Roost

Smart home telematics and IoT solutions that help property insurers prevent claims and protect policyholders.

Specialty Solutions Growth Series B (USD 18M total raised)

Overview

Roost is a smart home telematics company that develops IoT-based water detection, leak prevention, and home security solutions for the property insurance market. Co-founded in 2014 by wireless industry veterans Roel Peeters and James Blackwell in Sunnyvale, California, the company builds connected devices and telematics platforms that insurance carriers use to reduce claims frequency and offer differentiated policyholder value.

Roost operates in a B2B2C model: devices and telematics software are licensed to insurance carriers, who distribute them -- often as white-label offerings -- to their policyholders. The company has raised USD 18 million across four funding rounds, with strategic investment coming directly from carrier partners including USAA, Aviva Ventures, and Desjardins Insurance. This carrier-led investor base reflects deep commercial validation within the insurance industry.

A key differentiator is Roost's Zero Install technology, enabling device deployment without an on-site technician, and the company's commitment to privacy -- Roost does not resell personal information gathered from connected devices. A 2023 research study conducted with Willis Towers Watson across 100,000+ household-years of data demonstrated measurable claims reduction from Roost leak prevention deployments.

Products & Services

Water Security 360 (WS360)

Residential water and leak detection system connecting cellular and Wi-Fi sensors to a smartphone app. Provides real-time alerts for water leaks and freeze risks, enabling policyholders to act before damage becomes a claim.

Key Features

Cellular and Wi-Fi sensor connectivity
Smartphone app for real-time alerts and device management
Freeze and leak detection for residential properties

Target Users: Residential homeowners; distributed by personal lines carriers

Protection360 (P360)

Commercial water and freeze prevention system for small and medium businesses, multi-family properties, houses of worship, and small hotels. Alerts policyholders and carriers to water leaks, extreme temperatures, and smoke alarm issues.

Key Features

End-to-end service for commercial property carriers
Monitoring for water, temperature extremes, and fire events
White-label ready for carrier deployment

Target Users: Commercial property policyholders; SMBs and specialty accounts

Security360

Cellular-based home security system with sensors, keypad, and SmartHub offering 24/7 professional monitoring. Combines home protection with insurance coverage as a white-label solution for carrier partners. Launched with USAA in 2024 with 36-month subscriber agreements, available to USAA's 13+ million members.

Key Features

Multi-peril protection: theft, water, fire
24/7 professional monitoring
White-label for insurance carrier partners
Cellular connectivity without broadband dependency

Target Users: Homeowners; distributed through carrier partnerships

Smart Smoke Alarm Battery

Cellular-connected battery that converts existing smoke alarms into connected devices, eliminating the need to replace existing hardware. Also functions as an armed intruder alert system sensor.

Key Features

Drop-in connectivity for existing smoke alarms
Intruder alert integration
Cellular connectivity

Target Users: Homeowners; complementary add-on for carrier programs

Telematics Platform

Cloud data platform that aggregates signals from all Roost connected devices into analytics for insurance carrier partners. Enables real-time tracking of water leaks, temperature extremes, power outages, fire events, and security incidents.

Key Features

API for insurer data access
Real-time event monitoring across device types
Aggregate portfolio-level analytics for carriers
Privacy-preserving design (no resale of personal data)

Target Users: Property insurance carriers

At a Glance

Founded: 2014
Headquarters: Sunnyvale, California
Funding: Series B (USD 18M total raised)

Category & Focus

Category: Specialty Solutions
Subcategories: Home Telematics IoT Water Leak Detection Home Security Loss Prevention
Insurance Verticals: P&C Personal P&C Commercial
Target Customers: Carriers

Customers

USAA (Top 5 US carrier; 13+ million members; Security360 partnership launched 2024)
Desjardins Insurance (investor and operational partner)
Church Mutual Insurance Company (Protection360 deployment partner)