Calling it the “most significant capability investment we’ve made in years,” Cox Automotive has signed a deal to acquire Fullpath, an artificial intelligence-powered customer data platform and marketing automation company.

The purchase, announced Thursday, is expected to close within 30 days.

“Dealers today are navigating the most competitive and technology-intensive environment in the history of this industry,” Cox Automotive president Steve Rowley said in a news release.

“This agreement supercharges our data and AI advantages and brings our dealers the most advanced technology inside of our industry-leading connected retail platform,” Rowley said. “Fullpath gives dealers the AI and data infrastructure they need to compete, and it makes everything we already offer them smarter, faster, and more effective.

“This is the most significant capability investment we’ve made in years, and it reflects our long-term commitment to being the partner dealers can count on, now and in the future.”

The addition of Fullpath will bring a customer data platform, marketing automation, and additional AI capabilities to Cox.

Fullpath, the company said, “resolves shopper identity across years of CRM and DMS history into a single, actionable profile, delivering AI-driven campaigns with unmatched personalization, scale and efficiency with lead handling, and individual-level attribution from ad click to purchase.”

These tools complement the capabilities of such Cox Automotive properties as VinSolutions, Dealer.com, Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book.

Previously known as AutoLeadStar until transitioning to the Fullpath name in March 2023, Fullpath was founded in 2014 by Aharon Horwitz, Yishai Goldstein and Eliav Moshe.

“There is no better opportunity to turbocharge Fullpath’s AI-driven platform than joining the world’s most expansive automotive tech company with access to the most strategic and iconic data platforms in the industry,” Horwitz, who is the company’s CEO, said in a news release.

“As data is the fuel of a CDP, joining Cox Automotive means our AI-driven platform will deliver more intelligence, more speed, and more value to dealers than ever before.”

Existing Fullpath clients will have access to the same team, products and service levels after the transaction closes.

“The near-term focus is growth and stability — expanding Fullpath’s reach and resources while preserving the innovation-first culture that has driven its success,” the companies said in a news release.

Once the transaction closes, more integration details will be available, they said.