Car insurance comparison platform startup The Zebra (Insurance Zebra, Inc.) has raised $17 million Series A in a round that included Mark Cuban, Mike Maples Jr., Simon Nixon, Silverton Partners, Daher Capital and Ballast Point Ventures.

Founded in 2012, The Zebra aims to simplify car insurance by allowing drivers to anonymously compare dozens of insurance companies in real-time, providing what it claims is “visibility into the murky world of car insurance pricing and coverage.”

Drivers begin seeing estimated quotes with as little as two pieces of information, with real-time updates showing users exactly what affects their rates as they add more information.

The company provides quotes from over 200 insurance companies across all 50 American states, and provides additional resources on each to allow users to evaluate each company based on what they actually cover in their insurance policies, their customer reviews, claims satisfaction, and more.

Drivers are claimed to save on average $368 per year using The Zebra.

“Insurance shopping is a major pain point for the 250 million-plus U.S. drivers on the road,” investor Mike Maples, Jr. said in a statement sent to SiliconANGLE. “With The Zebra, we’re demystifying an opaque insurance industry and simplifying that process in a way that serves both drivers and insurance companies.”

“Today, consumers expect optionality and speed in nearly every area of their lives, and now technology allows us to create the tools needed for insurers and consumers,” The Zebra Chief Executive Officer Adam Lyons added. “The Zebra’s proprietary solutions enable us to qualify and match drivers with insurers. Insurers love it and consumers need it. This win-win scenario has helped us grow very fast.”

Difficult market

Insurance comparison sites are hardly a new idea and hence it’s a difficult market to break into given there are already a range of established, large players.

The Zebra is taking an interesting approach to the market by letting its results do all the talking, and if the numbers they report are indeed accurate they may have a solid chance of becoming a big player in the space.

Including the new round The Zebra has raised $23.03 million to-date.

The company said it would use the new funding to enhance its product offering, strengthen partnerships with insurance carriers, and expand its quickly growing team.

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