ZestyAI’s Z-FIRE wildfire risk model will support property-level rating and underwriting as Kingstone enters the California homeowners market on an E&S basis
KINGSTON, N.Y., April 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kingstone Companies, Inc. (Nasdaq: KINS) (the “Company” or “Kingstone”), a property and casualty insurance holding company, today announced a partnership with ZestyAI to deploy property-level wildfire risk analytics as part of Kingstone’s planned expansion into the California homeowners market. As previously disclosed, Kingstone will enter California in Q2 2026 on an excess and surplus lines (E&S) basis, applying the same disciplined, data-driven underwriting approach that has driven record financial results in New York.
As part of its California rating and underwriting framework, Kingstone has integrated ZestyAI’s Z-FIRE™ wildfire risk model among the tools used to evaluate wildfire exposure at the individual-property level and to support disciplined underwriting in catastrophe-exposed regions.
Z-FIRE uses machine learning to evaluate each property’s unique characteristics, including defensible space, building materials, topography, and vegetation, to assess wildfire exposure at a granular level. This property-level insight enables Kingstone to differentiate risk within the same territory, improving rating and underwriting precision and portfolio oversight.
“Our California entry reflects the same disciplined, data-driven approach that has driven our results in New York,” said Sarah (Minlei) Chen, SVP, Chief Actuary and Head of Product Management. “ZestyAI’s Z-FIRE model complements our Select platform by providing the property-level wildfire intelligence we need to rate and underwrite with precision in a complex and dynamic market like California.”
“Wildfire risk is pushing the insurance industry to embrace more advanced analytics and AI-driven decision making,” said Attila Toth, Founder and CEO of ZestyAI. “With a clearer understanding of risk, insurers can make confident decisions about where they grow, how they manage exposure, and how they continue serving communities in wildfire-prone regions.”
Z-FIRE is used by carriers across Western wildfire states and was the first AI-based wildfire model included in an approved carrier rate filing in California.
Kingstone’s California strategy builds on the operational and underwriting transformation the Company has executed over the past four years. The Company’s E&S structure provides pricing flexibility to apply forward-looking wildfire models, set rates to achieve target margin requirements, and maintain strict underwriting standards including real-time accumulation management. Kingstone is maintaining a 30% quota share on its California business to manage net exposure during the initial scaling period.
About Kingstone Companies, Inc.
Kingstone is a Northeast regional property and casualty insurance holding company whose principal operating subsidiary is Kingstone Insurance Company ("KICO"). KICO is a New York domiciled carrier writing business through retail and wholesale agents and brokers. Kingstone delivers tailored homeowners insurance solutions through its sophisticated product suite, Select, supported by a scalable and efficient operating platform that enables the Company to pursue significant market opportunities and strategic expansion. KICO was the 11th largest writer of homeowners insurance in New York in 2025 and is also licensed in New Jersey, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, and Maine.
Kingstone Investor Relations Contact:
Elevate IR
KINS@elevate-ir.com
720-330-2829
About ZestyAI
ZestyAI is the Risk and Decision Intelligence Platform for the insurance industry. Trusted by Property & Casualty carriers, reinsurers, brokers, and regulators across the United States, ZestyAI helps insurers make better decisions faster and with greater confidence. The platform unifies property-level data, predictive AI models, and agentic AI automation to transform how insurers see, price, and manage risk. Through machine learning, computer vision, and regulatory-grade transparency, ZestyAI delivers precision and performance across underwriting, rating, reinsurance, and regulatory workflows.
Validated by climate science and historical loss data, ZestyAI’s models cover major perils including wildfire, severe convective storm, and non-weather water. From improving pricing accuracy to strengthening reinsurance outcomes, ZestyAI brings trusted AI to every insurance decision—helping the industry operate with speed, accuracy, and resilience.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, may be forward-looking statements. These statements are based on management’s current expectations and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those included in forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors. For more details on factors that could affect expectations, see Part I, Item 1A of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025.
The risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, the following:
- the risk of significant losses from catastrophes and severe weather events;
- risks related to the lack of a financial strength rating from A.M. Best;
- risks related to limitations on the ability of our insurance subsidiary to pay dividends to us;
- adverse capital, credit and financial market conditions;
- risks related to volatility in net investment income;
- the unavailability of reinsurance at current levels and prices;
- the exposure to greater net insurance losses in the event of reduced reliance on reinsurance;
- the credit risk of our reinsurers;
- the inability to maintain the requisite amount of risk-based capital needed to grow our business;
- the effects of climate change on the frequency or severity of weather events and wildfires;
- risks related to the limited market area of our business;
- risks related to a concentration of business in a limited number of producers;
- legislative and regulatory changes, including changes in insurance laws and regulations and their application by our regulators;
- the effects of competition in our market areas;
- our reliance on certain key personnel;
- risks related to security breaches or other attacks involving our computer systems or those of our vendors;
- our reliance on information technology and information systems; and
- risks related to our diversification and growth strategy, including with regard to the California market.
Kingstone undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
