Best Auto Companies in Illinois, United States
The 275 best Auto companies in Illinois, United States in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: Navistar.
Our analysis of 50 Auto companies
$9.4b in tracked funding; 94% of the stack-profiled cohort runs cloud-native; funding activity peaked in 2025.
Ranked: Best Auto companies in Illinois
| # | Company | Disclosed funding | Last round | Employees | Founder | Tech stack | Patents & IP focus | Recent signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AAGI Manufacturer and brand of two wheelers | — | — | 101 | — | UmbracoMicrosoft ASP.NETAzure Front Door+11 | — | — |
| 2 | Advanced Filtration Systems High-efficiency fluid filter design and manufacturing for diverse applications | — | — | 238 | James Mock CEO & President | WordPress Site EditorWordPressMySQL+20 | — | — |
| 3 | advanced technical services ATS provides equipment sales, repair & upgrade solutions for its cable, telecom and automotive customers | — | — | 21 | — | WordPress Block EditorWordPressMySQL+28 | — | — |
| 4 | aeromotive Aeromotive Services Inc. designs, prototypes, manufactures & remanufactures wire assemblies, distributes… | — | — | 17 | — | WordPressMySQLPHP+25 | 18 patents Integrated fuel tank and pump systems with pressure regulation and filtration | — |
| 5 | Aetna Bearing Manufacturer and supplier of bearings and bearings assemblies | — | — | — | Kal Beidas CEO | — | — | — |
| 6 | ags technology AGS Technology produces high-performance virgin and recycled custom injection molded products. | — | — | 16 | — | WordPressMySQLPHP+18 | 370 patents Mechanical and electronic casino gaming machines, reels, cabinets, and related mechanisms | — |
| 7 | All Fleet Provider of mobile truck and trailer repair services | — | — | — | Timothy Schwuchow Founder & CEO | WebflowGoogle MapsReact+17 | — | — |
| 8 | All Products Automotive Provider of automotive parts and services | — | — | — | Gregory Wintroub Founder | — | — | — |
Top 12 Auto companies in Illinois
#1
Series D · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2016 · 450 employees$406Mraised▾
Online platform that provides automotive insurance. It features a Quick View ID card to manage policy information, submit claims, claims to track, change payment methods, make payments, view payment information, and more. It also validates coverages and determines eligibility for expedited payment.
- Oct 2025Series D$25M
- Jan 2025Series D$26.2M
- Oct 2024Series D$44M
- Mar 2024Series D$55M
#2
Public · Moline, Illinois · founded 1837 · 75600 employees$391.2Mraised▾
Manufacturer of agriculture, construction, and forestry equipments. It provides a wide array of equipment and services, including tractors, mowers, utility vehicles, and construction machinery. It supports agriculture with precision technology, planting equipment, and harvesting solutions. It offers loaders, excavators, and other heavy machinery. Forestry benefits from specialized equipment like feller bunchers and harvesters. The company also provides financial services, including financing options, payment plans, and account management. It offers parts, manuals, training, and support for its products, emphasizing safety and self-repair.
- Jun 2023Grant (prize money)$3M
- Sep 2022Grant (prize money)$536.6K
- Jun 2022Grant (prize money)$421.1K
- Jul 2021Conventional Debt$87M
#3
Acquired · Lake Forest, Illinois · founded 1999 · 2440 employees$254.7Mraised▾
Tenneco is manufactures and distributors of emission control and rides performance products to OEMs. Manufactures of clean air and ride performance products for passenger cars, light trucks, commercial trucks, off-highway equipment, and high horsepower engines. Major clients include BMW, Toyota, Nissan, Daimler, and Jaguar. In 2021, the company recorded annual revenues of $15.37B, and a net loss of $1.52B.In 2021, the company recorded annual revenues of $18.03B and a net profit of $0.03B
- Jan 2023Grant (prize money)$63.2K
- Feb 2021Grant (prize money)$970.6K
- Jan 2021Grant (prize money)$834.2K
- Jun 2020Grant (prize money)$375.7K
#4
Acquired · Lisle, Illinois · founded 1902 · 3000 employees$1.7Braised▾
Navistar International Corp. is a holding company whose individual units provide integrated and best-in-class transportation solutions. Based in Warrenville, Ill., the company produces International® brand commercial trucks, mid-range diesel engines, and IC brand school buses, and Workhorse brand chassis for motor homes and step vans. It is a private-label designer and manufacturer of diesel engines for the pickup truck, van and SUV markets. The company also provides truck and diesel engine parts and service. A wholly-owned subsidiary offers financing services. In 2021, the company recorded annual revenues of $7.5B, and a net loss of $0.34B.
- Nov 2017Conventional Debt$1.1B
- 2016Post IPO—
- May 2010Grant (prize money)$3.5M
- Sep 2009Grant (prize money)$499.8K
#5
Series A · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2007 · 500 employees$1.9Mraised▾
It is a company that specializes in providing vehicle photography and inventory management software for automotive dealers. They offer services such as photos, window stickers, and 360 spin. They also have various brands under their umbrella, including ReconLogic, CarStudioPros, VehicleStickers.io, CarsByText, and Frontline Inventory.
- Jun 2024Series A$3.4M
#6
Public · Chicago, Illinois · founded 1998 · 1539 employees$765Mraised▾
Provider of alternative replacement for car and truck parts. Their products include new aftermarket replacement parts, Reconditioned OE replacement parts, Remanufactured engines, and transmissions, Rebuilt OE replacement parts, Heavy truck and equipment parts and used trucks, Paint and body shop supplies and equipment, Salvage vehicle disposal, national part purchase programs, and insurer services. They went public in Oct 2003. In 2022, the company recorded annual revenues of $12.79B and a net profit of $1.14B.
- Nov 2018Conventional Debt—
- Conventional Debt$765M
#7
Series B · Elgin, Illinois · founded 1919 · 164 employees$34.3Mraised▾
Engine and chassis component manufacturer delivering engineered excellence for diverse industries. A premier manufacturer specializing in engine and chassis components, offering a comprehensive range of products for domestic and import automotive and heavy-duty engines. Expertise extends to original equipment manufacturing and aftermarket solutions, serving vehicle OEMs and engine rebuilders globally. The company provides steering, coil spring, bushings, and suspension technologies for passenger vehicles and commercial trucks. They also offer performance parts combining premium materials and advanced engineering. Additionally, they provide heat treating services and chemical formulations for superior engine performance and durability. The company focuses on quality, innovation, and performance, delivering engineered excellence in every part.
- Oct 2022Series B$34.3M
- Oct 2022Conventional Debt—
#8
Acquired · Glenview, Illinois · founded 2015 · 569 employees$150Mraised▾
Optimas is a manufacturer, supplier and exporter of fasteners. The manufactured components include bolts, screws, sockets, nuts, bushings, sleeves and more for heavy trucks, buses and automotive. Also supplies parts to industries such as medical, power generation and semi-conductor.
- Jun 2015Conventional Debt$150M
#9
Acquired · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2011 · 12 employees$18.4Mraised▾
Online platform offering insurance for auto service contracts. It partners with service providers who integrate the quoting, commerce, and fulfillment engine. Besides vehicle service contracts also provides services such as wheel & tire protection, dent & ding protection, key replacement, and windshield protection.
- Apr 2020Series A$648.8K
- May 2018Series A$4M
- Sep 2017Conventional Debt$12M
- Aug 2017Series A$3M
#10
Seed · Champaign, Illinois · founded 2019 · 16 employees$7Mraised▾
Operator of a B2B automotive marketplace intended to help salvage yards increase sales. The company's marketplace offers a proprietary connector into the automotive recycler network that provides immediate inventory upload, hotkey enabled, buy straight, and automated PO process, enabling salvage yards across the United States to be more efficient and close more sales.
- Jul 2022Seed$6.5M
#11
Acquired · Mokena, Illinois · founded 2005 · 493 employees$44Mraised▾
Provider of equipment towing and recovery services
- Feb 2008Conventional Debt$44M
#12
Acquired · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2015 · 69 employees$17.5Mraised▾
Optimizing dealer inventory with data-driven vehicle recommendations and market insights. The company helps dealers optimize their inventory to better meet buyer demands. Focused on improving each dealer's bottom line, the platform provides streamlined vehicle recommendations, delivering cars proven to perform on their lot directly to their inbox. Leveraging data insights and experienced inventory consultants, the company identifies ideal inventory matches. The company empowers dealers to improve their lot fitness with tailored vehicle recommendations. Through a user-friendly application, car dealers gain instant access to industry-sourced pricing guides and market reports. Features include a VIN scanner for real-time car information, live auction inventory browsing, and vehicle search capabilities across computer and smartphone platforms. The company also provides vehicle history reports with unique and extensive data, actively sourced to ensure the most up-to-date information. This is a B2B SaaS platform.
- May 2016Series A$7.5M
- Jul 2015Series A$10M
Funding & investor landscape
Notable founders
Market landscape — 10 sub-themes by coverage
Share of Auto coverage by sub-theme.
Regulatory-risk over time rising
Funding & growth over time
funding rising · growth rising
How research on Autonomous Vehicles in Illinois is moving
A read on the academic research around Autonomous Vehicles in Illinois — which themes are gaining ground, the institutions and researchers driving them, and how the tone is shifting. Based on 57 papers.
Led by UIUC, UIC, and Illinois Tech, Illinois researchers optimistically advance autonomous vehicle safety, traffic management, and neural network applications, with recent output tripling earlier work.
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign35
- University of Illinois Chicago7
- Illinois Institute of Technology5
- Southern Illinois University Carbondale3
- Illinois Department of Public Health2
- Computer vision4
- Object detection3
- Benchmark (surveying)2
- Reinforcement learning2
- Trajectory2
- Human–computer interaction3
- Control theory (sociology)2
- Gradient boosting2
- Boosting (machine learning)2
- Variable (mathematics)2
- Automation3
- Aeronautics3
- Human–computer interaction2
- Traffic flow (computer networking)2
- Computer security2
Common questions
Riya reads income statements for fun. She covers the real money in a sector — revenue, growth, who actually earns — and never met a vague claim she didn't want a number for.