AutoWeb
AutoWeb is a United States automotive media and marketing-services company that generates leads and customer-acquisition opportunities for vehicle manufacturers and dealerships.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
AutoWeb is an automotive media, lead-generation, and marketing-services company headquartered in Irvine, California. Its business connects vehicle manufacturers and automotive dealerships with consumers who are researching or preparing to purchase vehicles online. The company’s services have included online lead generation, pay-per-click advertising, email marketing, telephone-based customer response, appointment-setting, and related marketing tools for dealers and manufacturers. The AutoWeb identity reflects the combination of two earlier automotive internet businesses. AutoWeb.com was founded in 1994 by brothers Payam Zamani and Frank Zamani as an early online platform intended to connect car shoppers with dealerships. A separate company, Auto-by-Tel LLC, was founded in 1995 by John Bedrosian and Peter Ellis. Auto-by-Tel initially promoted automobile purchasing by telephone and later expanded its positioning to encompass internet-based communication. It became one of the earliest internet companies to advertise during the Super Bowl, in 1997. Both predecessor businesses entered the public markets in 1999. AutoWeb.com went public on March 23 under the Nasdaq symbol ABTL, while Auto-by-Tel went public on March 26. In 2001, Auto-by-Tel changed its name to Autobytel Inc. and acquired Autoweb.com. The combined company subsequently developed a broader automotive marketing and customer-acquisition business. Its history also included financial reporting difficulties: in 2004 and 2005, Autobytel disclosed that it expected to restate several earlier periods after an audit-committee review identified accounting issues. The disclosures were followed by a shareholder class-action lawsuit alleging violations of securities laws. The company continued to evolve during the 2000s. It reduced costs during the 2008 financial crisis, including substantial workforce reductions, and considered but did not complete a sale of the business in 2009. Beginning in 2013, Autobytel acquired an interest in a Miami-based AutoWeb pay-per-click advertising startup founded by Jose Vargas, Matias de Tezanos, and Julio Gonzalez-Arrivillaga. Autobytel completed the acquisition of AutoWeb, Inc. in 2015 through an all-stock and warrant transaction. In October 2017, Autobytel Inc. adopted the AutoWeb name and changed its Nasdaq ticker from ABTL to AUTO. AutoWeb’s dealer-facing offerings have included Rapid Response, which helps connect dealers with online prospects by telephone; Email Manager, which supports longer-term email campaigns; and LeadCall, a live-call service intended to arrange dealership appointments and assess a consumer’s readiness to buy. Its broader network provides manufacturers and dealers with opportunities to promote vehicle brands and products through digital advertising and lead-distribution channels. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the company received federally backed Paycheck Protection Program financing and attracted public scrutiny concerning the appropriateness of the assistance and executive compensation. In 2022, One Planet Group, led by AutoWeb co-founder Payam Zamani, acquired the company. AutoWeb consequently returned to private ownership, with Zamani becoming president and chief executive officer. The acquisition followed public disclosures that raised questions about the company’s financial viability. AutoWeb remains positioned as a specialized business-to-business automotive marketing platform rather than a consumer vehicle manufacturer or dealership brand.
History
AutoWeb’s history began in the early period of commercial automotive internet services. In 1994, brothers Payam and Frank Zamani founded AutoWeb.com, an online automotive service intended to connect consumers with dealerships. The venture was among the early efforts to use the internet as a channel for vehicle shopping and dealer customer acquisition. AutoWeb.com became a public company on March 23, 1999, listing on Nasdaq under the symbol ABTL. A related business, Auto-by-Tel LLC, was founded in 1995 by John Bedrosian and Peter Ellis. Its original name was derived from the idea of buying automobiles by telephone, although the company later broadened the meaning to encompass telecommunication and internet-based interactions. Auto-by-Tel gained visibility by becoming the first internet company to advertise during the Super Bowl, in 1997. It also entered the public markets in March 1999. In 2001, Auto-by-Tel formally changed its name to Autobytel Inc. and acquired Autoweb.com. The transaction combined two early automotive internet businesses and gave Autobytel a larger platform for distributing consumer inquiries to dealers. During the following decade, the company operated through a mixture of online automotive information, lead-generation, advertising, and dealer-services activities. The integration period was accompanied by financial and operational challenges. In November 2004, Autobytel disclosed that it planned to restate financial results for multiple quarters and fiscal years because of accounting issues identified through an audit-committee review. In March 2005, the company indicated that the review would extend to additional earlier reporting periods. These disclosures led to a shareholder class-action lawsuit alleging that Autobytel had violated securities laws by disseminating misleading statements and overstating financial results. The company also faced the broader pressure affecting digital and automotive businesses during the 2008 financial crisis. It reduced costs, including through significant workforce reductions, and considered a sale of the business, but that process was set aside in 2009. The business later moved toward more specialized digital advertising and customer-acquisition services. In 2013, a separate Miami-based startup founded by Jose Vargas, Matias de Tezanos, and Julio Gonzalez-Arrivillaga began operating under the AutoWeb name. The startup focused on pay-per-click advertising for automotive manufacturers and dealerships. Autobytel acquired an interest in the business late in 2013 and completed a full acquisition in October 2015 through an all-stock and warrant transaction. The acquisition strengthened the company’s digital advertising capabilities and eventually supplied the corporate identity it would adopt. In October 2017, Autobytel Inc. changed its name to AutoWeb, Inc. and changed its Nasdaq ticker from ABTL to AUTO. Under the AutoWeb identity, the company continued to offer services for dealers and manufacturers, including online lead generation, pay-per-click campaigns, email marketing, live telephone response, appointment-setting, and lead-readiness scoring. Dealer products included Rapid Response, Email Manager, and LeadCall. The COVID-19 period brought additional attention to the company after it received federally backed Paycheck Protection Program financing. Public discussion focused on whether the assistance was appropriate for the recipient and on reported executive compensation. In 2022, One Planet Group LLC acquired AutoWeb. Because the buyer was led by original co-founder Payam Zamani, the transaction returned the company to ownership associated with its early history. AutoWeb became privately held, and Zamani assumed the positions of president and chief executive officer. The transaction followed public disclosures that raised concerns about the company’s financial viability. The available reference material does not establish a later change in the company’s operating status or a subsequent public listing.
- 2022
Acquisition by One Planet Group
[1]One Planet Group acquires AutoWeb, taking the company private and appointing Payam Zamani as president and CEO.
- 2017
Corporate rebrand to AutoWeb
[1]Autobytel Inc. changes its name to AutoWeb, Inc. and adopts the Nasdaq symbol AUTO.
- 2015
Full AutoWeb acquisition
[1]Autobytel completes its acquisition of AutoWeb, Inc. through an all-stock and warrant transaction.
- 2013
Investment in a new AutoWeb advertising company
[1]Autobytel acquires an interest in a Miami startup focused on pay-per-click automotive advertising.
- 2005
Further restatements and litigation
[1]The company extends its expected restatements to additional periods, and shareholders file a class-action lawsuit.
- 2004
Financial restatement announced
[1]Autobytel announces planned restatements covering multiple earlier reporting periods after an accounting review.
- 2001
Autobytel acquires Autoweb.com
[1]Auto-by-Tel changes its name to Autobytel Inc. and acquires Autoweb.com.
- 1999
Predecessor companies enter public markets
[1]AutoWeb.com lists on Nasdaq on March 23, while Auto-by-Tel lists on March 26.
- 1997
First internet company Super Bowl advertisement
[1]Auto-by-Tel becomes the first internet company to advertise during the Super Bowl.
- 1995
Auto-by-Tel is founded
[1]John Bedrosian and Peter Ellis establish Auto-by-Tel LLC, a separate automotive telephone and internet commerce business.
Products and positioning
A business-to-business automotive marketing and customer-acquisition platform serving manufacturers and dealerships through digital advertising, lead generation, email engagement, and live-call services.
Dealer lead-response service
Rapid Response
Rapid Response is a dealer-oriented service designed to connect automotive dealerships with online prospects through telephone contact. It belongs to AutoWeb’s broader lead-management offering, converting digital inquiries into more immediate conversations between shoppers and dealership representatives.
Automotive email marketing
Email Manager
Email Manager supports longer-term email campaigns conducted on behalf of automotive dealerships. The service is intended to help dealers maintain contact with prospective customers beyond the initial inquiry and to use email as part of an ongoing vehicle-marketing and customer-acquisition process.
Live-call and appointment-setting service
LeadCall
LeadCall is a live-call program for automotive dealers. Its functions include helping arrange dealership appointments and assessing a consumer’s readiness to purchase. It combines human telephone interaction with lead qualification, giving dealerships a way to prioritize and act on digital inquiries.
Digital advertising · 2013
Pay-per-click automotive advertising
AutoWeb’s advertising network provides pay-per-click marketing opportunities for vehicle manufacturers and dealerships. The offering is part of the company’s business-to-business media platform and is designed to place automotive brands and products in front of consumers while generating measurable customer-acquisition activity.
Automotive marketing platform · 1994
Automotive lead-generation network
The lead-generation network connects online vehicle shoppers with participating manufacturers and dealerships. It is the central commercial function around which AutoWeb’s digital advertising, email, telephone response, appointment-setting, and lead-scoring services are organized.
Controversies
2020
Paycheck Protection Program scrutiny
AutoWeb received federally backed Paycheck Protection Program financing during the COVID-19 pandemic. The assistance drew scrutiny because of questions concerning the use of the program and reported executive compensation.
2005
Accounting restatements and shareholder lawsuit
After an audit-committee review identified accounting problems, Autobytel announced restatements affecting several earlier periods. A shareholder class-action lawsuit alleged that the company had violated securities laws by issuing false statements and inflating financial results.
Marketing campaigns
- 1997Auto-by-Tel Super Bowl advertising
United States
Auto-by-Tel ran a Super Bowl advertisement and became the first internet company to advertise during the event. The campaign helped establish automotive internet commerce as a mass-market proposition.
Outcome. The campaign gave the predecessor company substantial visibility and became a notable milestone in early internet advertising.
Brand decisions
2022
Return to private ownershipM&ABackground
One Planet Group acquired AutoWeb after public disclosures raised concerns about the company’s ongoing financial viability.
Action taken
One Planet Group acquired the company, took it private, and appointed co-founder Payam Zamani as president and CEO.
Aftermath
AutoWeb ceased to operate as a publicly traded company and returned to ownership associated with its founding history.
2017
Adopt the AutoWeb corporate identityStrategyBackground
After integrating the acquired advertising business, the company aligned its corporate name with the AutoWeb brand.
Action taken
Autobytel Inc. changed its name to AutoWeb, Inc. and changed its ticker from ABTL to AUTO.
Aftermath
The company presented itself more directly as a digital automotive advertising and customer-acquisition business.
2015
Complete the AutoWeb acquisitionM&ABackground
The earlier investment established a relationship with the AutoWeb advertising business and its pay-per-click technology.
Action taken
Autobytel completed the acquisition of AutoWeb, Inc. in an all-stock and warrant transaction.
Aftermath
AutoWeb’s advertising capabilities became part of Autobytel’s broader automotive marketing platform.
2013
Invest in AutoWeb pay-per-click startupM&ABackground
Autobytel sought to expand beyond traditional automotive lead distribution into digital advertising for manufacturers and dealers.
Action taken
Autobytel acquired a stake in a Miami-based AutoWeb advertising startup.
Aftermath
The investment was followed by a full acquisition in 2015 and provided the basis for the later AutoWeb corporate identity.
2001
Acquire Autoweb.com and rename Auto-by-TelM&ABackground
Auto-by-Tel sought to consolidate its position in online automotive commerce and customer acquisition.
Action taken
The company changed its name to Autobytel Inc. and acquired Autoweb.com.
Aftermath
The combined business became the principal corporate predecessor of the later AutoWeb company.
Recent events
- 2022
One Planet Group acquires AutoWeb and takes it private[1]
M&A · Leadership change
One Planet Group, led by co-founder Payam Zamani, acquired AutoWeb. The transaction returned the company to private ownership and placed Zamani in the president and CEO roles.
- 2017
Autobytel adopts the AutoWeb name[1]
Other
Autobytel Inc. changed its corporate name to AutoWeb, Inc. and changed its Nasdaq trading symbol from ABTL to AUTO.
- 2015
Autobytel completes acquisition of AutoWeb[1]
M&A
Autobytel completed the acquisition of AutoWeb, Inc. in an all-stock and warrant transaction, bringing the advertising network fully into the company.
- 2013
Autobytel acquires an interest in AutoWeb advertising network[1]
M&A
Autobytel acquired a minority interest in a newly established AutoWeb pay-per-click advertising business serving automotive manufacturers and dealers.
- 2004
AutoWeb predecessor discloses accounting restatements[1]
Other
Autobytel announced that it would restate several quarterly and annual financial periods after an audit-committee review identified accounting problems.
Sources1 sources
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