Serial entrepreneur Joel Milne, best known for founding and exiting RepairSmith to AutoNation, is back with a bold new venture aiming to fix a deeply entrenched issue in the auto retail world: disconnected software systems.
Milne’s latest startup, AutoUnify, is tackling the fragmented digital infrastructure that plagues dealerships, repair shops, and auto manufacturers. With most dealerships juggling 40 or more disparate software platforms—from CRMs and DMSs to inventory, service, and payments—communication and integration remain painfully complex and expensive.
A Common Language for Automotive Systems
Milne describes the problem simply: “Working with shops and dealerships felt like trying to connect to 1,000 different languages. Everything had to be built from scratch.”
AutoUnify’s solution is a real-time API platform that acts as a connective layer, allowing auto retailers and service providers to communicate seamlessly with OEMs and third-party software vendors. Think of it as a “Plaid for the auto industry,” referring to the fintech company that unified access to bank data for consumer finance apps.
The startup has been quietly piloting with early customers since 2024. Now, with its platform stabilized, AutoUnify is officially opening up sales to the broader market.
Born from the Porsche–UP.Labs Partnership
AutoUnify isn’t just a solo founder story. It’s the fourth startup to emerge from a strategic partnership between venture lab UP.Labs and Porsche, a collaboration aimed at building startups to address automotive industry bottlenecks.
Unlike typical accelerators or incubators, UP.Labs takes a more hands-on, problem-first approach. It partners with large corporations to identify key operational challenges, then co-founds and incubates startups purpose-built to solve them — not just for the partner, but for the entire industry.
Past startups launched through UP.Labs and Porsche include:
Pull Systems – a SaaS platform focused on performance management in the EV supply chain.
Sensigo – an AI tool for rapidly diagnosing issues in software-defined vehicles.
Now, with AutoUnify, UP.Labs is tackling what its CEO John Kuolt calls one of the most mission-critical and technically demanding challenges in the sector.
“This is exactly the kind of company we’re built to create: one that doesn’t just solve a tech hurdle, but transforms how the entire industry operates,” said Kuolt.
Funding, Growth, and Next Steps
AutoUnify is headquartered in Santa Monica, California, and currently has a team of nine. With $5 million in seed funding led by UP.Partners, the company plans to more than double its team by the end of 2025.
The funding will be used primarily to build out the core technology, expand its API integrations across different dealership software ecosystems, and scale its sales pipeline.
“The goal now is clear,” said Milne. “Get the tech in the hands of more partners, and show the industry there’s a better, faster way to connect.”
A Quiet Revolution in Auto Retail
AutoUnify enters the market at a time when digital transformation in automotive retail is accelerating—but still disjointed. By offering a standardized way for systems to connect and interact, the startup could unlock new levels of efficiency, transparency, and data flow across the industry.
And with backing from Porsche, UP.Labs, and now UP.Partners, AutoUnify has the financial support, technical expertise, and industry credibility to take on a problem many assumed was just a permanent pain point.
