Driven Communications, Malaysian provider of automotive content received funding from Carro

The Singapore-based online used car marketplace Carro announced that it was investing strategically in Driven Communications, a Malaysian provider of automotive content.

Driven Communications, according to a statement from Carro, is made up of a number of websites, including oto.my (used car classifieds), carbase.my (buyer’s guide), and paultan.org (automotive review and news vertical content).

The statement claims that paultan.org is among the first and biggest independent automotive review websites in Malaysia, attracting up to 6 million visits per month from organic traffic and consistently ranking as the most popular automotive website in the country.

With a focus on unbiased reviews and editorials, it claimed that paultan.org has developed into a household name with a sizable, devoted following.

Paul Tan and Harvinder Singh, the co-CEOs of Driven Communications, will continue to lead the company as part of the investment.

The employees will all still have jobs, and the board of directors won’t change.

Additionally, Driven Communications will keep full editorial control over its course and decisions.

Within two months, the investment is anticipated to be finished.

“We welcome Carro’s strategic investment and our shared vision of a better, digitalized, transparent automotive used car ecosystem,” said Paul Tan, Founder and co-CEO of Driven Communications.

He claimed that Driven Communications, like many companies, experienced financial setbacks during COVID-19.

“We are thankful for Carro’s future support that will protect our sites that loyal fans have come to love, save jobs and ensure continued independent reviews,” he added.

Driven Communications co-CEO Harvinder Singh expressed his company’s delight at learning that Carro respects its editorial independence, its work with clients, and encourages them to make arm’s-length commercial charges to the Carro group of companies.

“With this investment, we are looking forward to achieving profitability and growth beyond Malaysia,” he added.

Co-Founder and CEO of Carro, Aaron Tan, stated that Driven Communications has been a client for almost two years.

“They helped us launch our first myTukar Autofair in Malaysia and their digital online reach was incredible. Feedback from other automotive participants has been amazing; original equipment manufacturer (OEMS) and end-customers alike rely on them,

“It would be a shame that it does not have the right resources and tools to scale higher,” he added.

This investment is a strategic step that encourages independence and openness.

Numerous dealers and platforms have been blocked as a result of recent acquisitions of automotive classifieds and websites by competitors in the industry. Carro wants to change this as it stifles wholesome competition and customer access throughout the area.