Cambridge, MA-based Openbay — an online marketplace for vehicle repair and services, as well as a provider of software as a service (SaaS) tools for the automotive aftermarket — has landed $8 million in “Series A” financing, according to an announcement dated June 25. Shell Ventures LLC led the round, with participation from existing investor Stage 1 Ventures and an additional undisclosed strategic investor.

Openbay plans to use the new financing to bring to market artificial intelligence-based tools for vehicle repair businesses, and to grow existing and new markets across all its offerings.

“Consumers expect their interactions across websites, social platforms, mobile and messaging apps to be engaging and interactive. This requires natural-language processing, machine learning and predictive analytics,” explained Rob Infantino, founder and CEO of Openbay. “With fresh capital and depth of the resources our strategic and global investors bring to Openbay, the company is now well-positioned to grow and expand its offering globally.”

Openbay provides an online marketplace to help consumers locate shops, compare quotes and transact for automotive maintenance services.