Silvercar, a startup rethinking the auto rental experience in airports, already seems pretty tied to Audi — after all, every vehicle that Silvercar rents out is a silver Audi . Now the companies are deepening that relationship with a $28 million Series C investment. Audi led the round, with the company’s North American president Scott Keogh joining Silvercar’s board of directors. Silvercar and Audi are also looking beyond airports with a new initiative called the Audi Shared Fleet, where businesses will be able to offer cars to employees on their corporate campuses. “Silvercar represents not just the future of the car rental industry, but a vision for the future of mobility,” Keogh said in the funding release “We want to utilize the company’s strengths in technology and innovation to merge connectivity and mobility for today’s consumer.” Silvercar has raised a total of $60 million in funding. Previous investors Austin Ventures and Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin also participated in the new round. The service doesn’t just offer every customer access to the same high-end vehicle. It also streamlines the reservation and payment process, allowing you to make bookings through a mobile app and unlock the car by just scanning a QR code. Writer Ryan Lawler (now sadly departed from TechCrunch) tried the service out three years ago in Dallas-Fort Worth, Silvercar’s very first airport. He came away impressed with “the ease of getting in and out of the airport rental dock,” and he suggested that business travelers, in particular, might be willing to pay a premium to get a better experience. (The exact pricing varies from market to market.) The company says its business tripled in 2015, and it’s now launching in its twelfth market, Las Vegas, just in time for this week’s Consumer Electronics Show.
Silvercar, a new car rental company that only offers silver Audis, announced its largest raising of capital to date with a $28 million Series C round led by Audi. The announcement comes as Silvercar unveiled enhanced digital and mobile platforms designed for an “optimised user experience” and expands into Las Vegas, its twelfth market. The funding will enable Silvercar to accelerate its award-winning airport car rental business and expand to new markets nationwide. Additionally, as part of the next phase of Silvercar’s partnership with Audi, the companies will work in tandem to develop Audi Shared Fleet, described as an app-powered rental car service for large corporate campuses. This investment, along with news surrounding the deal between GM and Lyft, is being seen as further evidence that traditional auto makers are seeking new ways to expand their business and taking car-sharing start-ups seriously, as the shift towards sharing threatens to disrupt the traditional way vehicles are sold or leased.