% of the company. Payam is still VC of Autoweb.

Started: 1994
IPO: 22 Maart 1999

Autoweb.com on the Web:
main page: http://www.autoweb.com
investor relations: click here
current stock price: click here

Cool !

Not so cool...
  • This is the first and original online car buyers site
  • The website doesn't have the juicy bit that we expect from a commercial website

Competitors:

 

Propus personal view:
We don't like the idea that you are restricted to only Autoweb's member dealers when in search of a car. What will happen when car sales go more directly from the factory to the consumer? Ford, for example, is going this way more and more, degrading or upgrading -depends on how you see it- their car dealers to car service shops. Most important for sites like Autoweb and Autobytel is their marketshare. The more dealers that are Autoweb members, the more interesting the company gets.