Luxe (company)
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive services, Mobile app |
| Founded | 2013 |
| Founder | Curtis Lee, Craig Martin |
| Fate | Acquired by Volvo Cars |
| Headquarters | San Francisco , United States |
Area served | United States |
| Products | On-demand parking and automotive services via mobile app (Luxe) |
| Parent | Volvo Cars |
5ecret 5tar Inc, operating under the brand name Luxe, created and managed the Luxe mobile app, a platform offering on-demand parking and automotive services. Users could summon valets to handle parking, refueling, washing, charging, maintenance, or even driving their vehicles home. In September 2017, Volvo Cars acquired Luxe.
Overview
Established in 2013 by former Zynga colleagues Curtis Lee and Craig Martin, Luxe originally launched as Luxe Valet. The application debuted in October 2013, with its main office located in San Francisco, California.
Following two rounds of financing within its first year, Luxe broadened its presence to six American cities: San Francisco, Seattle, New York City, Austin, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Collaborating with parking facility operators, the company had expanded further across the United States by April 2016. Additionally, Luxe obtained exclusive rights for its users to access Tesla charging stations through a strategic alliance with Tesla Motors.
The New York Times compared Luxe’s offerings to services like Uber, Lyft, and Amazon Prime due to its convenience and transformative effect on urban transportation.
In April 2017, Luxe declared it would discontinue valet operations in all remaining markets. Subsequently, five months later, Volvo acquired the company to bolster its portfolio of digital services.
Funding
Luxe raised $5.5 million in seed capital in October 2014, followed by a $20 million Series A investment in February 2015. In April 2016, it secured $50 million in funding led by The Hertz Corporation.
Media coverage
Prominent media outlets such as Techcrunch, Bloomberg, Business Insider, and Washington Post have covered Luxe, emphasizing its pioneering contributions to valet parking and urban mobility innovations.