For more information on this subject, tune into GarageCast Episode 301
An Opportunity Awaits in Reinventing this Market
Powersports, including motorcycles, ATVs, side-by-sides, boats, and RVs, remain an exception in today's digital retailing environment, with most transactions still conducted offline. While automotive retailers have made strides toward digital retailing platforms, powersports remains mired in legacy systems, patchwork processes, and state regulations that force consumers to visit dealerships in person for transactions.
Ekho, founded by Stanford classmates Rowan Mockler and Chris Howard, hopes its technology can bridge decades of disorganization to bring the thrill of purchasing powersports vehicles online into the modern era.
The Founders: From Silicon Valley to Powersports
Mockler and Howard met while attending Stanford, where their student projects hinted at an entrepreneurial spark. Following graduation, the two parted ways and gained real-world experience at some of the world's leading technology firms, including Google and eBay.
Chris Howard developed his expertise as an artificial intelligence (AI) engineer at Meta, where he learned the intricacies of how artificial intelligence can personalize experiences and scale complex systems.
Rowan Mockler developed his product instincts during his time as the Duolingo product manager, honing user-centric design practices and relentless iteration into an art.
What they brought with them wasn't just technical expertise, but a philosophy: the best companies thrive in an environment of experimentation, humility, and product excellence - something that would later define Ekho's DNA.
Spotting the Gap: Navigating an Erratic Buying Journey
Ask anyone who has recently purchased a motorcycle or boat about its inefficiencies, and you'll hear about its inefficiency. Financing, F&I products, titling, and insurance registration - each step operates on its own platform. Dealer Management Systems (DMS), Loan Origination Systems (LOS), and insurance portals rarely communicate. Additionally, regulations vary from state to state, creating thousands of individual purchase workflows.
Mockler and Howard saw an opportunity in this situation. For dealers, this meant hours of staff time being wasted with unhappy customers. For buyers, friction at every step led to frustration—an ideal situation for Mockler and Howard.
Mockler notes, "Automotive has made great strides in digital retail, while powersports was still mired in its past. We saw an opportunity to unify this journey."
Ekho's Big Idea: An Alternative Route One System for Powersports.
Ekho's platform serves as an operating layer to unify all aspects of the sales journey - financing, insurance, compliance, and documentation- under one digital roof. Leveraging AI and standard APIs, its AI-powered solution combines what was once an array of disconnected portals into an easy, consumer-oriented workflow experience.
Think of it as "RouteOne for Powersports", an e-commerce enablement engine that modernizes the purchasing, financing, and delivery of vehicles.
Bet on an OEM-First Strategy
Many startups in this space have attempted to win dealerships piecemeal; Ekho, however, decided to go directly to OEMs.
Ekho's integration of dealer inventory into manufacturer websites enhances visibility and access. Visitors browsing OEM sites can view local availability, configure financing terms, and place an order — even if the vehicle itself isn't physically in stock. Transactions are routed through local dealers who fulfill sales while keeping most of their profit after paying a small technology fee.
An effective digital dealership strategy empowers dealers rather than displaces them. OEMs gain consistency across their network while customers enjoy an effortless purchasing experience akin to any other ecommerce purchase online--it is straightforward, transparent, and fast.
Designing for Dealers and Customers Alike
Ekho's mission is to solve problems for two stakeholders.
Dealers: Increase sales faster with reduced bottlenecks and acquire incremental customers who may otherwise never enter a showroom. Our platform simplifies back-office complexity while increasing throughput.
Consumers Appreciate the flexibility to shop, finance, and finalize purchases from home, while still having the option to visit the dealership for pickup and personalized service, which is essential in today's digital marketplace.
This hybrid model strengthens, rather than weakens, dealer-customer relationships. The dealership remains at the core of the customer experience — without all the paperwork hassles.
Data Scarcity and Agile Decision-Making
Meta and Duolingo founders faced a new challenge: a lack of data. Powersports is a smaller, more fragmented market than others like Meta or Duolingo; therefore, sample sizes tend to be low.
Ekho chose not to become overwhelmed; instead, they embraced agility with dealer feedback and rapid iteration as their guide for product roadmaps, and their mantra was "Beautiful products win." Ekho stood out from competitors with intuitive designs and polished interfaces that had become part of the dealer routine.
Market Potential
The opportunity is significant. Just in the U.S. alone, powersports, RV, and marine sales total more than $100 billion each year but their digital infrastructure for processing transactions remains immature.
Ekho has already achieved significant traction by processing millions in annual Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV). Early success attracted investors looking for a scalable, category-defining platform.
Building the Operating System for Dealerships
Ekho's long-term vision extends far beyond e-commerce. The company plans to become the central operating system for dealerships, providing a single system for CRM, sales processing, F&I, titling, registration, and fraud prevention, among others.
Successful dealerships will transition from operating on fragmented, outdated systems to efficient businesses driven by data—with Ekho at their center.
Why Now: Timing Is Everything
Digital transformation is no longer optional for dealers who formerly relied on foot traffic; customers now demand online purchasing options. OEMs seek to present modernized products to consumers, while investors are pouring money into companies poised to digitize legacy industries.
Ekho is riding this wave. Through its OEM-first approach, elegant design, and AI-powered infrastructure, Ekho is positioning itself to bring powersports into the digital commerce era.
Ekho's mission is to transform this outdated purchasing process and deliver exceptional experiences through its marketplace platform.
Mockler and Howard are not simply creating software; they're shaping the future of powersports commerce through cutting friction, empowering dealers, and offering seamless digital tools.
As Ekho sees it, successful companies in the next decade will be those that embrace change and empower their partners in the powersports industry. Ekho may well be one to rewrite the rules.
