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Kukui secures $27 million in Series-A funding
Kukui Corporation, providers of digital marketing solutions for repair shops, has secured $27 million in funding from a Memphis-based investment firm.
SSM Partners will provide Kukui Corporation with Series-A funding to accelerate continued platform innovation, rapid market expansion, expanded customer services, and support accelerated growth in the automotive aftermarket industry.
Kukui’s All-in-One Success Platform provides shops with quantitative data, including return on investment, number of new clients, customer retention rate, phone-call analytics, appointment forms, and customer review management.
As part of the strategic growth investment, Jim Tallman, executive chairman of innovative interfaces, and a former CEO with multiple companies, will be joining Kukui as executive chairman to support the management team as an advisor.
“I am very pleased to be able to support this very talented management team, given the clear market leadership and innovative culture that they have developed since the inception of the company,” Tallman said.
Since Kukui’s launch in 2011, over 2,000 auto repair businesses worldwide have trusted the company to manage their marketing, websites, and customer retention needs. According to Kukui, its platform provides deep analytics about the health and success of client businesses, enabling shop owners to be successful both personally and professionally, and to build trust with their customers.
“We are very excited to complete this transaction with the team at SSM Partners,” said Kukui CEO Todd Westerlund. “The past year Kukui has seen record-breaking growth month after month. This investment signals the launch of our next phase of transformational growth.”
He said SSM is a great match for Kukui, in both company style and culture.
“Kukui was built by listening to and solving customer needs, and that formula has fueled remarkable customer satisfaction and growth,” said Hunter Witherington, partner at SSM Partners. “We are excited to partner with management to help support the expansion of their market-leading platform.”
SSM has invested in rapidly-growing companies within the software, services, and healthcare industries. The growth equity firm, which invests nationally and is based in Memphis, Tenn. has partnered with talented entrepreneurs for more than 20 years.
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