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- LiveAuctioneers
LiveAuctioneers Acquisition, Valuation, Funding & Investors
LiveAuctioneers was acquired by Auction Technology Group for $525M in June 2021.
Cumulative funding LiveAuctioneers raised
$48M
across 1 funding round
Key investors in LiveAuctioneers
Bessemer Venture Partners
About LiveAuctioneers
LiveAuctioneers is a New York City-based online marketplace for fine art, antiques, and decorative and luxury goods, connecting bidders with auction houses around the world for live and timed online auctions. Thousands of auctioneers use the platform to reach buyers, and it also offers a payments solution to simplify transactions between auction houses and bidders. Auction Technology Group acquired the company in 2021, pairing its North American auction network with ATG's European art and antiques platforms.
Founded
2009
HQ
Website
Status
Acquired
Customer focus
B2C
Revenue model
Commission
Valuation
$525M (acquired Jun 2021)
LiveAuctioneers Acquisition
LiveAuctioneers was acquired by Auction Technology Group for $525M on 25 June 2021.
Before the acquisition LiveAuctioneers had raised $48M across 1 funding round.
LiveAuctioneers, a New York-based online marketplace for fine and decorative arts, antiques, and luxury goods, was acquired by Auction Technology Group plc (ATG), operator of global auction marketplaces, from Cove Hill Partners. The deal, announced around June 2021 and completed on October 1, 2021, after regulatory approvals, enabled thousands of North American auction houses on LiveAuctioneers to access ATG's European art and antiques platforms like thesaleroom.com and Lot-tissimo, while ATG clients could reach LiveAuctioneers' North American bidders. LiveAuctioneers, led by CEO Phil Michaelson and headquartered in New York City, continued operations post-acquisition. Strategically, the acquisition expanded ATG into the fast-growing North American art and antiques market, adding an estimated 1,600 auctioneers, 120,000 bidders, 27,000 auctions per year, and 1.3 million lots sold annually to its network. Under Cove Hill ownership, LiveAuctioneers achieved significant growth, recording over 56 million bidder sessions in 2020 and more than one million items won annually by North American bidders. The integration also planned to roll out LiveAuctioneers' payments solution across ATG's global business to simplify transactions for auctioneers and buyers, supporting the auction industry's shift to online and the circular economy.
| Acquirer | Date | Type | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Jun 2021 | Strategic M&A | $525M |
LiveAuctioneers Funding History
LiveAuctioneers has raised a total of $48M across 1 funding round.
LiveAuctioneers funding rounds
| Date | Stage | Investors | Raised | Deal Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2014 | Undisclosed stage | Bessemer Venture Partners (lead) | $48M | LiveAuctioneers is a New York City-based online platform specializing in live auctions of collectibles, antiques, and fine art. The company operates as a vertical marketplace connecting sellers and buyers in the auction category. In November 2014, LiveAuctioneers announced a $47.6 million funding round led by Bessemer Venture Partners, with Bessemer partner Brian Feinstein joining the company's board of directors. The company was later acquired by Auction Technology Group on October 1, 2021, marking its exit from venture-backed operations. |
Who has invested in LiveAuctioneers?
1 investor has backed LiveAuctioneers across its funding rounds, including Bessemer Venture Partners.
Lead investors include Bessemer Venture Partners.
LiveAuctioneers Investors
| Investor | HQ | Rounds | Role | First check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
This data is available for Pro users. Sign up to see all 1 LiveAuctioneers investors. Start Free Trial | ||||
Benchmark 350K+ Funding Rounds and Disclosed VC Valuation Multiples
Sign up to see data on 350K+ funding rounds and disclosed revenue and EBITDA valuation multiples, from seed, through growth stage, to pre-IPO.
Start Free TrialLiveAuctioneers Competitors
LiveAuctioneers competitors include listed companies like Baltic Classifieds Group and Wirtualna Polska, and private ones like 5miles, Tiebaobei, Quikr and Zhuanzhuan.
| Company | HQ | Status | Revenue | EBITDA | Valuation | Revenue Multiple |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private | - | - | $330M | - | ||
| Private | - | - | $309M | - | ||
| Private | $10M | - | $900M | - | ||
| Private | - | - | $1B | - | ||
| Publicly listed | $102M | $79M | $1.1B | 10.9x | ||
| Publicly listed | $585M | $102M | $472M | 1.3x |
LiveAuctioneers Public Comps
LiveAuctioneers is no longer listed, but its public comps include eDreams ODIGEO, Wirtualna Polska, Nerdwallet, Hypoport, trivago, Maoyan Entertainment, Just Dial Ltd, Gloo, ZKH Group and Cars.com.
| Last FY | EV/Revenue | EV/EBITDA | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | EBITDA | Last FY | LTM | 2027E | Last FY | LTM | 2027E | |
| $770M | $161M | 1.1x | 1.1x | 5.4x | 5.3x | |||
| $585M | $102M | 1.4x | 1.3x | 8.1x | 5.6x | |||
| $837M | $112M | 0.6x | 0.6x | 4.7x | 3.6x | |||
| $694M | $78M | 0.8x | 0.8x | 6.9x | 6.8x | |||
| $632M | $13M | 0.5x | 0.5x | 24.3x | 10.9x | |||
| $691M | $124M | 0.1x | 0.1x | 0.7x | 1.0x | |||
| $127M | $66M | - | - | - | - | |||
| $95M | ($136M) | 5.0x | 3.0x | (3.5x) | (11.4x) | |||
This data is available for Pro users. Sign up to see all LiveAuctioneers competitors and their valuation data. Start Free Trial | ||||||||
Common questions about LiveAuctioneers
| When was LiveAuctioneers founded? | LiveAuctioneers was founded in 2009. |
| Where is LiveAuctioneers headquartered? | LiveAuctioneers is headquartered in United States. |
| Is LiveAuctioneers publicly listed? | No, LiveAuctioneers was acquired by Auction Technology Group in June 2021. |
| Who acquired LiveAuctioneers? | LiveAuctioneers was acquired by Auction Technology Group in June 2021. |
| How much was LiveAuctioneers acquired for? | LiveAuctioneers was acquired for $525M in June 2021. |
| How much funding has LiveAuctioneers raised? | LiveAuctioneers has raised $48M across 1 funding round. |
| What was LiveAuctioneers' last funding round? | LiveAuctioneers' last funding round was a $48M undisclosed-stage round in November 2014, led by Bessemer Venture Partners. |
| Who are LiveAuctioneers' investors? | LiveAuctioneers' investors include Bessemer Venture Partners. |
| Which companies are comparable to LiveAuctioneers? | Companies comparable to LiveAuctioneers include 5miles, Tiebaobei, Quikr, Zhuanzhuan, Baltic Classifieds Group and Wirtualna Polska. |
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