Nigeria's Carbin Africa Redefining Car Dealership through Data-driven Technology

In the heart of Lagos’s bustling car trade, Carbin Africa is redefining how dealerships buy and sell vehicles through data-driven technology. Co-founded by Femi Oriowo (CEO) and Fawaz Abdul (CBO) in 2023, the company is tackling the inefficiencies and lack of transparency that have long plagued the used-car ecosystem.

Its platform aggregates verified inventory, offers real-time data on listings, and facilitates dealer-to-dealer exchanges—all designed to make transactions faster, smarter, and more reliable across Nigeria’s automotive market.

Carbin Africa’s aims to solve what it calls the “messy middle” of the automotive trade—bridging gaps between dealers, brokers, and buyers. Since its March 2024 launch, the startup has sold over 80 cars, onboarded more than 1,000 dealers, and listed over 1,800 vehicles with updates every 30 minutes.

By providing dealers instant visibility into market trends and inventory flow, Carbin Africa is emerging as the digital backbone of Africa’s $20 billion used-car economy, where data accuracy and transaction speed are crucial.

Beyond its flagship AutoHub inventory platform, Carbin Africa offers an integrated suite that includes Dealer Mart for inventory sourcing and dealer CRM, CarFlex financing to help dealers scale and manage cash flow, and ProDesk (or Carbin Lease) leasing solutions for unsold inventory—creating a full-stack ecosystem for automotive businesses.

The startup was incubated at 54 Collective’s Gen F Venture Studio and is already building strategic ties with car finance platforms and distributors. With its focus on data-driven operations and dealer empowerment, Carbin Africa is positioning itself as a key player in Africa’s automotive digitization movement.