Carsquare
{{Short description|Automotive meta search engine}}
{{Orphan|date=March 2016}}
{{Update|inaccurate=yes|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Carsquare USA
| logo = File:Carsquare logo.png
| type = Private
| genre =
| industry = {{ubl|Internet|Automotive}}
| foundation = 2013
| founder = Khurrum Shakir
| location_city = Reston, Virginia
| location_country = United States
| location =
| locations =
| area_served = U.S. (nationwide)
| key_people = Khurrum Shakir, President/CEO; Scott Cotter, CFO; Mikah Sellers, CMO;{{cite web |url=http://carsquare.com/Team |title=Carsquare Team - Carsquare |website=carsquare.com |access-date=6 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140625122014/http://carsquare.com/Team |archive-date=25 June 2014 |url-status=dead}}{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/when-it-comes-to-online-car-shopping-carsquare-wants-to-reinvent-the-wheel/2014/08/01/08950de8-1814-11e4-9e3b-7f2f110c6265_story.html |title=When it comes to online car shopping, Carsquare wants to reinvent the wheel |date=2014-08-03 |author1=Steven Overly |newspaper=The Washington Post |place=Washington, D.C. |issn=0190-8286 |oclc=1330888409}} Ben Brown, CTO; Hassan Al-Harethi, Chief Architect; Phil Howard, VP of Operations and Business Development; Ronald Fraser, Chief Engineer
| homepage = {{URL|http://www.carsquare.com}}
}}
Carsquare USA is a US online automotive meta search engine that provides listings of available vehicles from third-party automotive websites.{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/when-it-comes-to-online-car-shopping-carsquare-wants-to-reinvent-the-wheel/2014/08/01/08950de8-1814-11e4-9e3b-7f2f110c6265_story.html|title= When it comes to online car shopping, Carsquare wants to reinvent the wheel|publisher=Washingtonpost|accessdate=October 9, 2015}}
Business
Carsquare USA can be used to locate vehicles currently on the market—new and preowned, for sale and for lease—from multiple automotive sites. The site uses filters such as make, model, condition, price, color, engine type, and proximity to the buyer's ZIP code, in order to narrow down the choices available it then displays matching listings from dealers across the U.S., allowing the user to compare and contrast different vehicles.{{cite web|url=http://theweeklydriver.com/carsquare-com-the-easiest-best-way-to-buy-or-lease-a-car/|title= Carsquare.com: the easiest, best way to buy or lease a car|publisher=The Weekly Driver|accessdate=September 27, 2015}} Carsquare pulls its listings from its network of partners, which includes eBay, Carfax, CarsDirect, MyCarMatch, LotLinx, Usedcars.com, and Swapalease.com.{{cite web|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/blog/techflash/2013/12/igrabberautos-rebrands-as-carsquare.html|title= 'Kayak-for-cars' startup wins $15k, moves to Ballston, rebrands as Carsquare|publisher=Washington Business Journal|accessdate=September 27, 2015}}
History
Carsquare USA was founded by Khurrum Shakir after leaving AOL in 2010 and closed in 2017.{{cite web|url=http://carsquare.com/about-carsquare|title=About|publisher=Carsquare|accessdate=September 29, 2015}} The company launched in 2012 as iGrabberAutos.{{cite web|url=http://tech.co/search-and-compare-vehicles-on-multiple-websites-with-igrabber-2013-06/|title=Search For, and Compare Vehicles on Multiple Websites with iGrabber|publisher=Tech.Co|accessdate=September 27, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151003105305/http://tech.co/search-and-compare-vehicles-on-multiple-websites-with-igrabber-2013-06|archive-date=October 3, 2015|url-status=dead}} It was one of the exhibitors at the 2013 Everywhereelse.co Startup Conference.{{cite web|url=http://seriousstartups.com/2013/02/21/igrabber-kayak-car-shopping/|title=iGrabber Is The Kayak For Car Shopping|date=21 February 2013 |publisher=Serious Startups|accessdate=September 27, 2015}} In May of the same year, the company was nominated and selected by Tech Cocktail (now Tech.Co) as one of "DC’s Hottest Tech Startups."{{cite web|url=http://tech.co/dcs-hottest-startup-2013-05|title=Who is DC's Hottest Showcasing Startup?|publisher=Tech.Co|accessdate=September 29, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151002064010/http://tech.co/dcs-hottest-startup-2013-05|archive-date=October 2, 2015|url-status=dead}} The next month, iGrabberAutos was nominated and selected out of 500+ startups to pitch at the MAVA Capital Connection 2013 Tech Buzz event.{{cite web |url=http://www.mava.org/programs/techbuzz-series/techbuzz-alumni/ |title=TechBUZZ Alumni |publisher=Mid-Atlantic Venture Association |accessdate=September 29, 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150930232256/http://www.mava.org/programs/techbuzz-series/techbuzz-alumni/ |archivedate=September 30, 2015 }}
In December 2013, iGrabberAutos was named one of the two winners of the Ballston LaunchPad Challenge, a Virginia-based entrepreneurial initiative dedicated to helping startups obtain funding. Emerging victorious out of a field of 250+ startups, the team was awarded $15,000 in cash; office space in Ballston, Arlington, VA; and legal aid from the law firm Saul Ewing LLP.{{cite web|url=http://patch.com/virginia/arlington-va/launchpad-two-startups-win-cash-office-space-in-ballston-challenge|title=LaunchPad: Two Startups Win Cash, Office Space in Ballston Challenge|date=5 December 2013 |publisher=Arlington Patch|accessdate=September 27, 2015}} In the wake of this achievement, the company rebranded itself as Carsquare and has since moved and is now headquartered in Reston, Virginia.{{cite web|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/blog/techflash/2013/12/igrabberautos-rebrands-as-carsquare.html|title= 'Kayak-for-cars' startup wins $15k, moves to Ballston, rebrands as Carsquare|publisher=Washington Business Journal|accessdate=September 27, 2015}}
In April 2014, CEO Khurrum Shakir announced the completion of a Series A round of funding, which was led by Robert G. Hisaoka.{{cite web|url= http://tech.co/carsquare-raises-undisclosed-series-a-round-of-funding-2014-04|title= Carsquare Raises Undisclosed Series A Round of Funding, Launches New Platform|publisher= Tech.Co|accessdate= September 27, 2015|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20151002064003/http://tech.co/carsquare-raises-undisclosed-series-a-round-of-funding-2014-04|archive-date= October 2, 2015|url-status= dead}}{{cite web|url=http://tech.co/carsquare-raising-money-2015-06|title= DC Based Carsquare Is Adding Features and Raising Money|date= 15 June 2015|publisher=Tech.Co|accessdate=September 27, 2015}}
Carsquare was an official sponsor of the Unlimited Racing team for the 2014 Pirelli World Challenge Championship. The company served as the primary sponsor of the No 51 TCB Honda Fit, driven by Brian Price.{{cite web|url=http://www.world-challenge.com/news/team-news/item/2696-carsquare-partners-with-unlimited-racing/2696-carsquare-partners-with-unlimited-racing.html |title=Carsquare Partners with Unlimited Racing |publisher=Pirelli World Challenge |accessdate=September 27, 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151002021625/http://www.world-challenge.com/news/team-news/item/2696-carsquare-partners-with-unlimited-racing/2696-carsquare-partners-with-unlimited-racing.html |archivedate=October 2, 2015 }}
CarSquare USA was closed in 2017.
Partnerships
Carsquare has established business partnerships with a number of companies, including Carfax, CarsDirect, eBay Motors, MyCarMatch, Usedcars.com, LotLinx, and Swapalease.com.{{cite web|url=http://theweeklydriver.com/carsquare-com-the-easiest-best-way-to-buy-or-lease-a-car/|title= Carsquare.com: the easiest, best way to buy or lease a car|publisher=The Weekly Driver|accessdate=September 27, 2015}}