Martin Hunt, a 27-year-old former firefighter, has transformed his experience selling used fire trucks into a thriving online marketplace. After joining the volunteer fire service at 15, Hunt realized how difficult it was for departments to sell their old trucks, often relying on cold calls or auctions where vehicles might end up as scrap. Last year, his hometown department sold a fire engine for $125,000 on Garage, the platform Hunt co-founded with Alaz Sengul. The company connects departments looking to sell with buyers who need affordable, used equipment.
Garage has raised $41 million in a Series B funding round led by Invus Opportunities, valuing the startup at $225 million. The total funding now stands at $60 million. Hunt, who previously worked in private equity at Goldman Sachs, and Sengul, a former software engineer at Twitter and Mem, launched Garage after joining Y Combinator’s winter 2024 batch. The platform uses AI tools to appraise equipment, coordinate freight, and offer financing and warranties, making the buying process seamless.
Garage serves over 1,000 communities across all 50 states and Canada, with annualized equipment sales topping $100 million. The company charges a 10% success fee on buy-now purchases and a 10% premium at auction. For sellers, the platform has significantly increased proceeds. For example, South Charleston, West Virginia, budgeted a few hundred thousand dollars from surplus sales in 2025 but brought in $1.2 million through Garage, which helped fund replacement equipment and firefighter cancer screenings.
Hunt compares Garage to Amazon, aiming to provide a smooth buying experience even for heavy, expensive equipment. However, he acknowledges the risks of buying used trucks. The new funding will be used to hire more staff and expand into public works and sanitation, where private sanitation companies are already Garage’s fastest-growing customer segment. Despite its growth, Hunt estimates Garage works with only about 1% of the market, indicating significant room for expansion.