YC-backed Garage Raises $13.5M to Support Fire Departments
Fire departments in small communities often face a serious challenge: buying the specialized equipment they need on tight budgets. Martin Hunt, a firefighter since age 15, experienced these struggles firsthand. At just 26, Hunt decided to take action. He realized there wasn’t an easy, reliable way for fire departments to buy expensive, hard-to-move equipment like firetrucks. This gap in the market sparked the creation of Garage, a nationwide marketplace designed to simplify and streamline the process of acquiring fire department gear.
Image Credits:Martin Hunt and Alaz Sengul
How Garage is Transforming Fire Department Equipment Buying
Before Garage, local fire departments had to rely on outdated or fragmented solutions to buy used equipment. Many turned to online auctions, Facebook groups, or even classified newspaper ads—methods that are slow, inefficient, and prone to errors. Garage changes that by automating key processes like appraisal, freight quotes, and payment handling. “Many of our customers are civil servants, firefighters, fleet managers, and public work directors who don’t have the administrative bandwidth to handle endless paperwork,” Hunt explains. This automation saves departments both time and money while reducing the stress of equipment acquisition.
The Team Behind the Fire Department Equipment Marketplace
Hunt didn’t embark on this journey alone. He teamed up with his college friend, Alaz Sengul, who now serves as CTO. Together, they built a platform that meets the unique needs of public safety organizations and local governments. By focusing on specialized equipment, Garage stands out as more than just another e-commerce platform—it’s tailored to the public sector, providing transparency, reliability, and efficiency. The team’s personal experience in firefighting adds credibility, making them true experts in understanding their users’ challenges.
$13.5M Series A Funding and What’s Next for Garage
Garage recently announced a $13.5 million Series A round led by Infinity Ventures. This funding will allow the company to expand its marketplace, onboard more fire departments, and enhance its technology to simplify equipment purchasing further. Hunt emphasizes that the platform’s goal is to make it as easy as possible for fire departments to access the equipment they need to serve their communities safely. With Garage, what used to be a tedious and manual process is now streamlined, efficient, and nationwide in reach—helping first responders focus on what truly matters: saving lives.
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