Coastal Insurers Expand Use of ZestyAI as Property-Level Intelligence Becomes Critical in Catastrophe-Prone States

San Francisco, CA – February 26, 2026; As catastrophe volatility intensifies and reshapes underwriting in coastal states, two insurers specialising in volatile insurance environments – Southern Oak Insurance Company and Lilypad-Centauri Insurance – are leveraging ZestyAI, the Risk and Decision Intelligence Platform for the insurance industry, to bring greater structure-level intelligence to risk selection and portfolio oversight.

Insurers across coastal and hurricane-exposed states are under increasing pressure to refine how they assess and manage property risk. In markets where roof condition, parcel characteristics, and structural features can materially impact loss outcomes, traditional data sources often fail to capture the true condition and vulnerability of individual homes.

By applying computer vision and machine learning to aerial imagery, building permits, and verified property data, ZestyAI enables carriers to see risk at the individual property level, particularly in volatile, catastrophe-prone states like Florida.

Southern Oak Expands Partnership After Nine Months of Demonstrated Impact

Southern Oak Insurance Company is today announcing the expansion of its partnership with ZestyAI following nine months of demonstrated impact across its Florida homeowners portfolio.

Southern Oak initially adopted Z-PROPERTY™ in 2025 to gain clearer visibility into structural condition and exposure in one of the most complex and loss-prone insurance markets in the U.S. The model evaluates properties in 3D using aerial imagery, permit data, and tax records – assessing roof complexity, materials, condition, and other characteristics that influence claim frequency and severity.

The expansion reflects Southern Oak’s continued focus on proactive risk management in Florida’s volatile insurance environment, where granular, defensible property data is increasingly essential to underwriting discipline and portfolio stability.

Tony Loughman, CEO of Southern Oak Insurance Company said: “Within months of deploying ZestyAI, it became clear that property-level intelligence needed to play a larger role in how we evaluate and manage risk. Expanding our partnership allows us to build on that foundation with greater confidence in the data behind our decisions, particularly in a market where roof condition, complexity, and exposure can materially impact outcomes.”

Lilypad Insurance Strengthens Coastal Portfolio with Roof and Parcel-Level Analytics

Lilypad-Centauri has adopted ZestyAI’s Roof Age and Z-PROPERTY™ solutions to sharpen its exposure data and strengthen underwriting decisions across its coastal homeowners and dwelling fire portfolios.

Focused on delivering stable and reliable coverage in hurricane and catastrophe-exposed communities, Lilypad-Centauri is leveraging verified roof age data and AI-driven parcel analytics to gain a clearer view of structural condition, roof replacement history, vegetation overhang, yard debris, and secondary structures. These insights support more defensible underwriting decisions and improved management of accumulation risk across its coastal book of business.

Tony Hare, Chief Operating Officer & Chief Underwriting Officer of Lilypad-Centauri said: “Coastal properties present a unique combination of exposure, from roof condition and construction features to how the parcel is maintained. ZestyAI’s roof and parcel-level analytics give us a clearer, property-level view of the homes we insure, helping us reduce uncertainty and better manage portfolio volatility.”

Attila Toth, Founder and CEO of ZestyAI, said; “These partnerships reflect a broader shift happening across catastrophe-exposed markets. Insurers are moving beyond generalized risk indicators and replacing exposure uncertainty with verifiable, property-level intelligence. Southern Oak’s decision to expand just nine months in is a strong signal of the value property-level intelligence delivers when it’s put into production. When that intelligence is transparent, validated, and regulator-ready, it becomes foundational to underwriting discipline and long-term portfolio resilience.”