Root, Inc.

Root Insurance began with a simple yet revolutionary idea: car insurance rates should be based on how you actually drive, not who you are. Founded in 2015 by Alex Timm and Dan Manges in Columbus, Ohio, the company set out to disrupt an archaic industry that had long relied on demographic proxies like credit scores and occupation to price risk. Timm, an actuary by trade, and Manges, a software engineer, envisioned a future where technology could restore fairness to insurance. They built a mobile-first carrier from the ground up, leveraging the power of smartphone sensors to measure driving behavior directly.

What started as a bold experiment has grown into a publicly traded insurtech leader. Root's unique 'test drive' model requires potential customers to download the app and drive for a few weeks. During this period, the app analyzes telematics data—braking, turning, and distracted driving—to determine a personalized rate. This data-driven approach allows Root to offer significant savings to good drivers while avoiding the bad risks that traditional carriers might unknowingly accept. Over the years, the company has collected billions of miles of driving data, refining its machine learning models to price risk with unprecedented accuracy.

Today, Root has expanded beyond just direct-to-consumer auto insurance. The company has forged strategic partnerships to embed its insurance products into other platforms, such as Carvana, creating a seamless experience for car buyers. Despite its rapid growth and IPO in 2020, Root remains committed to its founding mission: to unbreak the insurance industry through technology, fairness, and simplicity. The company continues to innovate, using its massive dataset to not only price insurance better but to incentivize safer roads for everyone.