AVTOPRO
About the Company
AVTOPRO started as a web studio before evolving into a product company focused on advertising and mobile solutions. Its flagship product, Avto.pro, is Ukraine's leading marketplace for automotive parts and services. The platform connects different stakeholders like car owners, service stations, and suppliers, while offering both original and used parts. As a unique player in the automotive industry, the company operates on a service and advertising revenue model, rather than acting as an intermediary. With over 5,000 stores utilizing the platform, AVTOPRO is poised for further growth beyond Ukraine.
Idea Behind Company
Evgeny always envisioned creating a company that would tackle global challenges through partnership and innovation. The inspiration for AVTOPRO stemmed from his experience in the IT industry and his desire to build a scalable product capable of meeting unmet market demands. After years of working on various projects, Evgeny and his team decided to focus on the automotive parts industry, which presented a significant opportunity for growth and innovation. Their goal was to transform this complex and fragmented market by introducing digitization and streamlining processes for car owners and service providers.
Creating the Company
The founding of AVTOPRO was rooted in extensive market research and experience. Evgeny and his team noticed a gap in the automotive industry, particularly in the lack of digital solutions for managing and selling car parts. By leveraging their IT expertise and understanding of big data, they developed a patented database of spare parts that would become the foundation of the AVTOPRO marketplace. The company’s gradual evolution saw them refine their solutions through constant learning and adapting to the market. Eventually, AVTOPRO grew into a platform that offered not only parts but also a comprehensive set of services for the automotive ecosystem.
Launching the Business
AVTOPRO officially launched in 2011 and reached its first 100 paying customers by 2012. By 2015, the company had secured over 1,000 customers. The company was entirely self-funded, which allowed Evgeny and his team to retain full control of their vision but also slowed down the pace of expansion. While external funding could have accelerated growth, the team preferred to keep the project in-house. Despite hurdles like the 2014 conflict in Ukraine and the 2020 pandemic, AVTOPRO continued to grow and even began preparations for expansion into the European market. The onset of the war in 2022 further solidified their plans to localize and scale their product in Spain.
Earnings
Even in the face of war and economic disruption, AVTOPRO has managed to sustain demand for its services. Initially, the company lost much of its revenue when the war began, but they quickly adapted by offering free tools and slowly reintroducing monetization. By April 2022, the platform’s traffic had returned to 60% of pre-war levels, with 45% of the revenue restored by May. Evgeny remains optimistic about the company’s future, aiming to return profits to pre-war levels in Ukraine while expanding successfully into the Spanish market, setting the stage for further growth across Europe and eventually the Americas.
