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Hiya,
I’ve been known as the “car guy” of my friend group for a while now. It’s no surprise as I’ve always been interested in how cars work and how well different brands and models perform on the road. Friends turn to me for car advice, too, and one topic that always polarizes is used versus new.
Personally, I’m more of a used car kind of guy. However, there’s something to be said for taking a brand-new car out of the dealership without having to worry about its condition.
Used cars are all the rage for companies like Carro, Carsome, and CarDekho.
CarDekho, in particular, has carved out a niche for itself in Southeast Asia’s competitive used car marketplace. Instead of focusing on just buying and selling like its peers, the Indian firm acts as a finance aggregator for dealerships – helping buyers secure car loans.
In this week’s premium story, my colleague Samreen dives into how CarDekho thrived by partnering with existing marketplaces in Southeast Asia instead of competing with them.
Interestingly, the company is also venturing into a new space: insurance. It is looking to acquire smaller aggregators or insurance brokerages in Indonesia and the Philippines.
Speaking of insurance, I take a closer look at Lazada’s insurance joint venture with Peak3 and what the strategy behind this may be.
— Miguel
THE BIG STORY
How CarDekho navigated Carro, Carsome to find space in SEA
Image credit: Timmy Loen
While Indian peers like Cars24 and Zoomcar have left the region, CarDekho SEA recorded over US$40 million in revenue in 2024.
THE HOT TAKE
Fatten those margins
Turn every connection into a positive ROI
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