Nature of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2024

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Nature of Business and Summary Significant Accounting Policies

Nature of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Nature of Business – The Company operates in one industry segment, providing a wholesale auction marketplace (the “Marketplace”) to facilitate business-to-business used vehicle sales between a selling dealership (“Seller”) and a buying dealership (“Buyer”). Customers using the Marketplace are licensed automotive dealerships or other commercial automotive enterprises. At the election of the customer purchasing a vehicle, the Company can arrange third-party transportation services for the delivery of the purchased vehicle through its wholly owned subsidiary, ACV Transportation LLC. The Company can also provide the customer financing for the purchased vehicle through its wholly owned subsidiary, ACV Capital LLC ("ACV Capital"). ACV also provides data services that offer insights into the condition and value of used vehicles for transactions both on and off the Company's Marketplace, which help dealerships, their end customers, and commercial partners make more informed decisions to transact with confidence and efficiency. Customers using data services are licensed automotive dealerships or other commercial automotive enterprises. All services are provided in the United States and certain data services are also provided internationally. Services are supported by the Company’s operations which are primarily in North America and India.

Basis of Consolidation – The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of ACV Auctions Inc. and all of its controlled subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Basis of Preparation – The accompanying unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and pursuant to the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). The Company has condensed or omitted certain information and notes normally included in complete annual financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. These financial statements have been prepared on the same basis as the Company's annual financial statements and, in the opinion of management, reflect all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, which are necessary for the fair statement of the Company's financial information. The unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements should therefore be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes contained in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, as filed with the SEC on February 21, 2024 (the "Annual Report"). Any reference in these notes to applicable guidance is meant to refer to the authoritative GAAP as found in the Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) and Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”).

Seasonality – The volume of vehicles sold through the Marketplace generally fluctuates from quarter to quarter. This seasonality is caused by several factors, including holidays, weather, the seasonality of the retail market for used vehicles and the timing of federal tax returns, which affects the demand side of the automotive industry. As a result, revenue and operating expenses related to volume fluctuate accordingly on a quarterly basis. In the fourth quarter, we typically experience lower used vehicle volume on our Marketplace as well as additional costs associated with the holidays. Seasonally depressed used vehicle volume on our Marketplace typically continues during the winter months through the beginning of the first quarter. Typical seasonality trends may not be observed in periods where other external factors more significantly impact the industry.