Visor (Techstars 2024) is a car search platform designed to bring radical transparency to the automotive marketplace. By prioritizing the buyer's journey and market insights over dealer advertising, Visor provides independent insights into pricing, sales history, and vehicle specifications across the United States and Canada.

Emilie Vallauri, Global Program Manager at Techstars, sat down with Craig Smith, CEO and co-founder, to discuss how a deep passion for cars and a background in corporate systems led to a tool that is leveling the playing field for car buyers and dealers alike.

Emilie Vallauri: Could you start by introducing yourself and sharing how you ended up as an entrepreneur?

Craig Smith: I’m Craig Smith, a co-founder of Visor, based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Before this, I spent most of my career deploying large corporate ERP systems like HR and finance platforms. My brother, Cole Smith, and I started this company together. He is based in Columbus, Ohio, and previously worked in vehicle telematics and insurance.

Emilie: How did the idea for Visor specifically start? I understand there was a pivot from a previous project.

Craig: Cole and I originally worked on an "ownership companion" app to help people track warranties, recalls, and values for things they owned (electronics, vehicles and appliances). While going through Techstars Columbus, our users started asking if we could build a car search site because they found existing options inefficient and frustrating.

I have loved cars for as long as I can remember. Spending thousands of hours over the years searching for the cars I hope to own one day. After using all the existing sites multiple times per week for over a decade, I often asked myself why the experience felt so disjointed. After the Techstars program ended, we reflected on all the feedback we had received throughout the program and from the users of the ownership companion app. It was then that Cole dared us to build a car search site to do all the things that I had wanted the other sites to do over the years. From there, we shifted our entire focus to building what would become Visor.

Emilie: In simple terms, what does Visor do and, most importantly, how does it differ from the incumbents?

Craig: Visor is a car search site that provides a transparent, independent view of the market. Most other sites are owned by large companies that are focused on helping dealers sell cars; we help you find and buy one. Other sites prioritize selling ads, sponsored listings and user data. We disagree with that model. 

This was hugely visible at the NADA (i.e. National Automobile Dealers Association) conference, where all of our competitors were putting huge emphasis on using buyer data to boost car dealership profitability over securing a fair deal for the car buyer. They used this messaging on their booths and in talks; it truly reflects the opposite of our philosophy.

We scrape vehicle listings directly from dealer sites rather than connecting to dealer management systems. This is critical because it prevents dealers from artificially promoting listings or manipulating prices across different platforms. We want to "cite our homework" so you can always see the connection back to the source.

Emilie: And how are you generating revenue with this model?

Craig: Currently, we offer a premium subscription called Visor Plus. It unlocks bespoke features like filtering by specific installed options — like premium sound systems or towing packages — which are often impossible to search for accurately elsewhere. It also allows users to see "sold" data to understand what cars are actually transacting for, rather than just the asking price.

Emilie: What sets you apart from competitors beyond the business model?

Craig: It’s the "same pane of glass" philosophy. Most automotive systems are either built for dealers or built for consumers, which creates an unequal footing during a transaction. My proudest moments are hearing stories from buyers and dealers using Visor together to reach a fair, equitable agreement.

Emilie: You’ve hit some significant milestones recently. What does the current momentum look like?

Craig: Last year, we added another full-time member to the team beyond just me and Cole, and they have been a great addition.  

While our primary users are car buyers, we’ve been surprised by the mix of people who use the site. We have seen car dealerships buy independent licenses for their teams, replacing expensive legacy systems, insurance companies to help customers through claims, car shopping concierges and brokers in finding cars for their clients,  rental fleets tracking depreciation, and even private equity firms to track the automotive market.

Emilie: What are the next steps for 2026?

Craig: We are focused on "tech unlocks" that improve data quality and create new lenses for looking at the market and solving the global problem of vehicle spec data — there’s no federalized system that says exactly what a VIN represents in terms of every specific option. Solving that technical hurdle locally is the prerequisite for expansion.

Emilie: We all know that being a founder is not easy… What motivates you to keep going on the hard days?

Craig: I feel like one of the luckiest humans on earth to work on something I care about so deeply every day, alongside a great group of people. I say “group” because despite being a very small team internally, we have had extraordinary support from across the automotive universe. Car buyers, dealers and individuals at large rental car companies, insurance companies, financial institutions, and manufacturers who use Visor to get greater insight into the market and cheer us on to keep going.  Also, hearing from users who saved thousands of dollars because they were able to walk into a dealership with the facts instead of a "guess" is incredibly rewarding.

Emilie: What advice would you give to aspiring founders?

Craig: Before you build, write out exactly what is wrong with the existing options. Let those frustrations become your requirements. Don't just design "pretty pictures" or follow established design languages; focus on the job to be done. If a system is missing a button that people need, just add the button.

Emilie: You went through the Techstars Columbus powered by Ohio State University accelerator program in spring 2024. Why did you decide to join Techstars, and what did it bring to Visor?

Craig: It was really about the Managing Director, Tim Grace. We met him at a startup event in Columbus, and his energy and warmth led us to apply. I cannot say enough great things about Tim, he is an incredible human being and experienced councilor. He is who you want on your shoulder when you are building. After spending my prior career at a small handful of medium and large corporations, I thought I had a good idea of who I was and what I was capable of. However, Techstars unlocked a part of my mind I didn't know was there. It provided an environment where we could build what we care about alongside people who really push you to realize a bigger vision. I will be forever grateful to Tim Grace, Gaby Rudd, Dani Rose, Mary Tan, and the Columbus startup community, who truly embodied the #GiveFirst mentality. I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to chase the future of the car market.

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