CellARide

Using text messages to revolutionize vehicle shopping!

CellARide originted in Springfield, MO in 2010 when our founder Josh Holstein came across a vehicle that had the old orange and black for sale sign in the window. Josh didn’t have the time nor the want to call the phone number on the sign and wanted to know things like … what the engine sounded like, had the vehicle been in a wreck, would his insurance rates go up and what are other owners are saying about their experience with the same type of vehicle. Josh had been dabbling with text marketing around the same time when he realized he wanted to just “text the vehicle” and receive all the answers to his questions, using a widely adopted technology of text messaging. Using his Computer Information Systems degree from Missouri State University, Josh developed the prototype of what is now known as the CellARide FSBO (For Sale By Owner) platform. Not having the resources to take the product to the masses, Josh was introduced to the founder of CARFAX, Ewin Barnett. Mr. Barnett saw a product that he believed would change the way a lot of people would shop for cars and immediately joined as an industry advisor and investor in CellARide. After that meeting, Josh temporarily shelved the FSBO platform and realized the massive value the technology brings to the automotive space, so he developed the dealership product from the ground up and called it CarInfoToGo. With CarInfoToGo shoppers can text a vehicle on a lot, at an event, in a mall, or even in digital and print advertisements and immediately receive a mobile brochure with all the pertinent information about the vehicle (including photos, video, CARFAX reports, vehicle reviews, brand promotions, etc.). At the exact same time, the dealership or brand is receiving the shopper’s contact and demographic information in order to follow up with a less threatening form of communication. CellARide has completed a phenomenal proof of concept phase and a top 10 technology accelerator at Capital Innovators in St. Louis. During that process, we made the realization that we needed to focus on being the expert in the technology and plug into the experts in the industry. Through this approach, CellARide has built solid relationships with large national firms in the industry and has evolved from a lead generation tool, into an industry disrupting shopper insights and data capture platform. After pursuing the “top-down” strategy for the past couple of years, the industry is now realizing the value of text marketing with the mobile reengagement our platform provides and we now have national contracts with Toyota, Saatchi and Maritz Motivation!