The first developer network and API marketplace in the automotive industry, transforming CDK from data gatekeeper to data platform.
The automotive industry ran on proprietary, one-to-one data-sharing arrangements. Dealerships, OEMs, and vendors all needed access to the same data, but every integration was a custom deal with no standardization, no security of IP, and no self-service path for developers. CDK controlled a massive amount of dealer data, and the friction of accessing it had become a liability. Dealers were frustrated. Vendors were frustrated. And CDK was facing significant regulatory and customer pressure over how difficult it was for customers to access their own data.
The signals were hard to miss. Regulatory scrutiny and direct customer feedback made it clear that the status quo was untenable. Beyond the external pressure, dealer feedback was consistent: they wanted open, standardized access. Meanwhile, the broader software industry had moved decisively toward API-first architectures. Every other vertical had developer platforms and marketplaces. Automotive was years behind, still relying on handshake deals and proprietary connectors.
Fortellis developer platform homepage
We initially explored a traditional direct sales model, which was familiar territory for CDK's dealer-facing sales organization. But the target audience for an API platform isn't dealership GMs. It's developers. And developers don't want to sit through a sales pitch and negotiate licensing terms. They want to browse, try, and build. We pivoted to a product-led growth model with "try before you buy" and "pay-as-you-go" pricing, letting developers self-serve and evaluate APIs before committing. This was a significant cultural shift for a company built on enterprise sales motions.
Fortellis became the first developer network and API marketplace in the automotive industry. We designed the end-to-end platform: API hosting, monitoring, publishing, marketplace discovery, and flexible pricing models. The platform was built on CDK's design language, Radial.
Solution publishing and monetization
API marketplace with browse and search
API documentation and integration guides
Flexible pricing and subscription management
API transaction monitoring and analytics
We also built Hailer, a standout application on the platform, a customized ride-hailing solution for dealerships that integrated Lyft Concierge with OEM warranty centers and dealer management systems. It featured specialized billing, security controls, and demonstrated what third-party developers could build on the Fortellis ecosystem.
Hailer ride-hailing for dealerships
Ride management panel
Lyft integration user flow
Lyft ride analytics dashboard
Within the first year, the platform handled over 150 million API calls. Hailer alone addressed a potential market of 16,000 dealerships, saving an estimated $10,000 per month per location in transportation logistics. More fundamentally, the platform shifted CDK's posture from data gatekeeper to data platform, turning regulatory and reputational pressure into a growth engine.