Mecanizou
Founded 2021 · 127 employees on LinkedIn · 5 known investors
Mecanizou operates an online platform for the auto parts market, offering repair shops a catalog, quoting, purchase history, credit, order tracking, and fully online buying, powered by conversational AI over WhatsApp. It connects repair shops, distributors, manufacturers, retailers, and digital platforms in a single ecosystem, with tools for suppliers to run retail media campaigns and a pluggable integration layer for ERPs, fleets, insurers, and e-commerce.
Also known as Mecanizou MAX
Founders & leadership
Mecanizou was founded in 2021 by Ian Faria.
Investors · 5
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Mecanizou is a São Paulo-based B2B managed marketplace and technology platform for the automotive aftermarket. It builds a database that connects mechanic shops and resellers to auto parts suppliers, using proprietary technology to identify a vehicle and the correct parts for it. A mechanic enters a vehicle identification number, license plate and part name, and the platform returns matching parts, codes and prices, with one-click purchase and delivery in about an hour (the company cites under 55 minutes). Catalog and warehouse data are combined into a 'virtual stock' with business rules for real-time availability, letting users compare price, delivery and product range.
The company describes itself as technological infrastructure for the automotive industry, comprising an intelligent catalog with integrated offers, inventory management, multichannel logistics and credit-based payments, all supported by conversational AI. Its product set includes Mecanizou MAX, a platform for repair shops with catalog, quoting, purchase history, credit, order tracking and fully online purchasing; Mecanizou Aftermarket, through which manufacturers and suppliers activate retail media campaigns and insights; Mecanizou API, a pluggable layer of the parts journey for ERPs, fleets, insurers, rental companies and e-commerce platforms; Mecanizou Infra, combining catalog, offers, price intelligence, logistics, credit and AI; and an automotive conversational AI assistant (referred to as Airtinho/AIrton) integrated into the purchase flow via WhatsApp for automated parts quoting, natural-language support and order placement and negotiation.
Beyond parts supply, the platform is positioned to serve insurance companies, fleets, automakers, financial product providers and management software developers, with APIs to vehicle registries used to resolve plates and VINs into part specifications. The company's stated vision is to be the "GDS of the aftermarket", an infrastructure layer connecting the industry across channels and countries.
Founding story
Ian Faria and André Simões founded the company during the COVID-19 pandemic after observing that mechanical workshops were classified as essential services while receiving little technological support. They visited and interviewed more than 70 workshops to understand their operations and purchasing problems, concluding that the parts supply chain was large but largely undigitized, and built proprietary technology to connect mechanics to that supply chain. TechCrunch reports the company started in 2020.
Business model
B2B managed marketplace intermediating between parts manufacturers, distributors and retailers on the supply side and neighborhood repair shops (and, more recently, car owners) on the demand side, with the company handling parts identification, aggregated virtual stock, payment terms/credit and last-mile delivery. Adjacent lines include retail media campaigns sold to manufacturers and suppliers, and API access for ERPs, fleets, insurers, rental firms and e-commerce platforms.
Sales of auto parts through the marketplace to repair shops, complemented by value-added services such as financial/credit products, retail media campaigns for suppliers and manufacturers, and API-based integrations.
Traction
TechCrunch reported over 200 suppliers, 1,000 mechanics and more than 600,000 items in virtual stock as of March 2023, with 70% month-over-month customer growth and a 10x revenue increase in 2022. The CEO later cited over 800,000 parts on the platform and more than 200 processed factory catalogues. The company's site states more than 1 million items available, 18 cities served, over 150 connected suppliers, over 300 factory catalogs, and more than 3,000 repair shops using the platform.
Latest developments
The company site presents an expanded product portfolio — Mecanizou MAX for repair shops, Mecanizou Aftermarket retail media for manufacturers and suppliers, Mecanizou API for ERPs, fleets, insurers, rental companies and e-commerce, Mecanizou Infra, and a WhatsApp-based conversational AI assistant — along with a consumer-facing offering for car owners, and lists recognitions including LinkedIn Top Startups 2024 and AI Startup Searchlight Awards 2025.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history, risks & controversies
Market position
Operates in the Brazilian replacement auto parts market, which the company describes as comprising roughly 600 parts factories, about 50,000 parts sellers, around 120,000 mechanical workshops and on the order of 100 million-plus parts SKUs. It has been recognized in CIOReview's Top 25 Latin America Tech Companies 2023 and lists awards including LinkedIn Top Startups 2024 (Brazil), 100 Open Startups innovation case ranking, Endeavor Scale-Up selection, Startups of the Year 2024 (AI Industry) and AI Startup Searchlight Awards 2025.
Management cites the ability to find multiple parts across categories and price points in a few clicks, multiple connected supplier inventories for broader availability, a guarantee that the part matches the vehicle, and a choice of payment methods; delivery to the workshop is targeted at under 55 minutes. The company frames its principal competitor as the local retailer located near the workshop, and does not exclude connecting such retailers to its platform.
Technology
Proprietary vehicle and part identification technology using machine learning; processing of manufacturer catalogs (more than 200 factory catalogues processed, with over 300 catalogs cited on the company site) into a structured database; APIs to car registries to resolve license plates and VINs; a combined catalog-and-warehouse 'virtual stock' layer with real-time availability rules; price intelligence, logistics and credit layers; and a conversational AI assistant operating over WhatsApp for quoting, support, order placement and negotiation with continuous 24/7 coverage and daily training by account managers.
Go-to-market
Direct acquisition of repair shops in defined geographic zones, starting in one zone of northern São Paulo and expanding zone by zone across the metropolitan area (including plans for the ABC Region and Guarulhos), supported by account managers, weekly coupons, WhatsApp-based conversational sales and rapid local delivery.
Neighborhood/independent mechanical repair shops in Brazil and Latin America; parts manufacturers, distributors and retailers as supply partners; car owners buying parts directly; and institutional users such as insurers, fleets, rental companies, automakers and ERP/e-commerce platforms.
Geography
Headquartered in São Paulo, Brazil; initially operating in the northern zone of São Paulo with planned expansion to other areas including the ABC Region and Guarulhos. The company site states 18 cities served, and its stated ambition covers Brazil and Latin America.
History
Founded by Ian Faria (CEO) and André Simões (CPO), with TechCrunch dating the start to 2020. The company began operating in a single zone of northern São Paulo, closed a $4 million seed round in January 2022, and grew rapidly through 2022 (70% month-over-month customer growth; 10x revenue). In November 2022 it closed a $14.5 million (R$76 million) Series A led by Monashees, announced publicly in March 2023, bringing total capital raised to $18.5 million. After the Series A, the team paused expansion for roughly two months to rebuild a fragmented technology stack before resuming zone-by-zone expansion in São Paulo, and set out to begin delivering parts itself. The company was recognized by CIOReview among the Top 25 Latin America Tech Companies for 2023.
Risks & controversies
The CEO has described rapid, unanticipated 2022 growth that produced a fragmented technology stack, requiring an approximately two-month pause to rebuild the model before further scaling. The company also notes competition from entrenched local parts retailers and the challenge of shifting purchasing behavior from offline to online.
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Timeline · 6
launches, deals, and filingsCompany site lists recognition in the AI Startup Searchlight Awards 2025.
Company site lists inclusion in LinkedIn Top Startups 2024 (20 Brazilian companies), Startups of the Year 2024 (AI Industry) and 5 Latino Startups to Watch in 2024.
CIOReview Magazine recognized Mecanizou among its Top 25 Latin America Tech Companies for 2023.
The company, then operating only in the northern region of São Paulo, said it aimed to expand to other parts of São Paulo including the ABC Region and Guarulhos by the end of 2023.
Closed in November 2022 and reported in March 2023: a $14.5 million (R$76 million) Series A led by Monashees with participation from Alexia Ventures, FJ Labs and Dalus Capital, bringing total funding to $18.5 million. Proceeds earmarked for expansion into additional São Paulo areas, technology and product development, and building its own parts delivery.
$14.5M source ↗
TechCrunch reported the company closed a $4 million seed round in January 2022, after which customers grew 70% month-over-month and revenue rose 10x in 2022.
$4M source ↗
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
In the news
▸Research sources · 8
primary sources listed
- Mecanizoumecanizou.com · web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Mecanizou do?
- Brazilian B2B managed marketplace digitizing the auto parts supply chain for neighborhood repair shops.
- Who founded Mecanizou?
- Mecanizou was founded by Ian Faria in 2021.
- Who are Mecanizou's investors?
- Mecanizou's investors include Alexia Ventures, Dalus Capital, MONASHEES, Norte Ventures, HTwenty.