Dutch startup Eccasion, founded by the entrepreneurs behind Swapfiets, has raised €3.2 million to accelerate the sale of used electric vehicles in the Netherlands, as demand for affordable EVs continues to outpace the market’s ability to serve buyers clearly and fairly.
Eccasion, which was founded by Martijn Obers and Richard Burger and launched just over a year ago, operates as an online-only dealer focused exclusively on ex-lease electric cars. The company bids on vehicles at closed trade auctions on behalf of customers, handling everything from battery checks through to delivery, doing so without intermediaries or hidden margins.
The funding round was led by UK-based Playfair VC and Germany-based Rethink Ventures, with additional investment from Dirk de Bruijn, a co-founder of Swapfiets. The capital will go towards expanding Eccasion’s team and technology, with an ambition to sell more than 2,000 used electric cars annually in the Dutch market within the next few years.
Co-founder Richard Burger said the timing reflects a broader shift in the car market. “With rising fuel prices, the switch to electric is becoming relevant for a growing number of people,” he said. “We see that demand for used electric cars remains consistently strong, but that people struggle to navigate the traditional car dealer.”
The company’s pitch rests on transparency – publishing purchase prices and margins openly – and on a personalised matching process that it says gives buyers confidence in what is, for most, one of the largest purchases of their lives. Customers receive a 14-day trial period and a 12-month warranty.
Investors argue that the second-hand EV market has become a bottleneck in the broader electric transition. Jens-Philipp Klein, General Partner at Rethink Ventures, said the sector has long been “the Achilles’ heel of the electric transition,” citing buyers’ limited familiarity with electric vehicles and their difficulty assessing battery condition. Rethink, which focuses exclusively on sustainable mobility, said Eccasion’s model addresses both the information gap and the trust deficit that has held back growth in the segment.
Playfair’s Henrik Wetter Sanchez described the startup’s approach as “built on trust and radical transparency,” adding that buyers retain full control throughout the process – something he said ultimately works in their financial favour.
Eccasion’s model is built on direct access to closed automotive auctions, which the company says allows it to source cars more efficiently than traditional dealerships and pass savings on to buyers.
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