Lyon, January 25, 2023 – Four years after its creation, Proovstation, the European leader in automated vehicle testing solutions assisted by Artificial Intelligence, announces the closing of a new funding round of 10.4 million euro led by Supernova Invest, alongside Otium Capital, through its industrial venture fund, and Crédit Agricole Création. This fundraising will enable the startup to consolidate its pioneering role and to establish itself internationally as a key player in the used vehicles market.
From left to right: Anton Komyza CFO & Cofounder, Cédric Bernard CEO & Cofounder, Gabriel Tissandier General Director & Cofounder
ProovStation, a France-based company with 50 employees, is the industrial deeptech startup behind the first automobile scanner that fully automates the inspection and valuation process for used vehicles in 3 seconds.
A unique experience for car owners
ProovStation has transformed a previously manual, subjective and time-consuming process taking up to 30 minutes into one of industrial speed and quality capable of managing several hundred vehicles per day. ProovStation is Europe’s leading provider of Artificial Intelligence-assisted automated vehicle evaluation solutions. The ProovStation stations, built in France, use a new generation AI based on the latest NVIDIA graphic cards and a cutting-edge optronic system which allow them to perform a 360° scan of the vehicle in just three seconds. More than 300 photos are taken and analysed by its algorithms before making a complete diagnosis. Covering all viewing angles, the station identifies all defects with millimetre precision and automatically generates an exhaustive and quantified inspection report listing the vehicle’s defects.
Through a partnership between ProovStation, Carrefour – one of the leading food retailers, Michelin – the world’s leading tyre manufacturer and the leader in mobility, and BCA Group – the European leader in used car sales, the startup is revolutionising the used vehicles sector by offering all car owners a unique, simple, reliable and instantaneous digital sales experience. The Proovstation automobile scanners, enhanced by the MICHELIN Quickscan® technology which automatically tests tire wear, are already available free-of-charge for self-service in the parking lots of several Carrefour hypermarkets in France. These allow car owners to obtain an instantaneous firm offer (non-binding unless specifically approved by them), guaranteed by BCA Group, for their vehicle at a fair price relative to the market based on the objective evaluation of its condition.
Develop the network of scanners and accelerate international growth
This €10.4m fundraising, led by Supernova Invest alongside Otium Capital, through its Industrial Venture fund, and Crédit Agricole Création, will enable ProovStation to densify its network of scanners throughout France, with around 30 deployments already planned in 2023. The company also aims to hasten its international expansion at used vehicle professionals to become a standard in the industry. The ProovStation network already has more than 130 stations under deployment in 13 countries on three continents at well-known groups such as SiXT, le Groupe BERNARD, le Groupe Starterre, le Groupe Charles André and BCA Group. The winner of the i-Nov 2020 award, ProovStation, alongside other national technology icons, is helping to boost the international prestige of the French mobility industry.
” “We are proud of closing this funding round, which will allow us to give each driver an access to our service within less than 30 minutes of their homes”, says Cédric Bernard, CEO and co-founder of ProovStation. ” “Thanks to these funds, we will be able to invest in our technology to reinforce our international leadership. They will also give us the means to accelerate our expansion in the automotive industry to boost our already vigorous growth”. “.
David Hansen, Investment Director at Supernova Invest, says: ” ProovStation is the perfect example of a forward-looking deeptech solution: a cutting-edge technology coupled with unique artificial intelligence capable of processing industrial-scale flows. We are convinced that the founders’ vision, together with ProovStation’s first-class team, will enable them to attain their growth targets, including internationally, where the market is extremely buoyant and awaiting a solution as advanced as that offered by ProovStation.”
Pierre Ménard, Principal Industrial Venture at Otium Capital, adds: ” ProovStation is a project led by ambitious founders, built around a disruptive innovation in a deep market. The three key ingredients for success are there. We are happy to accompany them in this deployment phase and to help them revolutionize the used vehicle market.” “
*List of Carrefour hypermarkets where the ProovStation service is already available:
- Carrefour Vénissieux (Lyon), 136 Boulevard Joliot Curie 69633 Vénissieux
- Carrefour Aix En Provence, 1175 Rue Guillaume Du Vair Pole, 13290 Aix-en-Provence
- Carrefour Montesson (Ile de France), 136 Boulevard Joliot Curie 69633 Vénissieux
- Carrefour Vitrolles (Marseille), Carrefour Des Griffons, RN 113, 13127 Vitrolles
- Carrefour Saran (Orléans), 2601 Route Nationale 20, 45770 Saran
About ProovStation
Created in 2018 and based in Lyon, ProovStation is the European leader in Artificial Intelligence-assisted automotive inspection solutions. The company develops a high-tech automotive scanner that automates and standardizes the evaluation process of used vehicles, for professionals and the general public. The first activity is the sale of equipment to automotive professionals in order to support them in the digital transformation, the automation and standardization of their used vehicle inspection process (https://fr.proovstation.com). Since 2022, ProovStation also offers to all vehicle owners an instant inspection service allowing them to obtain a purchase offer for their vehicle in a few minutes. These stations are accessible free of charge and self-service from 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week, in the parking lots of partner hypermarkets in France. (https://www.proovstation.fr/).
The ProovStation network already has more than 130 stations being deployed in 13 countries, on 3 continents, with renowned players such as SiXT, the BERNARD Group, the Starterre Group, the Charles André Group and BCA. The company was founded by Cédric Bernard, CEO, Gabriel Tissandier, General Director, and Anton Komyza, CFO.
About Supernova Invest
Supernova Invest is the pioneer and leader in deep tech investment in France and manages and advises seven funds with a total of more than 500 million euros under management. Specializing in investments in breakthrough technological startups, Supernova Invest focuses its expertise on manufacturing, health, energy and the environment, and digital. Its team has 20 years of experience in technology investments, allowing it to assist more than 100 companies, including some of the most innovative in their segments, from inception to maturity. Supernova benefits from a close partnership with the Atomic Energy Commission (CEA – (a major player in research, development and innovation) and Amundi (Europe’s leading asset manager).
Find out more: https://supernovainvest.com
About Otium Capital
Otium Capital is a family office managing the assets of Pierre-Edouard Stérin, founder of Smartbox. Our entrepreneurial DNA allows us to support entrepreneurs and meet their needs. With €1.2 billion of assets under management, we invest between €100k and €50 million, taking majority or minority stakes. In the last six months, we have deployed €100m, bringing our investments to over €160m for 2022 alone, confirming our acceleration and ambition. We aim to participate in the strong growth of projects led by ambitious founders. Find out more: Otium Capital.
About Crédit Agricole Création
CA Création is an investment fund specializing in providing equity financing for innovative start-ups. A wholly-owned subsidiary of Crédit Agricole Centre-Est, CA Création has been supporting projects in its home regions (Rhône, Ain, Saône et Loire and Nord Isère-Drôme-Ardèche) for more than 15 years, in partnership with leading private equity firms. As a bearer of the values of Crédit Agricole’s mutualist model, CA Création intends to put the various skills of the Crédit Agricole Group to work for its investments.
