Sheryl Sandberg leads $10 million investment in AI vehicle inspection startup Self Inspection
The funding round, backed by Stellantis’ financial services arm and several early-stage funds, aims to expand the platform’s reach into Europe.
Sheryl Sandberg has led a $10 million investment into Self Inspection, a San Diego-based startup founded in 2021 that uses artificial intelligence to assess vehicle damage. The funding round was supported by Sandberg Bernthal Venture Partners, DVx Ventures, U.S. AutoForce, Westlake Financial, and several early-stage funds. Self Inspection reports having completed over one million inspections and aims to use the new capital to expand into Europe.
The company utilises artificial intelligence and smartphone cameras to assess vehicle damage for enterprise customers, including rental fleets, automotive finance companies, auctions, and marketplaces. Stellantis’ financial services arm is among the users, employing the platform for corporate-owned vehicles and lease-end inspections. The startup’s software guides users through the inspection process via a link sent to anyone with a smartphone, leveraging the ubiquity of good smartphone cameras.
Photos are compared against a dataset of damaged vehicles to detect the presence and severity of damage. The software generates a detailed PDF report including labour requirements, repair costs, and parts needed. The platform can also pull data from an OBD2 computer for additional information. CEO Constantine Yaremtso stated the company aims to build a "system of record" for the automotive industry.
Self Inspection reports having completed over one million inspections and claims to have helped customers reduce costs by over $80 million and save more than 300,000 operational hours. The company emphasises simplicity compared to infrastructure-heavy competitors, contrasting its smartphone-based approach with firms like UVeye. Other startups in the sector include Toma and Flai, which use voice agents for dealership communication, and BidBus, which facilitates competitive bidding for privately-owned cars.
The automotive industry involves billions of dollars in decisions annually, yet vehicle condition data remains fragmented. Sandberg Bernthal Venture Partners led the investment, with strategic support from tire distributor U.S. AutoForce and automotive lender Westlake Financial. Early-stage participants included Costanoa Ventures, Rebellion Ventures, and BrightCap Ventures. Self Inspection plans to use the new funding to build more products, reach more enterprise customers, and expand into Europe.
