Best Auto Companies in Wisconsin, United States
The 131 best Auto companies in Wisconsin, United States in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: REV Group.
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 Wisconsin
| # | Company | Disclosed funding | Last round | Stage | Founder | Founded | Tech stack | Patents & IP focus | Recent signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | REV Group Specialty vehicle manufacturer for fire, emergency, commercial, and recreational markets | $200M | 152 mo ago | Public | Tim Sullivan CEO & President | 2010 | WordPressTypeScriptPHP+37 | — | — |
| 2 | C-Motive Revolutionizing motor technology with efficient, gearless electrostatic motors for diverse applications 37Moat top 25%Innovation top 33%Patents top 38%Funding top 43% All 8 signals ▾Moattop 25% Innovationtop 33% Patentstop 38% Fundingtop 43% Talenttop 45% Globalbottom 43% Techbottom 37% Marketbottom 22% Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 7/10 · IP moat: 58 patents Innovation: 58 patents (top 33% of patent-holders) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 37/100 | $3M | 12 mo ago | Series A | Dan Ludois Co-Founder & CSO | 2012 | WordPressApple iCloud MailMySQL+16 | 58 patents Patents concentrated in computing, sensing & instrumentation | 2 job openings |
| 3 | WCS Industries Manufactures metal components | $3M | 162 mo ago | Acquired | Bryan Cieslak CEO & President | 1958 | WordPressMySQLPHP+21 | 4 patents Adjustable strap closure devices for vehicle interiors and furniture applications | 2 job openings · 1 launch |
| 4 | Web Finance Direct Provider of car dealership and financial services | $2M | 53 mo ago | Seed | Janiece Hnilica-Maxwell Founder | 2008 | FirebaseFacebook LoginLinkedin Sign-in+9 | — | — |
| 5 | Exit 7C Online platform to book on-demand fuel ordering platform | $100K | 96 mo ago | Deadpooled | Blessing Egbon CEO | 2016 | — | 5 patents Patents concentrated in health & consumer products | — |
| 6 | Discount Ramps Online retailer of loading, hauling, automotive and transportation products | $50K | 186 mo ago | Acquired | — | 2000 | Cart FunctionalityApple iCloud MailMicrosoft 365+33 | 10 patents Marine docking and loading equipment, including foldable ramps and hitch devices. | — |
| 7 | Karavan Trailers Manufacturer of watercrafts | $20K | 168 mo ago | Funding Raised | Mike Co-Founder | 1986 | WordPressMySQLPHP+24 | 7 patents Modular trailer side panels and integrated fender storage for flexible cargo protection | 1 expansion |
| 8 | Modine Manufacturing Company Manufacturer and supplier of heat transfer products | — | 13 mo ago | Public | — | 1916 | WordPress Site EditorWordPressApple iCloud Mail+23 | — | 3 job openings |
Top 12 Auto companies in Wisconsin
#1
Series A · Madison, Wisconsin · founded 2012 · 21 employees$2.8Mraised▾
Revolutionizing motor technology with efficient, gearless electrostatic motors for diverse applications. They offer innovative motor solutions using electrostatic technology, eliminating the need for gearboxes and reducing reliance on rare earth magnets and copper. Their motors are optimized for high-torque, low-speed performance, resulting in lower electricity costs, increased uptime, and reduced maintenance. The company's technology utilizes printed circuit board plates and a proprietary dielectric fluid to achieve maximum efficiency. They focus on green technology and sustainability, paving the way for a fully domestic supply chain. Their innovative designs cater to various applications, providing a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional electromagnetic motors. They are a B2B tech company.
- May 2025Conventional Debt—
- May 2025Series A$10.8M
- Jan 2025Conventional Debt—
- Jan 2025Seed$1.1M
#2
Public · Milwaukee, Wisconsin · founded 2010 · 6873 employees$200Mraised▾
Specialty vehicle manufacturer for fire, emergency, commercial, and recreational markets. They design and manufacture a diverse range of vehicles, including fire apparatus, emergency vehicles like ambulances, commercial infrastructure vehicles such as terminal trucks and street sweepers, and recreational vehicles including motorhomes and custom vans. Their products serve fire departments, municipalities, private companies, and individuals seeking recreational travel solutions. They offer a wide array of brands, each with unique product offerings adhering to high standards of performance and reliability. They also provide aftermarket services, including parts, service, and repair centers, to prolong the life of their vehicles. This company focuses on connecting and protecting people through reliable and innovative vehicle solutions.
- Oct 2013Conventional Debt$200M
#3
Seed · Onalaska, Wisconsin · founded 2008 · 11 employees$2Mraised▾
Developer of insurance software designed to provide finance and insurance services and simplify the buying and financing process. The company provides dealer financing, credit applications, customer communication, flexible financing, and customized programs, enabling dealers and lenders to meet their commercial finance and lending needs.
- Jan 2022Seed$2M
#4
Acquired · Muskego, Wisconsin · founded 1958 · 91 employees$2.7Mraised▾
Manufacturer of precision and custom-designed metal components intended to be used in automotive, aerospace, consumer products, construction equipment, lawn and garden and electrical power systems. The company specializes in offering a range of products including mechanical springs, cold-headed products, specialty fasteners, machined parts, wire forms and leg levelers, enabling clients to get improved quality products and strategically reduce costs.
#5
Deadpooled · Milwaukee, Wisconsin · founded 2016 · 17 employees$100Kraised▾
Online platform to book on-demand fuel ordering platform. It allows users to select fuel types, find nearby available fuel stations, and order an onsite fuel delivery or pickup by completing the payment. Operates a network of branded fuel pumps co-located at traditional fuel stations. The app is available for both Android & iOS devices.
- 2018Seed—
- Nov 2016Grant (prize money)$50K
- Nov 2016Seed$100K
#6
Acquired · West Bend, Wisconsin · founded 2000 · 69 employees$50Kraised▾
Discount Ramps is an online retailer of low-priced and high-quality loading, hauling, automotive, and transportation products. It claims to offer more than 11,000 products and primarily services the power sports, medical, recreational, commercial, transportation, military and industrial markets. It offers brands such as Rage Powersports, Black Widow, Big Boy, Kill Shot, and Summit. It has been recognized by Internet Retailer as one of the top 500 revenue grossing sites in the U.S. for the last five years and has also been recognized as one of Milwaukee’s fastest-growing firms by the Milwaukee Business Journal as of 2014.
- Nov 2010Conventional Debt$50K
#7
Funding Raised · Waupun, Wisconsin · founded 1986 · 59 employees$20Kraised▾
Manufacturer of trailer parts intended to help in trailer transportation. The company offers parts are designed for boat, pontoon, all-terrain vehicle, utility and snowmobile trailers, enabling customers to get the recreational trailers through dealers and distributors.
- Jun 2012Grant (prize money)$20K
- Jun 2012Grant (prize money)—
#8
Public · Racine, Wisconsin · founded 1916 · 11300 employees—raised▾
Modine is a manufacturer and supplier of heat transfer products. Manufacturers of radiators and cooling modules, battery cooling & heating, parallel flow condensers, oil coolers, and combo-coolers, charge-air coolers, oil coolers, exhaust gas, recirculation coolers, liquid-cooled, charge-air coolers, coils and engines for bus, truck and specialty vehicles.
#9
Funding Raised · Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin · founded 1900 · 184 employees—raised▾
Metal product fabrication, design, and manufacturing of hinges and casters. We specialize in custom engineered solutions, offering design, engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain services. Our expertise includes metal stamping, machining, tubing, welding, and assembly. We provide solutions for vehicle, industrial, and other applications. Our products include continuous hinges, butt hinges, lift-off hinges, plate and stem mount casters. We serve industries such as vehicles, recreational vehicles, marine, enclosures, food service, and material handling. We are committed to quality, innovation, and efficiency, delivering value through optimally designed products. We offer custom metal product design and fabrication services.
#10
Funding Raised · Sturtevant, Wisconsin · founded 2000 · 135 employees—raised▾
Manufacturer of medium-volume precision machined parts intended for automotive, industrial applications, electric vehicles and other markets. The company offers front-end accessory drive brackets, engine covers, chassis components, cooling system components, oil systems, and transmission components further providing secondary finishing for different machined components.
- 2012Conventional Debt—
#11
Acquired · Kenosha, Wisconsin · founded 1996 · 141 employees—raised▾
Manufacturer and supplier of multiple automotive component and assemblies
- Aug 2009PE—
#12
Public · Oshkosh, Wisconsin · founded 1917 · 17300 employees—raised▾
In 2021, the company recorded annual revenues of $6.85B, and a net profit of $0.32B.
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 Wisconsin is moving
A read on the academic research around Autonomous Vehicles in Wisconsin — which themes are gaining ground, the institutions and researchers driving them, and how the tone is shifting. Based on 48 papers.
University of Wisconsin–Madison leads Wisconsin's autonomous-vehicle research, focusing predominantly on safety and traffic management across 48 papers, with optimistic breakthrough findings outweighing concerns roughly 3-to-1.
- University of Wisconsin–Madison38
- Concordia University Wisconsin6
- University of Wisconsin System2
- Southeastern Wisconsin Information Technology Exchange Consortium1
- Wisconsin Department of Transportation1
- Computer vision4
- Reinforcement learning3
- Human-in-the-loop2
- Intersection (aeronautics)2
- Sustainability2
- Transport engineering3
- Automotive engineering3
- Systems engineering2
- VisSim2
- Queueing theory2
- Perception1
- Battery (electricity)1
- Data science1
- World Wide Web1
- Neuroscience1
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.