Best Auto Tech Companies in South Carolina, United States
The 31 best Auto Tech companies in South Carolina, United States in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: Zubie.
Our analysis of 69 Auto Tech companies
$46.2b in tracked funding; 92% of the stack-profiled cohort runs cloud-native; funding activity peaked in 2025.
Ranked: Best Auto Tech companies in South Carolina
| # | Company | Employees | Disclosed funding | Last round | Founder | Tech stack | Web popularity | Patents & IP focus | Recent signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gotcha Compassionate funeral services and pre-planning in the Tri-County area | 73 | — | 88 mo ago | — | — | — | 5 patents Golf equipment accessories: telescopic handles, ball retrievers, and divot tools. | — |
| 2 | Star EV Electric vehicle manufacturer crafting innovative, street-legal golf carts and commercial vehicles | 58 | — | — | — | WordPressMySQLPHP+19 | Top 5M | 37 patents Advanced ventricular assist devices and blood pump control systems for cardiac support | — |
| 3 | Insignia Group Provider of a suite of management solutions for automotive dealerships | 50 | — | — | — | HubSpot CMS HubApple iCloud MailGoogle Workspace+16 | Top 50M | 3 patents Software meta-configuration tools for catalog accessories and efficient firmware update systems | — |
| 4 | DDI Technology Integrated vehicle registration & titling solution for auto dealerships | 47 | — | — | Glenn Thames President & CEO | WordPressMySQLPHP+11 | Top 5M | 49 patents Patents concentrated in electrical & electronics | — |
| 5 | Fins Car Wash App-based platform that provides car wash & detailing services | 37 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | Zubie Provider of plugin device to monitor vehicle data and usage-based Insurance | 31 | $25M | 58 mo ago | — | WordPressApple iCloud MailMicrosoft 365+31 | Top 5M | 11 patents OBD-based vehicle telematics security, communication profiling, authentication, data storage, valuation | — |
| 7 | OnMyWay Reward-based distraction-avoidance application | 19 | — | — | — | LovableRadix UITailwind CSS+12 | Top 10M | — | — |
| 8 | Soteria Battery Innovation Group Developer of fire-proof Li-ion battery components for EVs, energy storage and electronics | 16 | $3M | 20 mo ago | Brian Morin CEO | — | — | 77 patents Patents concentrated in electrical & electronics | — |
Top 7 Auto Tech companies in South Carolina
#1
Series A · Greenville, South Carolina · founded 2017 · 16 employees$3.3Mraised▾
Developer of fire-proof Li-ion battery components for EVs, energy storage and electronics
- Feb 2025Series A$1.2M
- Mar 2021Series A$3.3M
#2
Series B · Charleston, South Carolina · founded 2012 · 31 employees$25.5Mraised▾
Provider of plugin device to monitor vehicle data and usage-based Insurance. It makes a hardware dongle and provides associated apps that deliver real-time feedback about the vehicle and driver. Its dongle plugs into the steering column and aggregates data about system functions and can suggest tune-ups or other actions. It also purports to save drivers money by alerting them to issues before they turn into costly repairs, and by pointing out more fuel-efficient routes. Its business solution includes fleet management and Usage-Based-Insurance.
- Jan 2022Series B—
- Feb 2019Series B—
- May 2016Series B$6M
- Jun 2015Series B$1.9M
#3
Seed · Charleston, South Carolina · founded 2018 · 7 employees$825Kraised▾
AI-powered parking software and service maximizing parking space revenue. The company provides an end-to-end parking solution, transforming underutilized spaces into profitable assets. It caters to residential, commercial, and municipal clients, offering tools for listing spaces, remote management, on-demand enforcement, and automated payment collection. Dynamic pricing, powered by artificial intelligence, optimizes occupancy and earnings. The platform includes features like a live parking marketplace, software suite, and dedicated client support. The company's vision is to create a connected global parking community, reducing waste and optimizing resource utilization through open-access software and service. The software suite includes intelligent enforcement, fast payment processing, and cloud-based management. The company offers a comprehensive solution for parking management, enforcement, and payments, featuring advanced analytics and mobile-friendly access.
- Apr 2023Conventional Debt$742K
- Jan 2020Seed$300K
- Mar 2019Seed$525K
- Oct 2018Seed$100K
#4
Seed · Columbia, South Carolina · founded 2016 · 6 employees$1.2Mraised▾
TrakItNow provides an IoT-based vehicle tracking solution for transportation companies, automotive manufacturers and owners. Offers a GPS enabled device known as VTS through which real-time location and vehicle diagnostic information are in mobile and web applications. Supports CAN protocol and is compatible with IP67 standard.
- Feb 2019Seed$225K
- May 2017Seed$1M
#5
Funding Raised · Spartanburg, South Carolina · founded 2009 · 8 employees$35Kraised▾
ATV, dirt bike, go-kart, and scooter parts with fast shipping. A premier parts distributor offering a wide selection of components for ATVs, mopeds, and scooters. They provide quality parts and service, focusing on fair pricing and efficient order fulfillment with same-day shipping from their South Carolina warehousing. Customers can create accounts, log in, and access a comprehensive catalog of parts. They also offer customer service resources, including shipping and returns information, general info, discount coupons, tech documents, policies, and forms. They provide technical support and reference materials to assist customers with their repair and maintenance needs. The website facilitates online ordering 24/7.
- Jun 2009Conventional Debt$35K
#6
Acquired · Charleston, South Carolina · founded 2009 · 73 employees—raised▾
Compassionate funeral services and pre-planning in the Tri-County area. Dedicated to providing compassionate funeral services to families, offering support in Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester Counties. Since its establishment, the company has been committed to helping families plan meaningful celebrations of life. Services include funeral planning, pre-need arrangements, and grief resources. The aim is to listen to families' wishes and create personalized tributes. They offer a range of services to meet diverse needs and customs, ensuring every detail is handled with care. They provide resources and support to help families navigate difficult times. They are committed to safety and health, taking extra precautions to protect families and staff. They offer guidance on grief support and assistance with sending flowers.
- Jun 2019Grant (prize money)—
#7
Seed · Greenville, South Carolina · founded 2012 · 2 employees—raised▾
RidePost is an online and mobile marketplace for ridesharing and carpooling. Drivers can monetize the empty seats in their vehicles and anyone can post or search the rides they are looking for to get from point A to point B.
- May 2013Seed—
Funding & investor landscape
Notable founders
Market landscape — 10 sub-themes by coverage
Share of Auto Tech 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.