PluggdIn
Patented distracted driving prevention technology licensed to auto insurance carriers
Overview
PluggdIn is a telematics and driver safety platform for auto insurance carriers, built around a patented smart car phone holder and companion mobile application designed to reduce distracted driving. The company targets carriers seeking risk mitigation and engagement tools for the teen and young driver segment, where distracted driving is a disproportionate cause of collisions.
The platform combines a physical hardware device -- the patented smart phone holder -- with a mobile app that monitors driving behavior in real time and distributes rewards for safe driving. The app also provides remote parental monitoring, allowing parents to view and intervene in driving behavior from any location. Auto insurance carriers license the combined hardware-software platform and deploy it to policyholders as part of usage-based insurance or driver safety programs.
PluggdIn conducted a research collaboration involving 7,000 AAA Northeast members, with methodology accredited through Brown University Institutional Review Board, to validate the platform. The company was founded in 2018 by Eric Grunfeld, a University of Vermont Community Entrepreneurship graduate who subsequently completed a Master of Science in Technology Leadership at Brown University.
Products & Services
Smart Car Phone Holder
A patented hardware device that physically secures the driver smartphone in the vehicle. Works in conjunction with the PluggdIn mobile app to enable monitoring and behavioral intervention. Licensed to auto insurance carriers as part of the platform.
Key Features
- Patented hardware design for smartphone mounting
- Integrated with mobile app for real-time monitoring
- Deployed to policyholders by auto insurance carrier partners
Target Users: Auto insurance carrier policyholders (teen and young drivers)
PluggdIn Mobile App
A companion mobile application that tracks driving behavior and rewards safe driving. Designed for policyholders and their families.
Key Features
- Real-time distracted driving detection
- Safe driving rewards and incentives
- Remote parental monitoring with real-time alerts and intervention capability
Target Users: Teen and young drivers; parents of policyholders
B2B Licensing Platform
The core commercial offering enabling auto insurance carriers to deploy the combined hardware-software solution to their policyholders as a risk mitigation and engagement program.
Key Features
- Telematics data collection for risk assessment
- Compatible with usage-based insurance workflows
- Carrier-branded deployment to policyholders
Target Users: Auto insurance carriers
At a Glance
- Founded
- 2018
- Headquarters
- Alpine, NJ, USA
- Employees
- 1-10
- Funding
- Bootstrapped
Category & Focus
- Category
- Data & Analytics
- Subcategories
- Telematics Driver Behavior Monitoring Usage-Based Insurance
- Insurance Verticals
- P&C Personal
- Target Customers
- Carriers
Customers
- No named carrier customers publicly disclosed
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Last updated: 2026-06-05