Driverside.com -- The Value Is In The Data
The Web site for people who've worked up the courage to try to fix, or at least maintain, their own cars launched today after being in beta for several months. Founder Trevor Traina says it's an idea whose time has come because many people can't afford to buy new cars anymore, but there's another, underlying benefit as well. Driverside.com is the first company to combine information usually held by insurance companies, car manufacturers, finance companies, quick lube shops and other parts of the car universe into a giant database, creating a single view of a car owner, said Bob Ackerman of Allegis Capital, which invested $5.3 million in Driverside.com in a Series B round in May. "The more you know about individuals and their autos, the more you can make suggestions that are relevant, enhancing the value of your service," he said.
