Modal Commerce

Modal Commerce, previously known as Next Technology Inc. and Next Technologies, was an American automotive-commerce software company based in San Francisco. Its product was designed to help automobile dealerships turn their websites into transactional sales channels, allowing shoppers to move beyond vehicle research and initiate or complete the purchase of new and used cars online. The company was founded in 2015 out of Khosla Ventures. Its concept emerged from the founders' view that ecommerce had developed extensively in many retail categories but had not adequately reached the market for new automobiles. The car-buying process was often fragmented: consumers could search inventory and read vehicle information online, but many automotive websites still functioned primarily as digital catalogs or online magazines, requiring shoppers to complete the transaction at a physical dealership. Modal sought to address that gap by providing software that dealers could implement on their own websites. The company's early development focused on the intersection of dealership operations and consumer ecommerce. Rather than acting solely as a third-party vehicle marketplace, Modal's model centered on giving dealers the technology to sell directly through their existing digital channels. This approach was intended to preserve the dealer relationship while adding ecommerce functionality to the dealership website. The platform supported online shopping for both new and used vehicles and was positioned as infrastructure for automotive retailers seeking a more convenient and digitally integrated sales process. After establishing the business, the company entered Y Combinator's seed accelerator in 2016 under its earlier name, Next Technologies. Reference material describes rapid early commercial growth, including an increase to approximately $1 million in annual recurring revenue within ten months of the official launch. In the same year, the company presented at the AutoVentures Conference, where it competed for the conference's main award and promoted its software as a possible future model for automotive retail. Drive Motors was selected as the winner. Modal obtained its first reported enterprise customer in 2016 when Asbury Automotive Group agreed to test the software at a limited number of dealerships. Asbury later announced an expansion to additional dealerships. The company subsequently reported or was associated with customers and dealership groups including Honda, Nissan, Porsche, Lithia Motors, and Group 1 Automotive. These relationships indicate that Modal's target market included large dealer groups and branded automotive retail networks rather than only small independent dealers. In June 2019, the company changed its name to Modal Commerce. The rebrand emphasized the broader commercial and ecommerce purpose of the platform while retaining its focus on automotive retail. Public reference material does not establish whether the company remains active, was acquired, or ceased operations, and no current executive leadership, ownership, financial reporting, or post-2019 operating information is available in the supplied sources.

Modal Commerce originated in 2015 as a software venture formed out of Khosla Ventures. The business was initially known as Next Technology Inc. or Next Technologies. Its founding premise was that automotive retail had lagged behind other sectors in adopting ecommerce. Although consumers could commonly research vehicles, browse dealer inventory, and compare models online, the actual purchase process generally required an in-person dealership visit. The company aimed to provide dealers with software that would allow more of the sales journey to take place online. The idea was informed by the difficulty of buying a car through conventional processes. After spending months looking for a vehicle, the company's founder concluded that automotive ecommerce was substantially less developed than ecommerce in other consumer categories. The company also identified a structural limitation in existing large automotive websites: many served primarily as research and advertising destinations, with the final transaction still occurring offline. Modal's proposed alternative was to equip dealers with transactional functionality on their own websites rather than requiring them to rely exclusively on an external marketplace. In 2016, while still operating under its earlier name, Next Technologies joined Y Combinator's seed accelerator. Reference material describes strong early revenue growth, reporting that the company reached about $1 million in annual recurring revenue within ten months of its official launch. That same year, Modal appeared at the AutoVentures Conference and presented its product as an example of how software could change automotive retail. It was listed among the contestants for the conference's principal award, although Drive Motors ultimately won. Customer adoption also began in 2016. Asbury Automotive Group became the first reported enterprise customer, initially testing the software at a handful of dealerships. Asbury later expanded the deployment to additional locations. The customer base subsequently included major automotive brands and dealership groups such as Honda, Nissan, Porsche, Lithia Motors, and Group 1 Automotive. These relationships reflected Modal's emphasis on enterprise automotive retail and its attempt to make online purchasing available within established dealer networks. The platform's operating model was comparatively direct: dealerships implemented the software on their websites, enabling consumers to shop for new and used vehicles and conduct more of the purchasing process online. This positioned Modal between enterprise software and automotive retail infrastructure. It was not described primarily as a consumer-facing marketplace; instead, it supplied the digital commerce layer that dealers could use to manage a direct online sales experience. In June 2019, Next Technologies changed its name to Modal Commerce. The new name highlighted the company's commerce orientation and its role in helping dealers convert website traffic into online sales activity. The available reference material does not document a later acquisition, a definitive shutdown, continuing operations, current leadership, or ownership changes. Accordingly, the company's present status remains uncertain.

1. 2019Rebranded as Modal Commerce

   In June, the company adopted the Modal Commerce name.

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2. 2016Joined Y Combinator

   Operating as Next Technologies, the company entered Y Combinator's seed accelerator.

   Source
3. 2016Won its first reported enterprise customer

   Asbury Automotive Group began testing the company's software at several dealerships and later expanded the deployment.

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4. 2016Presented at AutoVentures Conference

   The company pitched its automotive ecommerce software in the conference's main award competition; Drive Motors won the award.

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5. 2015Company founded out of Khosla Ventures

   The business that became Modal Commerce was founded to develop ecommerce software for automotive dealerships.

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A business-to-business automotive ecommerce platform intended to help dealerships sell new and used vehicles directly through their own websites, bridging online vehicle discovery and dealership transaction workflows.

• Dealership online sales platformAutomotive ecommerce software

  Modal's core offering was software that dealerships could deploy on their own websites to support online sales of new and used vehicles. The product was intended to extend a dealer's website beyond inventory listings and research content by enabling shoppers to proceed further into the purchasing process digitally. Its business-to-business model served dealer groups and automotive brands that wanted to add ecommerce capabilities without abandoning their existing dealership relationships.

• 2019Corporate rebrand to Modal CommerceStrategy

  The company had operated under the names Next Technology Inc. and Next Technologies while developing software for online automotive retail.

  What changed. In June 2019, it changed its name to Modal Commerce.

  Aftermath. The rebrand presented the company more explicitly as a commerce technology provider. The supplied sources do not establish subsequent operating results or the company's current status.

  Source
• 2016Expanded from initial dealership testing toward enterprise adoptionStrategy

  Asbury Automotive Group initially tested the software at a limited number of dealerships.

  What changed. Following the initial test, Asbury extended the software to more dealerships, while Modal added additional automotive brands and dealer groups to its customer base.

  Aftermath. The expansion reinforced Modal's focus on enterprise automotive retailers and multi-location dealership networks.

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• 2019Next Technologies rebranded as Modal Commerce

  In June 2019, the company changed its name to Modal Commerce, aligning its corporate identity with its focus on ecommerce software for automotive dealerships.

  Other
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• 2016Next Technologies entered Y Combinator's seed accelerator

  The company, then operating as Next Technologies, participated in Y Combinator's seed accelerator as it developed software for online automotive sales.

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• 2016Modal presented at the AutoVentures Conference

  The company competed for the AutoVentures Conference's main award and presented its dealership ecommerce product as a technology for the future of automotive retail. Drive Motors was announced as the winner.

  Other
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• 2016Asbury Automotive Group expanded its Modal software test

  After initially testing the platform at several dealerships, Asbury Automotive Group announced that it would extend the software to more of its dealerships.

  Product launch
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1. Modal (company)
2. Modal Commerce official website