In The Car, an embedded auto insurance platform backed by Howden Re executive chairman Rod Fox and former RenaissanceRe chairman and CEO Jim Stanard, is setting its sights on rapid growth after a soft launch earlier this year.
The MGA offers embedded auto insurance at car dealerships by integrating policies into dealership management systems. The company, led by CEO Matthew Edmonds – formerly the architect of Tesla’s insurance platform – is live in Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana, with filings pending in five additional states, including Illinois and Indiana.
The MGA writes on paper provided by Incline Insurance and an affiliate, Redpoint Insurance Group, but is looking to add additional carriers as its footprint expands to other states, Edmonds said.
Fox said the MGA is able to generate personalized insurance quotes using data already collected at the dealership during the car-buying process, eliminating the need for customers to re-enter information or leave the dealership to secure coverage. Quotes are offered for the new car as well as any additional vehicles the buyer already owns.
“Because we’re integrated, you don’t have to sit there and re-key information that’s already been pulled in the auto buying process. We know everything we need to know, and you can buy insurance right there,” Fox said. “There’s not nine steps.”
The platform uses predictive modeling and third-party data sources to instantly pull driving records, prior accidents, current coverage, credit scores (where permitted by state regulators) and household vehicle information. This enables a comprehensive quote in as little as 30 seconds, tailored to the customer’s current coverage and the specific vehicle being purchased, Edmonds said.
The company reported strong early traction, with bind rates of approximately 20%- 25% among customers receiving quotes – a figure significantly higher than industry norms, Edmonds said.
He attributed this to the seamless process and the high quality of the customer base, which skews toward new vehicle buyers with higher credit scores and fewer prior losses.