Root Insurance vs Hey Telo

About

Root Insurance is a usage-based auto insurance company that determines premiums primarily based on actual driving behavior — measured through a smartphone app during a test drive period — rather than traditional demographic factors like age, gender, and credit score. Founded in 2015 by Alex Timm and Dan Manges in Columbus, Ohio, Root went public on NASDAQ in 2020 (NASDAQ: ROOT) and has raised over $700 million. The company targets safe drivers who are penalized by traditional insurance pricing that bundles them with riskier demographic groups.\n\nRoot's telematics model requires new customers to take a 2-3 week "test drive" using the Root app, which analyzes their driving behavior — hard braking, sharp turns, phone distraction, time of day driving, and driving speed relative to the flow of traffic. Drivers with good behavior scores receive competitive rates, while drivers with poor scores may be declined (Root can be selective because it's not targeting the full market). The model theoretically produces better risk selection than traditional demographic underwriting.\n\nIn 2025, Root has refocused after significant losses following its IPO — the company initially struggled with adverse selection and claims inflation. Root's strategy has shifted toward more conservative underwriting, improving its pricing model accuracy, and expanding its embedded insurance channel (distributing auto insurance through car dealers and auto marketplaces like Carvana). Root competes with Progressive (leader in usage-based insurance), Metromile (acquired by Lemonade), and traditional insurers' telematics programs. The 2025 strategy focuses on profitability over growth, with Root targeting underwriting profitability milestones and demonstrating that usage-based insurance can achieve sustainable loss ratios.