Best Auto Companies in San Francisco, United States
The 52 best Auto companies in San Francisco, United States in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: Bell Helmets.
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 San Francisco
| # | Company | Disclosed funding | Last round | Stage | Founder | Founded | Tech stack | Patents & IP focus | Recent signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bell Helmets Manufacturer of motorcycle and bicycle helmets and related apparel | $215M | 337 mo ago | Acquired | Roy Richter Founder | 1954 | Salesforce Commerce CloudApple iCloud MailMicrosoft 365+26 | — | — |
| 2 | Spring Free EV Provider of online electric vehicles leasing services 29Funding top 26%Tech top 46%Talent bottom 49%Moat bottom 38% All 6 signals ▾Fundingtop 26% Techtop 46% Talentbottom 49% Moatbottom 38% Globalbottom 37% Marketbottom 27% Funding: Raised $35.6M across 3 rounds · 3 rounds over 3 yrs (1.0/yr) Tech: 39 technologies across 3/8 capability areas · Cloud: Cloudflare rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 29/100 | $36M | 10 mo ago | Series A | Andrew Deitz Co-Founder & Head of Business Development | 2021 | WordPressMySQLPHP+36 | — | — |
| 3 | Noblr Usage-based car insurance platform for individuals | $35M | 67 mo ago | Acqui-Hired | — | 2016 | SentrySalesforceSalesforce Service Cloud+22 | — | — |
| 4 | DriverSide Online listing platform for second-hand cars | $10M | 181 mo ago | Deadpooled | Adam Jackson Founder | 2007 | — | 3 patents Vehicle diagnostic and cost-estimation software for automotive fault detection | — |
| 5 | Fox Factory Racing suspension product manufacturer | $8M | 85 mo ago | Public | Niels Ammendrup Chair/Founder | 1974 | Cart FunctionalityShopifyApple iCloud Mail+30 | 1,375 patents High-performance bicycle suspension systems and disc brake components | 1 launch · 2 partnerships |
| 6 | Instamotor Online resource simplifying auto financing and car buying decisions | $7M | 119 mo ago | Deadpooled | — | 2014 | — | — | — |
| 7 | Wheelwell Online community for automotive car parts and services | $5M | 86 mo ago | Seed | — | 2014 | — | — | — |
| 8 | Autolist Comprehensive new and used car search, comparison, and review platform | $2M | 125 mo ago | Acquired | John Kobs Co-Founder & Chairman | 2011 | SentryRubyNode.js+31 | — | — |
| 9 | KarFarm AI-powered platform revolutionizing automotive retail customer engagement and sales automation | $1M | 121 mo ago | Seed | Matthew Tamayo Co-Founder & CTO | 2011 | — | — | — |
| 10 | Chug Online marketplace for buying and selling used and new cars | $1M | 167 mo ago | Seed | Rob Vucic Founder & CTO | 2010 | — | — | — |
| 11 | ADASTEC Manufacturer of buses 50Growth top 35%Talent top 38%Funding top 45%Tech bottom 42% All 7 signals ▾Growthtop 35% Talenttop 38% Fundingtop 45% Techbottom 42% Globalbottom 39% Moatbottom 38% Marketbottom 37% Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo Talent: 2 named leaders on record · 2 C-suite/founder profiles curated rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 50/100 | $1M | 12 mo ago | Seed | Kerem Par Co-Founder | 2017 | Webflowcore-jsjQuery+11 | — | — |
| 12 | Swoop Tools to manage towing business | $850K | 130 mo ago | Acquired | — | 2014 | Google MapsEmotionStripe+17 | 136 patents Secure authentication and payment processing for online e‑commerce transactions | — |
| 13 | Leaky Auto insurance comparison platform, saving users time and money | $670K | 163 mo ago | Acqui-Hired | Jake Piccolo Co-founder | 2010 | — | — | — |
| 14 | Steinmetz Manufacturer of high-efficiency electric vehicle motor controllers | $500K | 13 mo ago | Seed | Owen Brake CEO | 2024 | — | 2 patents Vehicle interior cargo floor design and occupant protection systems | — |
| 15 | Luxar Portfolio A D2C used car trading platform | $200K | 132 mo ago | Deadpooled | Michael Webb Co-Founder | 2015 | — | — | — |
| 16 | ByteRyde Provider of Auto insurance platform | $120K | 90 mo ago | Seed | Patrick Cohen Founder | 2017 | — | — | — |
Top 12 Auto companies in San Francisco
#1
Series A · San Francisco, California · founded 2021 · 20 employees$35.6Mraised▾
Provider of online electric vehicles leasing services
- Sep 2025Series A$7.2M
- Dec 2023Series A$4.6M
- Apr 2023Conventional Debt—
- Mar 2023Series A$31M
#2
Seed · San Francisco, California · founded 2017 · 80 employees$1Mraised▾
Manufacturer of buses
- Jul 2025Seed$2.8M
- Mar 2024Seed$1M
- Jun 2023Seed—
#3
Seed · San Francisco, California · founded 2024$500Kraised▾
Manufacturer of high-efficiency electric vehicle motor controllers. These controllers are designed for various applications, including industrial automation, robotics, and electric vehicles. The product line offers controllers optimized for different power levels and precision requirements, all featuring advanced features such as auto-tuning algorithms, open-source firmware, and multi-sensor support. The controllers are built for reliability and easy integration, utilizing compact designs and robust cooling methods.
- 2025Seed$500K
#4
Acquired · San Francisco, California · founded 1954 · 1001 employees$215Mraised▾
Manufacturer of motorcycle and bicycle helmets and related apparel. The company designs and produces helmets for various riding styles, including street, dirt, adventure, mountain, road, and BMX. In addition to helmets, it offers apparel and accessories for both motorcycle and bicycle riders. The product line also includes spare parts and visors. A focus on safety and performance is evident in the company's commitment to technological advancements such as Spherical Technology, Flex Technology, ProTint, and MIPS.
#5
Acqui-Hired · San Francisco, California · founded 2016 · 46 employees$35Mraised▾
Noblr is a usage-based car insurance platform for individuals. It offers an app to enables users to share driving info & get a quote based on driving score. It offers coverage for bodily injury, property damage, medical payments, physical damage coverage collision & roadside assistance. The app is available for iOS & Android devices.
- Dec 2020Series A$5M
- Apr 2020Series A$10M
- Jun 2019Series A—
- Jan 2019Series A$20M
#6
Deadpooled · San Francisco, California · founded 2007 · 19 employees$9.6Mraised▾
DriverSide is an online listing platform for second-hand cars. It offers new & used car listings and information about parts & accessories. It provides scheduled reminders about car servicing & timely resale value of the car. It has a tool to diagnose issues with the car & estimate the repair cost.
- Jun 2011Series C$2.3M
- Aug 2010Series C$2M
- Mar 2009Series B$5.3M
- Jul 2008Seed—
#7
Public · San Francisco, California · founded 1974 · 4300 employees$7.7Mraised▾
Racing suspension product manufacturer
#8
Seed · San Francisco, California · founded 2014 · 4 employees$5.1Mraised▾
Wheelwell is an online community for the automotive parts and services market. It leverages community knowledge of service professionals, brands and experts to aggregate a rich listing of automotive data for user consumption. Users can browse this information to find the products and services they need.
- May 2019Angel$3M
- Sep 2016Seed$2M
- Jan 2016Seed$80K
#9
Deadpooled · San Francisco, California · founded 2014 · 7 employees$7.2Mraised▾
Online resource simplifying auto financing and car buying decisions. We provide insights, tips, and news to help individuals navigate the complexities of auto loans, especially those with limited or imperfect credit histories. Our platform aims to streamline the car buying journey by offering guidance on auto financing options. We are building a website with features designed to enhance the user experience and simplify the decision-making process related to car purchases and loans. Our active blog offers valuable information for buyers seeking to make informed choices in the automotive market. We focus on empowering consumers with the knowledge they need to secure suitable auto financing.
- Aug 2016Series A$1.8M
- Oct 2015Series A$5.5M
#10
Acquired · San Francisco, California · founded 2011 · 34 employees$2Mraised▾
Comprehensive new and used car search, comparison, and review platform. It is a digital automotive marketplace offering a vast selection of vehicles. The platform empowers users to find their perfect car by comparing prices, reading reviews, and researching pricing history. It aggregates listings from multiple sources, providing a one-stop search experience. The company aims to build a better automotive buying experience by offering tools to analyze car prices and research vehicles. It provides a comprehensive platform for car buyers to make informed decisions. The platform offers mobile apps for both Android and iOS, enabling users to search on the go. It also provides guides and news related to the automotive industry.
- Feb 2016Conventional Debt$2M
- Sep 2014Seed$2M
#11
Seed · San Francisco, California · founded 2010 · 23 employees$1.2Mraised▾
Online marketplace for buying and selling used and new cars. It provides a platform for users to search for vehicles based on various criteria such as make, model, price range, and body type. Sellers can list their vehicles with contact information, while buyers can connect through instant messaging. The platform collects anonymous traffic analysis data and uses cookies to enhance user experience. It offers options to restart search, shop by monthly price, and use current location. The site includes features for advertising, privacy, and terms, ensuring a secure and user-friendly experience for car shopping.
- Aug 2012Seed$224.5K
- May 2010Seed$1M
#12
Seed · San Francisco, California · founded 2011 · 4 employees$1.2Mraised▾
AI-powered platform revolutionizing automotive retail customer engagement and sales automation. This innovative solution modernizes workflows and maximizes results by guiding sales teams to optimize customer retention and conversion rates. The platform offers fully customizable AI assistants, providing control over customer communication. Detailed analytics provide unprecedented insights, eliminating false metrics in report generation. The vision is to enhance sales and service staff capabilities, freeing them to focus on delivering exceptional customer service. By automating customer engagement processes, the platform enables human staff to deliver more personalized experiences, shaping the future of automotive retail through technology. This is a B2B SaaS platform leveraging Artificial Intelligence to improve customer experience and sales through automation.
- Jun 2016Seed$1.2M
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 is moving in the United States
A read on the academic research around Autonomous Vehicles — which themes are gaining ground, the institutions and researchers driving them, and how the tone is shifting. Based on 3,252 United States-affiliated papers.
- Carnegie Mellon University89
- Purdue University West Lafayette76
- University of California, Berkeley69
- Northeastern University64
- Stanford University55
- Computer vision12→111
- Human–computer interaction2→64
- Perception2→59
- Robustness (evolution)3→53
- Trajectory12→61
- Human–computer interaction3→65
- Transport engineering11→66
- Computer vision2→54
- Reinforcement learning3→46
- Automotive engineering5→48
- Humanities4→108
- Philosophy1→64
- Context (archaeology)1→54
- Computer security2→48
- Transport engineering4→30
Where autonomous vehicles is researched across United States
Location clusters by institution affiliation — each city's volume, stance tone, and a quick read on its hot topic, what's advancing, the opening opportunity, and the main concern.
Who's filing autonomous vehicles patents in the United States
United States autonomous vehicles patent filing is accelerating — 19,294 filings from 4,355 assignees (2016–2025), led by Waymo, Baidu USA, GM Cruise Holdings; annual filings 885→1348.
- Waymo1688
- Baidu USA1034
- GM Cruise Holdings767
- FORD Global TECH589
- Qualcomm565
- Tusimple547
- UBER Technologies527
- UATC507
Common questions
Rohit lives in the feed. He covers what's moving right now — the funding rounds, launches and shifts breaking across the trade press — and ties them back to where the sector is heading.