For decades, the salvage vehicle auction business has revolved around a traditional model: large, centralized yards where damaged vehicles were physically pooled together and buyers traveled in person to place bids. That old playbook is being rewritten. Salvato Auctions, a new online auction launching in 2025, is poised to transform how total-loss insurance vehicles are bought and sold, with speed, simplicity, and significantly lower costs.
Led by industry veterans and backed by investors who see a generational opportunity to modernize a multibillion-dollar global market, Salvato Auctions is introducing a new way to connect insurance vehicles with recyclers and salvage buyers worldwide. Their vision is clear: eliminate friction, reduce fees, and let more of the money spent on salvage vehicles go toward the value of the car, not the process that gets it there.
Why Now?
According to Peter Jebson, Co-Founder and CEO of Salvato, Inc.:
“The two current auctions built their footprint over decades, when auctions were in-person, and the insurance claims process took months. That’s no longer the world we live in.”
The accelerating digitization of insurance workflows has created a window of opportunity. Advances in lien-release tools, title-transfer processes, and cloud-based auction platforms mean vehicles can now be cleared, listed, and sold in a matter of days, not weeks. Salvato is seizing this moment by building a decentralized auction model designed with speed, quality and value in mind.
With insurance carriers able to make total-loss decisions faster than ever, Salvato’s model is perfectly timed. By eliminating the need to tow vehicles to centralized holding yards, Salvato helps reduce vehicle movement, lower costs, and avoid incidental damage, all of which translate to faster cycle times for sellers and higher quality vehicles and value for buyers.
What’s Changing?
Salvato is part of a larger evolution in how insurance vehicles are processed and monetized. Historically, auction companies needed real estate, massive yards to hold tens of thousands of vehicles. Those large centralized “salvage pools” were a byproduct of slower claims processes and in-person bidding.
Today, digital auctions are standard. There’s no longer a need for buyers to attend in person, and the technology exists to sell cars where they sit. By shifting to a distributed model and leveraging digital documentation tools, Salvato is removing key pain points for both sellers and buyers. Title transfer processes are accelerating, and auction cycle times are shrinking, resulting in greater liquidity, faster capital recovery, and reduced storage fees.
In short, going faster means lowering overhead, and Salvato is putting those savings back in the hands of buyers.
Who Benefits?
Buyers are the biggest winners. Salvato is launching with a promise to offer insurance vehicles at significantly lower auction fees – at least 20% less than Copart or IAA for high-volume buyers, and often much more for smaller operations. Registration is free for both individuals and businesses, and security deposits are fully refundable.
“We’re creating a straightforward, cost-effective way to access fresh, high-quality insurance vehicles,” said Dan Oscarson, Head of Global Buyer Development and a 30-year veteran of the industry. “This is about giving buyers better access, better economics, and a better overall experience.”
Sellers, primarily insurance companies, benefit from faster time to market. Salvato’s streamlined process also supports a better claims experience for policyholders, which is a growing focus in the post-pandemic digital transformation of insurance.
Who’s Behind Salvato?
Salvato Auctions is led by a team of proven executives with deep industry and technology expertise. CEO Peter Jebson worked on growth strategy for the leading SaaS provider to auto insurance claims technology and for one of the largest parts recyclers in the U.S. Dan Oscarson, formerly VP of Global Market Development at IAA and Chief Operating Officer of Marhaba Auctions in the UAE, brings deep buyer-side insight and international experience. Other team members include experts in automotive logistics, salvage title processing, vehicle transport and digital experiences.
Investors are also taking note. Walkabout Ventures led Salvato’s latest funding round, citing the company’s ability to attract major buyers and sellers before launch as proof of the problem they’re solving. “We’re excited by the confluence of factors shaking up the total-loss market,” said Josh Diamond, General Partner. “As more cars are written off and digital tools speed up insurance claims, Salvato’s model offers real, measurable value to sellers.”
A Global Opportunity
Though the auction will feature 100% U.S. insurance vehicles, Salvato’s buyer base is global. Many of the efficiencies, faster title processing, fewer vehicle movements, and lower costs, are universally attractive to buyers worldwide seeking high-quality parts for less.
As salvage vehicles continue to find new life through reuse, parts harvesting, and resale across borders, Salvato stands to play a central role in creating a faster, fairer, and more sustainable global auction ecosystem.
Visit Salvato Auctions
