The Zebra Named Austin A-List Hottest Startup & Finalist for EY Entrepreneur of the Year

AUSTIN, Texas, May 12, 2016 (Newswire.com) - ​The Zebra, the nation’s largest car insurance comparison marketplace, today announced that the company was named to the Austin Chamber’s A-List of the Hottest Startups. CEO Adam Lyons was also named a finalist for the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2016 Award in the Central Texas region. Lyons is the youngest among the group of finalists for this award.

Austin A-List of the Hottest Startups Awards

"The Zebra has been able to disrupt a massive and staid industry because they have a candid understanding of what today's drivers need and how they want to shop for it. The team has built an impressively unique model and has the strategy, talent, and capital to continue growing and transforming the space."

Mike Maples, Jr. , Floodgate Ventures

On Wednesday, May 11, the Austin Chamber hosted its annual A-List of the Hottest Startups at ACL Live at the Moody Theater and honored The Zebra as one of a few companies bringing cutting-edge innovation to Austin. The Chamber’s Innovate Austin initiative and South by Southwest Interactive collaborated to evaluate the top Austin-area startups across various industries and investment stages, selecting the 12 winners from nearly 200 nominations. A-List companies represent Austin's most fundable, scalable and innovative startups, and drive increased venture capital funding to Central Texas. In fact, there have been a combined nearly $1 billion in investment for all A-List honorees since the inception of the awards.

In January, The Zebra announced it closed a $17 million Series A funding round, and has brought new investors to Austin including Daher Capital and Ballast Point Ventures. The company has grown its revenue, traffic and headcount significantly in 2016 and will move into a newly renovated downtown office space in June to accommodate continued growth.

“We’re immensely proud to be among this year’s A-List of the Hottest Startups,” Lyons said. “A few years ago, we moved The Zebra to Austin because of this city’s vibrant tech and startup culture and the opportunities for funding here, both of which have been so critical to the incredible growth we’ve achieved.”

“The Zebra has been able to disrupt a massive and staid industry because they have a candid understanding of what today’s drivers need and how they want to shop for it,” said Mike Maples, Jr. of Floodgate Ventures, an early investor of The Zebra and speaker at the A-List Awards. “The team has built an impressively unique model and has the strategy, talent, and capital to continue growing and transforming the space.”

EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards

Since founding the company in 2012, CEO Adam Lyons has grown The Zebra into a disruptive force within the $220 billion car insurance industry. This month, a panel of independent EY judges selected Lyons, along with leaders from 22 other organizations, as a finalist in their annual Entrepreneur of the Year program in the Central Texas region. At 28, Lyons is the youngest honoree.

Now in its 30th year, the EY Entrepreneur of the Year program has expanded to recognize business leaders in more than 60 countries and nearly 150 cities throughout the world who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance, and personal commitment to their businesses and communities.

“It’s a fantastic honor to be recognized among such a talented group of entrepreneurs who are shattering norms and transforming industries,” Lyons said. “It’s been truly amazing journey taking a napkin idea and turning it into the most visited insurance comparison site in the nation, and one of the fastest-growing companies ever. The same folks that started The Zebra are going to see it through, and that's a key driver of our success."

EY will announce the Central Texas Entrepreneur of the Year winners at an awards gala on Thursday, June 9 at the JW Marriott in Austin.

About The Zebra

The Zebra is the most comprehensive online car insurance comparison platform in the U.S. Since 2012, the company has sought to bring transparency and simplicity to car insurance shopping — “car insurance in black and white.” With The Zebra’s real-time, side-by-side quote comparison tool, drivers can identify insurance companies with the coverage, service level, and pricing to suit their unique needs. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, The Zebra compares over 200 car insurance companies and provides agent support and educational resources to ensure drivers are equipped to make the most informed decisions about their car insurance.

Media contact:

Alyssa Connolly

The Zebra

Phone: 773.59.ZEBRA

[email protected]

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Source: The Zebra