Being stuck with a busted car is a bummer for many drivers. There are many sketchy websites dedicated to reselling cars, however, there is always a sense of uncertainty. There needed to be a platform devoted to proper and quality car-selling and purchasing transactions.

Inspired by their adoration towards cars, Christian Bertermann and Hakan Koç launched the mega-popular Auto1 Group, a safe platform for selling and buying used cars.

Auto1 Group offers over 3,000 new cars daily, and selling or buying is guaranteed to happen within 24 hours! It’s the trapped driver’s dream come true. Drivers can sell their cars to the highest bidder, while those who want to buy one get detailed documentation of the car's condition.

If you want to learn more about the inspiring story of how a little platform grew to become a virtual parking space for thousands of cars, continue reading down below.

Buckle Up

Christian Beretmann was born in Munich, Germany in the early 90s. Growing up in Germany had its perks as Christian was constantly exposed to new things. He was never shielded and was advised to venture out by himself. He showed early signs of independence and could make rational decisions on his own. Christian was not moved by many things, but cars truly captured his heart. As a typical boy, he would love to steal his father’s car for a quick roundabout, and his favorite toys were always cars. Something about driving a giant vehicle stuck to him, as he was mesmerized by the ‘real-life transformers’.

Hakan Koç was worn in Kiel, Germany in late 1980s. Growing up in a Turkish family household, Hakan showed signs of being very intelligent. He would analyze situations and think of the right comeback at the right moment. His parents regarded him as being very clever, thoughtful, and calculating. Apart from smarts, Hakan was very business-oriented. He did not enjoy being ordered around and preferred to run by his own rules. His stubbornness is what got him through life pretty smoothly. The idea of being his own boss did not vanish, so he decided to enroll in Germany’s elite college Bucerius Law School to study business and law.

In the Carpool Together

Graduating from the university, with an earned degree of Bachelor of Business Administration, Christian scored a sweet job at Groupon, as VP of Product International in 2010. However, working for Groupon had its perks, as Christian learned more about how to manage a business and acquired some leadership skills. He was just starting to build his career, and it won’t surely stop there. Christian knew that to be happy, he needed to return to his first love, which was cars.

After earning a Bachelor’s degree in Law, Hakan quickly acquired a nice job at a new Berlin startup called Rocket Internet. This was Hakan’s first dip into the entrepreneurship field, and he loved it. However, to become the best at something, Hakan knew that it would take a lot of engagement and practice. In 2010, Hakan decided that he would be better off working at an online website, so he became the Chief Product officer for Home24. This is where Hakan would nurture his gift for leadership, and save it for later on.

Engines Starting

Hakan and Christian met while they were both working in the same building while working for different startups. They got to talking and realized how much they had in common. Both shared an awful lot of adoration and respect for machinery. That day, in early 2012, something agitated Christian. His sweet old grandma couldn’t sell her old Mercedes and Golf. As an up-in-the-air idea, building a platform where people could buy and sell used cars is exactly what a country like Germany needed.

Hakan and Christian knew that Germany needed a secure and safe car marketplace to rival the American one, so in 2012, they launched Auto1 Group in Berlin.

Auto 1 Group was presented as an automobile online marketplace for used cars. Customers could easily find approachable prices for stylish cars. Car dealers across Europe can buy and sell used cars through haggle-free procedures. Auto1 Group offered 80 brands of cars at all kinds of prices, and drivers can get their new car delivered with a glass-fronted truck. With a delivery like that, the car is just up for grabs!

Enjoy the Ride

In 2015, Hakan and Christian experienced their first of many successful milestones when they raised $117.6M from a DST Global investment. At first, they were wary of the competitors and learned from their mistakes. From an ahead-of-time thinking business strategy, Auto1 Group did not make any sudden drastic moves, instead, they patiently awaited the good word to spread across the globe. Two years later, Auto1 Group raised another $360 million from another investor - Princeville Global. Cars were being sold like candy, with thousands of users applying daily. The following year was not without its big steps either, as in 2018 Auto1 Group raised another €460 from SoftBank Vision Fund.

In 2019, Auto1 Group scored big when the scale of cars became available in over 30 countries. It was during the same year that the company sold more than 615,000 vehicles through the website and its app.

Hakan and Christian used the necessity for a properly used car selling marketplace to their advantage, and Auto1 Group grew rapidly. With hard work and determination, Hakan and Christian’s Auto1 slowly became one of the leading used car businesses in Europe. Lastly in 2020, Auto1 Group leaped another huge step when they raised €255M from Farallon Capital Management and The Baupost Group. In 2020, Hakan also decided that his mind and attention were needed on the company’s supervisory board, so he stepped down as co-CEO in November. Hakan did not abandon his position, but simply put his efforts and focus on necessary things, so he never left home.

Auto1 Group, Today

Auto1 Group is still located in Berlin, Germany and it has more than 1000+ employees working tirelessly on providing answers for used car dealers. It was estimated that in 2020, Auto1 Group raised a total of $1.4B in funding over 10 rounds throughout the years. Before the platform reached its popularity among car enthusiasts, Auto1 Group had to deal with the fierce competition already present on the market. E-commerce platforms like Vroom, Carvana, and CarGurus had been serving customers even before Auto1 Group hit the stage, so the two lads had to make a name for themselves through hard work.

The two co-founders received the news of them becoming billionaires as a joke, as they remembered when they met and how it all started. On February the 4th, 2021, Auto1 Group entered the public Frankfurt stock exchange. This moment catapulted them to the top used car dealership companies in Europe.

The company now has a market capitalization worth $10.5 billion and it holds over 60,000 partnerships across Europe. By creating a simple solution to a huge problem, they managed to kill two birds with one stone. Christian got to sell his grandmother’s car and thus provided everyone with the safest place to purchase and sell used cars.

Auto1 Group is here to serve every driver’s best needs. From a gallery of 30,000 cars, car lovers can choose models at leveled prices, without worrying about any extra costs. With a luxurious delivery like that, who wouldn’t want a car delivered from Auto1. Christian’s dreams of being surrounded by the cars he adored were fulfilled.

When he decided to open up his own online imaginative garage, with all models he could think of, he knew that the child within was smiling contently. By thinking quickly and outside the box, Hakan and Christian brought the world the safest online marketplace for care, where every 4-wheeled companion is treated the way it deserves!