Carlease, a Concierge-level Car Leasing Service, announces $3.5M Initial Funding Round

Carlease, the premier car leasing experience site that delivers concierge-level consumer service, has just announced an initial funding round of $3.5M led by by Lightbank, together with a syndicate of powerhouse automotive industry veterans.

Other notable, highly experienced automotive industry and successful start-up veterans who participated in the financing include former Cars.com President Mitch Golub, and co-founders Kayne Grau and Justin Mahlik of DRIVIN (Lightbank portfolio company).

Carlease used this funding round to acquire strategic assets that will create a strong foundation for growth, with plans to further enhance their technology platform and digital experience, while expanding markets nationwide.

Carlease lets consumers forget the pressures and stress that typically come with the visiting the dealership. Instead, consumers can utilize the one-stop shop for leasing and browse through over 30 makes and hundreds of models from home to find their ideal car and then have it delivered to their front door.

Led by Andy O’Dower, chief product officer at Curiosity.com with automotive experience from Cars.com, Carlease.com is built on the premise that car leasing can be simple. Once consumers have found their car, Carlease uses their industry leading technology and purchasing power to find the best lender and get the best lease terms available on the marketplace.

“Leases now account for nearly one third of all new vehicle sales, with those percentages going up significantly across luxury makes and with millennial buyers.” said Andy O’Dower, CEO of Carlease. “At Carlease, we are motivated to help our customers get the lease offer and terms that best meets their needs, while delivering concierge-level service that takes the time and stress out of new car shopping.”

“Carlease’s unique, independent model capitalizes on the trends happening within the automotive sector, saving consumers time and money, while increasing transaction opportunities for partner dealerships.” said Victor Pascucci III, Managing Partner of Lightbank.

In addition, Carlease recently unveiled a new search platform at Carlease.com that offers shoppers the ability to search and configure any make/model with any feature set. Within 24 hours, a Carlease expert will be in touch with multiple lease offers, ask about trade-in info and offer advice. The same Carlease expert guides the consumer through the approval process and finally, delivers the new vehicle to the consumer’s home or office.

Leasing a car has never been easier and with markets expanding nationwide, Carlease could significantly disrupt the entire industry for good.