The Zebra

The Zebra is an insurance comparison site with headquarters in Austin, Texas. It compares rates from over 200 insurance carriers.[3]

The Zebra
FormerlyInsurance Zebra
IndustryVehicle Insurance
Founded2012 (2012), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
FounderAdam Lyons[1] & Joshua Dziabiak [2]
Headquarters
Austin, Texas
,
United States
Key people
Adam Lyons Founder
Keith Melnick CEO
Joshua Dziabiak COO & CMO
Meetesh Karia CTO
Websitethezebra.com

History

The Zebra was co-founded by Joshua Dziabiak and Adam Lyons.[4][5] Originally named Insurance Zebra, the company was initially started in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania while Lyons was living in a friend's basement and collecting unemployment checks.[6][7]

The Zebra was part of the Alpha Lab Incubator Program run by the Pittsburgh venture capital firm Innovation Works, where it gained the attention of venture capital fund Silverton Partners.[8]

During a private beta period, the company showed testers 280,000 quotes.[9]

The company received $1.5 million in seed funding from investors that included Mark Cuban, Silverton Partners, Floodgate, and Birchmere Labs.[10] The funding was used to officially launch the website, with the company relocating to Austin, Texas.[8]

In September 2013, having closed a $3 million extended seed round, the company launched to the public in both Texas and California, the two states with the most drivers.[9][11] It initially offered quotes from 33 different insurers (approximately 90% of the market), requiring only a zip code and vehicle information to obtain a quote, although answering more questions, such as driving history, improved the accuracy of the quote.[9] Companies included State Farm, Geico, and Allstate, as well as specialized insurers. The quotes were provided from a direct relationship that The Zebra had with the insurers, or through a rate manual from companies that it did not have a direct relationship with.[9] The Zebra included real-time updating of quotes as users moved through the Q&A sections, and allowed users to shop anonymously.[9] In addition to providing quotes, the company lets drivers learn about companies’ coverage and evaluate claims satisfaction.[12]

The website allowed a more detailed quote for users who answered additional questions such as driving history. By the end of 2013, The Zebra was available to users in all 50 states, while increasing its platform to 204 companies that included 22 carriers such as Esurance and The General.[13] It also received an additional $3 million of funding from its existing investors,[14] adding investor Simon Nixon to the list of new investors.

In January 2016, The Zebra announced that it closed $17 million in Series A funding with investment from Cuban, Mike Maples Jr., Nixon, Silverton, and new investors Daher Capital and Ballast Point Ventures, bringing total funding to over $21 million.[12] The company planned to use the additional funding to create educational tools that explain to drivers what’s behind their rates, and how they can reduce rates while increasing coverage.[15]

In 2017, The company announced a $40 million series B funding round, led by Accel Partners, bringing their fundraising total to $61.5 million.[16] The company also brought on Keith Melnick as CEO.[17] In 2017 the company added an "Insurability Score" which shows consumers to see what impacts their insurance risk, similar to a credit score for credit.[18]

In 2018, Lyons left The Zebra and stepped aside from both day-to-day operations and his role as Chairman of the Board.[19]

The Zebra has received national media attention.[20] NBC Nightly News recommended The Zebra as a tool to compare car insurance quotes and save on rates.[21]

Company culture

The company is also known for its sense of humor and culture, having issued a joke which Time Magazine included in its Best April Fools’ Pranks of 2014,[22][23] and the company was named a Best Place to Work in Austin for four consecutive years from 2015 through 2019.[24][25][26][27]

Funding

In September 2017, The Zebra received a $40 million Series B round of funding.[28] In 2019, revenue grew almost 200% to nearly $37 million.[29] In February 2020, the company announced a $38.5 million Series C funding round.[30] This brought the Zebra’s fundraising to a total of $101.5 million.[30] Just like the Series B round, the Series C was led by Accel.[31] Other investors of their Series C include Silverton Partners, Daher Capital, Floodgate Fund, Ballast Point Ventures, and Weatherford Capital.[32]

Business model

The Zebra offers a way for consumers to get real-time quotes from car insurance companies by filling out an online form.[12] As the driver fills out the form, answering more questions about things like their age, driving record, and credit score, the quotes increase in accuracy.[12] Because The Zebra itself is not an insurance agency, it’s not biased toward sending customers to one company or another.[12]

As of 2019, The Zebra provided over 1,800 car insurance products from more than 200 national insurers.[12]

Research

The Zebra analyzes more than 83 million car insurance rates to compile its annual State of Insurance report.[33] The report covers topics including how much the average American is paying for their coverage, the states where rates are rising or falling, the most and least expensive cars to insure, how much a ticket raises drivers’ insurance rates, and other variables that affect insurance rates such as marital status, age, credit score and education.[33][34]

The Zebra has published additional, notable reports on topics that impact the insurance industry, such as:

  • Distracted Driving Report: This report reveals car insurance companies raise penalty for distracted driving 10,000%, proving that getting caught using a cell phone while driving is getting exponentially more expensive as car insurance companies are just beginning to penalize drivers for distracted driving.[35]
  • Gender-Based Pricing Report: This report uncovered that women now pay more than men for car insurance in 25 states (even though men are riskier drivers).[36][37]
  • Car Technology Report: In this report, The Zebra looked into why tech that makes your car safer won’t lower your insurance rates and revealed that despite proven safety and security benefits, new in-car safety and anti-theft technology features save drivers less than 1% on car insurance.[38]
  • Marijuana Report: The Zebra presented the most comprehensive survey yet among drivers in the U.S. who have access to recreational marijuana and found that 60% of drivers who use marijuana in legal states drive under the influence.[39]

Leadership

Joshua Dziabiak joined after the financing in 2013 as COO/CMO.[40][41]

Keith Melnick, previously President at Kayak, was named CEO of The Zebra in 2017.[42]

The company’s CTO is Meetesh Karia.[43]

After leading the company as CEO for 6 years, Lyons served as Chairman of the Board. He left in 2018, now serving on the board of CASA and as EIR at Bill Wood Ventures.[19][44]

See also

References
  1. Lapowsky, Issie (December 10, 2013). "How a 26-Year-Old Founder Landed Mark Cuban's Money". Inc. Inc. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
  2. "The Weekly Notable Startup Funding Report: 2/10/20". Alley Watch. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  3. Netzer, Jamie (March 18, 2014). "The Zebra Offers Insurance in Black and White". Silicon Hills News. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
  4. Cronin, Mike. "The Zebra details finances, plans for 'exponential' growth after another investor windfall". Bizjournals. Austin Business Journal. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  5. Lapowsky, Issie (December 10, 2013). "How a 26-Year-Old Founder Landed Mark Cuban's Money". Inc. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
  6. Lalorek (October 10, 2012). "Why I Moved My Company To Austin". Silicon Hills News. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
  7. Clifford, Catherine (March 22, 2017). "How a 25-year-old high-school dropout cold-emailed Mark Cuban and got an investment". CNBC. CNBC. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
  8. Todd, Deborah M. (March 10, 2013). "Austin ascends: High tech transforms Texas capital into a star". The Post Gazette. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
  9. Perez, Sarah (September 5, 2013). "Insurance Zebra Launches A Kayak For Auto Insurance". Tech Crunch. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
  10. Spencer, Malia (January 4, 2013). "ShowClix CEO departing for Austin to join Insurance Zebra". Pittsburgh Business Journal. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
  11. Lapowsky, Issie (December 10, 2013). "How a 26-Year-Old Founder Landed Mark Cuban's Money". Inc.com. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
  12. Perez, Sarah (January 27, 2016). "The Zebra, A "Kayak For Auto Insurance," Grabs $17 Million To Better Educate Drivers About Rates & Coverage". Tech Crunch. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
  13. Perez, Sarah (December 10, 2013). "Kayak For Auto Insurance Site The Zebra Grabs Another $3M, Launches Nationwide". Tech Crunch. Retrieved January 5, 2014.
  14. Bedigian, Louis (December 12, 2013). "The Zebra, a Car Insurance Statup, Raises $3 Million From High-Profile Investors". Benzinga. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
  15. "The Zebra, A "Kayak For Auto Insurance," Grabs $17 Million To Better Educate Drivers About Rates & Coverage". TechCrunch. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  16. Gensler, Lauren (September 19, 2017). "The Zebra Raises $40 Million, Taps New CEO To Expand Beyond Car Insurance". Forbes. Retrieved July 7, 2018.
  17. Wistrom, Brent (September 19, 2017). "The Zebra Hires Former Kayak President and Closes $40M Investment". American Inno. Retrieved July 7, 2018.
  18. Gensler, Lauren (October 24, 2017). "There's A New Way To Figure Out Why Your Car Insurance Costs So Much". Forbes. Retrieved July 7, 2018.
  19. "Adam Lyons leaves The Zebra, hints at something new up his sleeve". Retrieved January 16, 2020.
  20. Griffith, Erin (January 26, 2016). "High School Dropout Raises $17 Million After Cold Emailing Mark Cuban". Fortune. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
  21. "U.S. Drivers Struggle under Soaring Car Insurance Premiums". NBC Nightly News. July 1, 2016. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
  22. Theis, Michael (April 2, 2014). "April Fools: Austin companies crank up the pranks on day of mischief". Austin Business Journal. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
  23. Waxman, Olivia B. (April 1, 2014). "The Best April Fools' Pranks of 2014". Time Magazine. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
  24. "Maid service, 'treat yo' self' perks make The Zebra a Best Place to Work". Austin Business Journal. March 14, 2016. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
  25. Pope, Colin (June 24, 2016). "The Best Places to Work in 2016 - the winners, how they rank and what makes them so cool". Austin Business Journals. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
  26. "The Zebra Named Best Place to Work in Austin for Fourth Consecutive Year".
  27. "The Zebra". Inc.com. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  28. "Adam Lyons Leaves The Zebra". Biz Journals. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  29. "The Zebra raises $38.5M as the insurance marketplace race heats up – TechCrunch". techcrunch.com. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  30. Azevedo, Mary Ann (February 5, 2020). "The Zebra Raises $38.5M For Insurance Comparison Site After 200% Growth In 2019". Crunchbase News. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
  31. Wilhelm, Alex. "The Zebra raises $38.5M as the insurance marketplace race heats up". Techcrunch. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  32. Azevedo, Mary Ann. "The Zebra Raises $38.5M For Insurance Comparison Site After 200% Growth In 2019". Crunchbase News. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  33. Kunkle, Fredrick. "Auto insurance rates have skyrocketed — and in ways that are wildly unfair". Washington Post.
  34. "Drive a little or a lot, car insurers charge the same". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
  35. "The car insurance penalty for distracted driving rose nearly 10,000% this decade". www.digitaltrends.com. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  36. Loudenback, Shayanne Gal, Tanza. "Car insurance rates are going up for women across the US — here's where they pay more than men". Business Insider. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  37. Lee, Kristen. "Here's Where Women Pay More for Car Insurance Than Men: Study". Jalopnik. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  38. Jensen, Cheryl and Christopher. "Which Of Nine Safety Technologies Will Save You Money On Car Insurance? And How Much?". Forbes. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  39. Mintz, Sam. "DOT keeps Elon Musk in the Loop". POLITICO. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
  40. "ShowClix CEO departing for Austin to join Insurance Zebra". Retrieved February 6, 2020.
  41. "Insurtech: Clearcover Takes Flight With $50M Raise In Series C". EnvZone. January 15, 2020. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  42. Chernova, Yuliya (September 19, 2017). "Kayak Boss Takes Flight to Insurance". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  43. Karia, Meetesh. "Forbes Technology Council". Forbes. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  44. "How Adam Lyons, a former CEO, is prepping for a career in TV; Coaching entrepreneurs is the goal". Retrieved January 16, 2020.
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