
Ignite & Scale - How AI Is Driving the Future of Automotive Retail – With Devin Daly of Impel
In this episode of Ignite & Scale, we sit down with Devin Daly, founder and CEO of Impel, the first unicorn on our podcast. Devin takes us inside the incredible journey from investment banking to building a global AI powerhouse transforming automotive retail.
Impel now powers 36bn shopper interactions, driving over $9 billion in sales across 51 countries. From humble beginnings creating 360° product visualizations for fashion brands to becoming the leading AI platform in automotive, Devin shares how bold vision, smart pivots, and relentless focus on people and culture fuelled their success.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- How Impel scaled from fashion e-commerce to revolutionizing automotive AI
- Why car dealerships’ razor-thin margins made them ripe for disruption
- How AI is unifying the fragmented consumer journey across sales, service, and aftersales
- The role of culture, agility, and world-class talent in scaling to unicorn status
- Lessons from building an AI Center of Excellence in Georgia
- What the next 5–10 years look like for AI in automotive retail – from digital concierges to predictive vehicle acquisition
Key Takeaways:
- AI isn’t replacing people – it’s augmenting dealerships, boosting profitability, and elevating customer experience.
- Scaling globally means balancing speed, agility, and culture.
- The future of automotive retail will be driven by always-on AI brains guiding the entire consumer lifecycle.
📌 Learn more about Impel: impel.ai
📧 Contact: info@impel.ai