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Property and climate risk analytics leader ZestyAI today announced regulatory approval of its Severe Convective Storm Suite in Oklahoma, North Carolina, Louisiana, Wisconsin, and Arkansas—covering more than 12 million residential and commercial properties. 

Severe convective storms caused $58 billion in insured losses in 2024, marking the second-costliest year on record. A recent ZestyAI analysis revealed that in these five newly approved states, more than 2.1 million properties face a high risk of filing a hail claim—putting over $31 billion in potential roof replacement costs on the line. 

Unlike traditional models, ZestyAI’s AI-driven risk models predict the likelihood and severity of claims at the individual property level by analyzing the interaction of local climatology with property-specific characteristics.

Built, tested, and validated on an extensive claims database, the models provide a granular, transparent understanding of risk—delivering the top risk factors for each property, and equipping insurers with the accuracy needed to improve underwriting, optimize pricing, and reduce preventable losses.

“Severe convective storms now cost insurers more than hurricanes, yet traditional underwriting tools don’t provide the precision needed to keep pace with rising losses,” said Bryan Rehor, Director of Regulatory Affairs at ZestyAI.

“These approvals reinforce the insurance industry’s shift toward data-driven, property-level risk assessment."

ZestyAI’s SCS models have now been thoroughly vetted and approved by regulators across 14 states—covering more than 44 million properties across the Midwest, Great Plains, and South.

ZestyAI announced today that Lemonade, the digital insurance company powered by AI and social impact, has adopted the ZestyAI platform to further optimize underwriting for key catastrophe perils in the U.S., building on the company’s existing technology and underwriting operations.

ZestyAI’s predictive analytics platform leverages advanced AI models to analyze the interplay of climatology, geography, and the unique characteristics of each structure and roof, enabling precise and transparent property risk assessments.

By leveraging unique risk insights, Lemonade can make smarter catastrophe risk mitigation decisions. Additionally, ZestyAI’s proactive regulatory approach, with approvals in key states, simplifies compliance and enables Lemonade to implement these models faster.

“Since our launch, we've always been committed to using technology to create smarter, more accessible insurance products,” said Ori Hanani, Senior Vice President of Insurance at Lemonade.

“In leveraging ZestyAI’s advanced risk models, we're able to further support homeowners in securing comprehensive coverage for their most valuable assets, while also continuing to strengthen our underwriting capabilities as we continue to grow." 

Attila Toth, Founder and CEO of ZestyAI, said:

Lemonade is a natural partner for ZestyAI.

“Their innovative approach to insurance and customer-centricity aligns perfectly with our commitment to provide actionable insights that drive smarter risk decisions.”

This partnership reflects a shared vision for addressing increasing climate risks and sets a new standard for resilience, efficiency, and innovation in the insurance industry. 

ZestyAI today announced a partnership with the Colorado FAIR Plan to expand insurance access for homeowners facing coverage challenges.

The partnership leverages ZestyAI’s AI-driven risk models—Z-FIRE™, Z-HAIL™, and Z-WIND™—to deliver property-specific risk assessments for wildfire, hail, and wind. These insights will support risk-based pricing and help the Colorado FAIR Plan guide homeowners on mitigation strategies.

“Our mission is to ensure every Coloradan has access to insurance that reflects their property’s actual risk, not outdated assumptions,” said Kelly Campbell, Executive Director of the Colorado FAIR Plan.

“ZestyAI’s models will help us bring greater fairness and resilience to the market while equipping homeowners with practical mitigation guidance.”

Over the next year, Colorado FAIR Plan expects to provide coverage to nearly 30,000 families previously classified as high-risk under traditional models.

By incorporating granular risk data, the plan can better align premiums with actual risk while offering homeowners actionable steps to protect their properties.

Those who invest in mitigation may also transition back to the standard insurance market over time.

Colorado regulators have prioritized risk-based pricing and transparency to stabilize the insurance market. Colorado Insurance Commissioner Michael Conway has led efforts to integrate mitigation into coverage decisions, aligning with the FAIR Plan’s adoption of ZestyAI’s AI-driven insights.

“This partnership ensures risk assessments reflect real property conditions—not just broad classifications—so homeowners can access both coverage and meaningful mitigation guidance,” said Bryan Rehor, Director of Regulatory Affairs at ZestyAI.

“Through AI-powered insights, we’re helping homeowners secure risk-aligned coverage options.”

ZestyAI’s risk platform integrates aerial imagery, historical building permits, geospatial data, and structural attributes to provide precise, property-level risk insights.

Insurers using ZestyAI’s models can assess key risk factors—including vegetation proximity, roof condition, and building materials—to inform underwriting, pricing, and mitigation recommendations to policyholders.

The collaboration builds on ZestyAI’s success with the California FAIR Plan, which expanded coverage for hundreds of thousands of homeowners in 2024.

We’re excited to share that, for the second year in a row, ZestyAI has been named one of America’s best startup employers by Forbes. This recognition highlights our commitment to fostering an exceptional workplace culture while fostering a healthier insurance market. 

What It Means to Be a Top Startup Employer

Forbes, in partnership with research firms, evaluated over 20,000 U.S. startups based on three key factors: employer reputation, employee satisfaction, and business growth. Only 500 companies made the final cut, and we’re incredibly proud to be among them.

At ZestyAI, we believe that fostering a collaborative and supportive work environment isn’t just beneficial for our team—it’s essential to our mission. By enabling insurers to make more precise, data-driven decisions, we help drive resilience across communities, ultimately benefiting the homeowners and business owners they serve.

A Remote-First, People-First Culture

As a fully remote company, ZestyAI gives team members the flexibility to design a work-life balance that fits their needs. We go beyond traditional benefits by offering an unlimited time-off policy, which includes vacation and mental health days to support well-being and prevent burnout.

For team members across North America, our local hubs bring “Zesties” together for in-person events and networking, fostering connection and collaboration.

“Culture is not just a buzzword at ZestyAI—it’s the glue that holds our team together,” said Attila Toth, Founder and CEO of ZestyAI.

“Like a great sports team, we believe that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Our commitment to collaboration and well-being empowers us to deliver exceptional results.”

Industry Recognition

This honor joins a list of awards celebrating our work. ZestyAI has also been recognized by Inc. 5000 as one of America’s fastest-growing private companies, included in the Deloitte Technology Fast 500, and named to the CB Insights Insurtech 50. We have also received an AI Breakthrough Award for Machine Learning and a PropertyCasualty360 Insurance Luminary award for Risk Management Innovation.

Interested in joining us? Check out our careers page!

ZestyAI, the leading provider of AI-powered property and climate risk analytics, today announced a strategic partnership with NEXT Insurance, a top commercial insurer specializing in small to medium-sized businesses.

Under this agreement, NEXT will adopt ZestyAI’s Z-PROPERTY™ and Z-FIRE™ models to enhance its underwriting processes with precise, property-level risk insights. Z-PROPERTY uses high-resolution aerial imagery and AI-powered analytics to assess roof condition, structural risks, and environmental hazards, helping insurers make more informed underwriting decisions.

Z-FIRE, adopted by over one-third of California’s insurance market, delivers highly accurate wildfire risk assessments based on 2,000+ historical wildfires, satellite imagery, and topographic data, ensuring that premiums reflect true wildfire exposure.

Lance Poole, Head of AI Underwriting at NEXT Insurance, said:

“ZestyAI’s peril-based risk models stood out for their ability to provide precise, actionable insights at scale, perfectly complementing our mission to help entrepreneurs thrive. This partnership strengthens our underwriting capabilities by delivering advanced data analytics that allows us to offer a faster, fully digital purchasing experience while maintaining best-in-class underwriting. By streamlining workflows and enhancing decision-making, we’re able to create innovative, tailored insurance solutions that meet the unique needs of small business owners, all while staying true to our commitment to simplicity and excellence."

Attila Toth, CEO of ZestyAI said:

"At ZestyAI, we are committed to bringing the power of AI-driven risk intelligence to the insurance industry. NEXT Insurance is redefining small business insurance with a fully digital experience, and we are proud to support that vision by providing precise, property-specific risk insights. With Z-PROPERTY and Z-FIRE, NEXT can enhance underwriting efficiency, optimize risk selection, and ultimately deliver smarter, more tailored coverage to small business owners across the country."

ZestyAI today announced its partnership with Safepoint Holdings, a regional property insurance group operating Safepoint, Cajun, and Manatee. Together, these platforms manage over 200,000 policyholders across Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, and Alabama.

By leveraging ZestyAI’s advanced risk platform, Safepoint Holdings can analyze a high volume of properties with precision, enhancing underwriting accuracy and improving access to coverage for homeowners. Additionally, Safepoint Holdings is strengthening its loss cost control program by utilizing ZestyAI’s property insights to better predict and manage risk.

The partnership also enables Safepoint Holdings to optimize its inspection strategy, reducing costs and streamlining operations through high-resolution aerial imagery.

David Flitman, CEO of Safepoint Holdings. said:

“ZestyAI’s property insights have set a new benchmark for accuracy and innovation. The flexibility of their solutions and the ability to evaluate large insured portfolios in a matter of days provide tremendous value to us. This partnership will allow us to better serve our policyholders by proactively managing risk while making our operations more efficient.”

ZestyAI’s Advanced Risk Solutions Adopted by Safepoint:

• Z-PROPERTY Digital Roof™: Analyzes key drivers of roof-related risk—including material, shape, pitch, and condition—using AI-powered 3D modeling of high-resolution aerial imagery. These insights improve Safepoint’s risk selection process and optimize inspections by identifying properties requiring on-site evaluations, ensuring underwriting and renewals are both accurate and efficient.
• Z-PROPERTY Location Insights: Delivers detailed, property-specific risk insights for over 150 million properties across the U.S. Combining computer vision, machine learning, and high-resolution imagery,
  Location Insights provides critical risk insights on overhanging vegetation, lot debris, and more, enabling Safepoint uncover hidden risks, streamline workflows, and better align premiums to risk.
• Roof Age: Combines over 20 years of historical aerial imagery with verified building permit data to determine the accurate age of a roof with 92%+ accuracy. By eliminating reliance on self-reported or incomplete data, Safepoint can enhance pricing precision, reduce claims exposure, and make informed decisions about eligibility and coverage.

“By integrating our solutions, Safepoint Holdings can make better risk decisions, reduce costs, and expand coverage in states with high climate risk like Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, and Alabama,” said Attila Toth, Founder and CEO of ZestyAI. “We’re excited to support Safepoint Holdings with the insights they need to serve their policyholders.”

This partnership comes at a pivotal time as Safepoint Holdings focuses on expanding its portfolio. With ZestyAI’s property-specific data, Safepoint Holdings can scale efficiently while maintaining reliable, cost-effective coverage for its policyholders. Safepoint Holdings operates with a combined policyholder surplus of approximately $150 million, with Safepoint Insurance Co. holding $70 million.