Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2024

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting periods. Significant estimates and assumptions reflected in these consolidated financial statements include, but are not limited to, revenue recognition and the valuation of accounts and commissions receivables, the expensing and capitalization of website and software development costs, the valuation of goodwill and acquired intangible assets, the valuation of stock-based awards and income taxes. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience, known trends and other market-specific or relevant factors that it believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. On an ongoing basis, management evaluates its estimates, as there are changes in circumstances, facts and experience. Changes in estimates are recorded in periods in which they become known. These estimates may change, as new events occur and additional information is obtained and actual results could differ materially from these estimates.

Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less at the date of purchase to be cash equivalents.

Concentrations of Credit Risk and of Significant Customers

Financial instruments that potentially expose the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents and accounts and commissions receivable. The Company maintains its cash and cash equivalents at accredited financial institutions. The Company does not believe that it is subject to unusual credit risk beyond the normal credit risk associated with commercial banking relationships.

The Company sells its consumer referrals to insurance provider customers, consisting of carriers and agents, and indirect distributors in the United States. For the year ended December 31, 2024, one customer represented 39% of total revenue. For the year ended December 31, 2023, one customer represented 18% of total revenue. For the year ended December 31, 2022, two customers represented 21% and 11%, respectively, of total revenue. As of December 31, 2024, two customers accounted for 40% and 21%, respectively, of the total accounts and commissions receivable balance. As of December 31, 2023, one customer accounted for 42% of the total accounts and commissions receivable balance.

Accounts Receivable

The Company provides credit to customers in the ordinary course of business and believes its credit policies are prudent and reflect industry practices and business risk. The Company monitors economic conditions to identify facts or circumstances that may indicate that its receivables are at risk of collection. The Company provides reserves against accounts receivable for estimated losses, if any, that may result from a customer’s inability to pay based on the composition of its accounts receivable, current economic conditions, and historical credit loss activity. Amounts determined to be uncollectible are charged or written-off against the reserve. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company’s allowance for credit losses was $0.1 million and less than $0.1 million, respectively. During the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2022, the Company wrote off an insignificant amount of uncollectible accounts. During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company wrote off $0.9 million of uncollectible accounts.

Revenue Recognition

The Company derives its revenue primarily by selling consumer referrals to its insurance provider customers, including insurance carriers, agents and indirect distributors. The Company also generates revenue from commission fees for the sale of policies, primarily in its automotive insurance vertical, and prior to its exit from health in 2023, in its health insurance vertical. To determine revenue recognition for arrangements that the Company determines are within the scope of ASC 606 Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASC 606”), the Company performs the following five steps: (i) identify the contract(s) with a customer; (ii) identify the performance obligations in the contract; (iii) determine the transaction price; (iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and (v) recognize revenue when (or as) the Company satisfies a performance obligation.

The Company only applies the five-step model to contracts when collectibility of the consideration to which the Company is entitled in exchange for the goods or services it transfers to the customer is determined to be probable. Amounts are recorded as accounts receivable when the Company’s right to consideration is unconditional. The Company does not assess whether a contract has a significant financing component if the expectation at contract inception is that the period between payment by the customer and the transfer of the promised goods or services to the customer will be one year or less.

Referral Revenue

The Company recognizes referral revenue when it satisfies its performance obligations by delivering the referrals to its customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which it expects to be entitled in exchange for those referrals.

Commission Revenue

The Company’s commission revenue consists of the estimated constrained lifetime values (the “constrained LTVs”) of commission payments that the Company expects to receive in its automotive insurance vertical, and prior to its exit from health in 2023, that it expected to receive in its health insurance vertical on the sale of insurance policies to consumers and renewals of such policies. Commission revenue is recognized upon satisfaction of the Company’s performance obligation. The Company considers its performance obligation related to commissions for both the initial policy sale and future renewals of the policy to be satisfied upon submission of the policy application. Therefore, a significant portion of the commission revenue the Company records upon satisfaction of its performance obligation is paid by the Company’s insurance provider customer over a multi-year time frame as policyholders renew and pay the insurance provider for their policies. Commission revenue represented less than 10% of total revenue for each of the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, and 13% of total revenue for the year ended December 31, 2022.

The current portion of commissions receivable consists of estimated commissions on new policies sold and estimated renewal commissions on policies expected to be renewed within one year, while the non-current portion of commissions receivable are commissions for estimated renewals expected to be renewed beyond one year. The Company’s estimate of constrained LTVs underlying the commissions receivable balance is based on an analysis of historical commission payment trends for relevant policies to establish an expected lifetime value and incorporates management’s judgment in interpreting those trends to calculate LTVs and to apply constraints to such LTVs. To the extent that the Company makes changes to its estimates of constrained LTVs, it recognizes any material impact of the change as an adjustment to revenue and commissions receivable in the reporting period in which the change is made.

Disaggregated Revenue

The Company presents disaggregated revenue from contracts with customers by distribution channel, as the distribution channel impacts the nature and amount of the Company’s revenue, and by vertical market segment. The Company’s direct distribution channel consists of insurance carriers and third-party agents. The Company’s indirect distribution channel consists of insurance aggregators and media networks who purchase referrals with the intent to resell. Revenue generated via the Company’s direct distribution channel is generally higher per referral than revenue generated by the Company’s indirect distribution channels and provides the Company with additional insights and data regarding insurance provider demand and referral performance.

Total revenue is comprised of revenue from the following distribution channels:

	Year Ended December 31,
	2024			2023			2022
Direct channels		86	%		81	%		86	%
Indirect channels		14	%		19	%		14	%
		100	%		100	%		100	%

Total revenue is comprised of revenue from the following insurance verticals (in thousands):

	Year Ended December 31,
	2024		2023		2022
Automotive	$	446,095	$	227,505	$	324,417
Home and renters		52,013		40,889		31,909
Other		2,082		19,527		47,801
Total Revenue	$	500,190	$	287,921	$	404,127

The Company has elected to apply the practical expedient in ASC 606 to expense incremental direct costs of obtaining a contract, consisting of sales commissions, as incurred as the expected period of benefit of the sales commissions is one year or less. At December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company had not capitalized any costs to obtain any of its contracts.

Deferred Revenue

Amounts received for referrals prior to satisfying the revenue recognition criteria are recorded as deferred revenue in the accompanying balance sheets. Amounts expected to be recognized as revenue within 12 months of the balance sheet date are classified as current deferred revenue. Deferred revenue was $1.8 million and $1.9 million as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company recognized revenue of $1.3 million that was included in the contract liability balance (deferred revenue) at December 31, 2023. The Company recognizes deferred revenue by first allocating from the beginning deferred revenue balance to the extent that the beginning deferred revenue balance exceeds the revenue to be recognized. Billings during the period are added to the deferred revenue balance to be recognized in future periods.

Commissions Receivable

Commissions receivable are contract assets that represent estimated variable consideration for commissions to be received from insurance carriers for performance obligations that have been satisfied. The current portion of commissions receivable are estimated commissions expected to be received within one year, while the non-current portion of commissions receivable are expected to be received beyond one year.

The Company assesses impairment for uncollectible consideration when information available indicates it is probable that an asset has been impaired. There were no impairments recorded during the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 or 2022.

While the Company is exposed to credit losses due to the non-payment by insurance carriers, it considers the risk of this to be remote.

Goodwill and Acquired Intangible Assets

The Company records goodwill when consideration paid in a business acquisition exceeds the value of the net assets acquired. The Company’s estimates of fair value are based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable at that time but that are inherently uncertain and unpredictable. Assumptions may be incomplete or inaccurate, and unanticipated events or circumstances may occur, which may affect the accuracy or validity of such assumptions, estimates or actual results. During the measurement period, which extends no later than one year from the acquisition date, the Company may record certain adjustments to the carrying value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed with the corresponding offset to goodwill. After the measurement period, all adjustments are recorded in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss) as operating expenses or income.

Goodwill is not amortized, but rather is tested for impairment annually in the fourth quarter, or more frequently if facts and circumstances warrant a review, such as significant underperformance of the business in relation to expectations, significant negative industry or economic trends and significant changes or planned changes in the use of the assets. The Company assesses both the existence of potential impairment and the amount of impairment loss by comparing the fair value of the reporting unit with its carrying amount, including goodwill. Intangible assets are recorded at their estimated fair values at the date of acquisition. The Company amortizes acquired intangible assets over their estimated useful lives based on the pattern of consumption of the economic benefits or, if that pattern cannot be readily determined, on a straight-line basis.

Valuation of Contingent Consideration

The Company’s two acquisitions in 2021 and 2020 provided for shares of Class A common stock to be issued to former owners of the purchased entities upon the achievement of certain revenue targets (see Note 3). Achievement of revenue targets that result in the issuance of a variable number of shares of Class A common stock are accounted for as a liability. The Company estimates the fair value of the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon achievement of the targets as of the acquisition date. The Company remeasures the fair value of the shares of Class A common stock issuable at each subsequent reporting date until the liability is fully settled. The Company uses Monte Carlo simulation models in its estimates. The estimated fair value of the contingent consideration is based upon available information and certain assumptions, known at the time of its estimates, which management believes are reasonable.

Deferred Financing Costs

The Company capitalizes lender, legal and other third-party fees that are directly associated with obtaining access to capital under credit facilities. Deferred financing costs incurred in connection with obtaining access to capital are recorded in prepaid expenses and other current assets and are amortized over the availability period or term of the credit facility. Deferred financing costs related to a recognized debt liability are recorded as a direct reduction of the carrying amount of the debt liability and amortized to interest expense on an effective interest basis over the repayment term.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation and amortization expense is recognized using the straight-line method over the estimated useful life of each asset as follows:

	Estimated Useful Life
Computer equipment	3 years
Software	3 years
Furniture and fixtures	5 years
Leasehold improvements	Shorter of lease term or estimated useful life

Upon retirement or sale, the cost of assets disposed of and the related accumulated depreciation and amortization are removed from the accounts and any resulting gain or loss is included in loss from operations on the statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss). Expenditures for repairs and maintenance are charged to expense as incurred.

Leases

The Company accounts for leases under ASC Topic 842, Leases (“ASC 842”). In accordance with ASC 842, the Company accounts for a contract as a lease when it has the right to control the asset for a period of time while obtaining substantially all of the asset’s economic benefits. The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease or contains an embedded lease at inception. For arrangements that meet the definition of a lease, the Company determines the initial classification and measurement of its right-of-use asset and lease liability at the lease commencement date and thereafter if modified. The lease term includes any renewal options that the Company is reasonably assured to exercise. The present value of lease payments is determined by using the interest rate implicit in the lease, if that rate is readily determinable; otherwise, the Company uses its estimated secured incremental borrowing rate for that lease term. The Company’s policy is to not record leases with an original term of 12 months or less on its consolidated balance sheets and recognizes those lease payments in the income statement on a straight-line basis over the lease term. The Company’s existing leases are for office space.

In addition to rent, the leases may require the Company to pay additional costs, such as utilities, maintenance and other operating costs, which are generally referred to as non-lease components. The Company has elected to not separate lease and non-lease components. Only the fixed costs for lease components and their associated non-lease components are accounted for as a single lease component and recognized as part of a right-of-use asset and lease liability. Rent expense for operating leases is recognized on a straight-line basis over the reasonably assured lease term based on the total lease payments and is included in operating expense in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss).

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

Long-lived assets consist primarily of property and equipment, right-of-use assets and intangible assets with finite lives. Long-lived assets to be held and used are tested for recoverability whenever events or changes in business circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets may not be fully recoverable. Factors that the Company considers in deciding when to perform an impairment review include significant underperformance of the business in relation to expectations, significant negative industry or economic trends and significant changes or planned changes in the use of the assets. If an impairment review is performed to evaluate a long-lived asset group for recoverability, the Company compares forecasts of undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use and eventual disposition of the long-lived asset group to its carrying value. An impairment loss would be recognized in loss from operations when estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to result from the use of an asset group are less than its carrying amount. The impairment loss would be based on the excess of the carrying value of the impaired asset group over its fair value, determined based on discounted cash flows. In connection with its restructuring and exit from the health vertical in 2023, the Company recorded impairments of a right-of-use asset (see Note 17). The Company did not record any impairment losses on long-lived assets during the years ended December 31, 2024 or 2022.

Fair Value Measurements

Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. Valuation techniques used to measure fair value must maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. Financial assets and liabilities carried at fair value are to be classified and disclosed in one of the following three levels of the fair value hierarchy, of which the first two are considered observable and the last is considered unobservable:

•Level 1—Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

•Level 2—Observable inputs (other than Level 1 quoted prices), such as quoted prices in active markets for similar assets or liabilities, quoted prices in markets that are not active for identical or similar assets or liabilities, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data.

•Level 3—Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to determining the fair value of the assets or liabilities, including pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies and similar techniques.

The Company’s cash equivalents are carried at fair value, determined according to the fair value hierarchy described above (see Note 4). The carrying values of the Company’s accounts receivable, accounts payable and accrued expenses and other current liabilities approximate their fair values due to the short-term nature of these assets and liabilities. Commissions receivable are recorded at constrained lifetime values.

Segment Information

The Company manages its operations as a single segment for the purposes of assessing performance and making operating decisions. The Company operates an online marketplace for consumers shopping for auto and home and renters insurance quotes and generates revenue principally from referral fees.

Research and Development

Research and development expenses consist primarily of personnel-related expenses (wages, fringe benefit costs and stock-based compensation expense) for product management and software development. Research and development costs are expensed as incurred, except for certain costs which are capitalized in connection with the development of the Company’s website and internal-use software.

Costs incurred in the preliminary and post-implementation stages of development are expensed as incurred. Once an application has reached the development stage, internal costs, if direct and incremental, are capitalized until the software is substantially complete and ready for its intended use. Capitalization ceases upon completion of all substantial testing performed to ensure the product is ready for its intended use. The Company also capitalizes costs related to specific upgrades and enhancements of its website and internal-use software when it is probable that the expenditures will result in additional functionality. Maintenance and training costs are expensed as incurred. Capitalized software costs are recorded as part of property and equipment and are amortized on a straight-line basis over an estimated useful life of three years.

Advertising Expense

Advertising expense consists of variable costs that are related to attracting consumers to the Company’s marketplace and generating consumer quote requests, including through its verified partner network, and promoting its marketplace to insurance carriers and agents. The Company expenses advertising costs as incurred and such costs are included in sales and marketing expense in the accompanying statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss). During the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, advertising expense totaled $345.0 million, $187.6 million and $275.9 million, respectively.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company measures compensation expense for stock options with service-based vesting or performance-based vesting granted to employees, nonemployees and directors based on the fair value on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The Company measures compensation expense for restricted common stock units based on the fair value on the date of grant using the market value of the Company’s common stock. Compensation expense for employee awards is recognized, net of estimated forfeitures, over the requisite service period, which is generally the vesting period of the respective award. The Company uses the straight-line method to record the expense of employee awards with only service-based vesting conditions. The Company uses the graded-vesting method to record the expense of employee awards with both service-based and performance-based vesting conditions, commencing once achievement of the performance condition becomes probable. Compensation expense for nonemployee awards is recognized in the same manner as if the Company had paid cash for the goods or services received, which is generally the vesting period of the respective award.

The Company classifies stock-based compensation expense in its statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss) in the same manner in which the award recipient’s payroll costs are classified or in which the award recipient’s service payments are classified.

Foreign Currency Translation

The functional currency of the Company’s foreign subsidiaries is the currency of the local country. Assets and liabilities of the Company’s foreign subsidiaries are translated into U.S. dollars using the period-end exchange rates, and income and expense items are translated into U.S. dollars using average exchange rates in effect during each period. The effects of these foreign currency translation adjustments are included in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), a separate component of stockholders’ equity. The Company also incurs transaction gains and losses resulting from intercompany transactions as well as transactions with customers or vendors denominated in currencies other than the functional currency of the legal entity in which the transaction is recorded. Foreign currency transaction gains (losses) are included in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss) as a component of other income (expense) and have not been significant.

Comprehensive Income (Loss)

Comprehensive income (loss) includes net income (loss) as well as other changes in stockholders’ equity that result from transactions and economic events other than those with stockholders. The Company’s only element of other comprehensive income (loss) is foreign currency translation adjustments.

Net Income (Loss) per Share

Basic net income (loss) per common share is computed by dividing the net income (loss) by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding for the period. Diluted net income (loss) per common share is computed by dividing net income (loss) by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period, including potential dilutive common shares assuming the dilutive effect of outstanding stock options and unvested restricted stock units. For periods in which the Company reported a net loss, diluted net loss per common share is the same as basic net loss per common share, since dilutive common shares are not assumed to have been issued if their effect is anti-dilutive.

The Company has two classes of common stock outstanding: Class A common stock and Class B common stock. As more fully described in Note 9, the rights of the holders of Class A and Class B common stock are identical, except with respect to voting and conversion. Each share of Class B common stock is convertible into one share of Class A common stock at the option of the holder at any time. The Company allocates undistributed earnings attributable to common stock between the common stock classes on a one-to-one basis when computing net income (loss) per share. As a result, basic and diluted net income (loss) per share of Class A common stock and Class B common stock are equivalent.

Income Taxes

The Company accounts for income taxes using the asset and liability method, which requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in the consolidated financial statements or in the Company’s tax returns. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined on the basis of the differences between the financial statements and tax basis of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. Changes in deferred tax assets and liabilities are recorded in the provision for income taxes. The Company assesses the likelihood that its deferred tax assets will be recovered from future taxable income and, to the extent it believes, based upon the weight of available evidence, that it is more likely than not that all or a portion of the deferred tax assets will not be realized, a valuation allowance is established through a charge to income tax expense. Potential for recovery of deferred tax assets is evaluated by estimating the future taxable profits expected and considering prudent and feasible tax planning strategies.

The Company accounts for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in the consolidated financial statements by applying a two-step process to determine the amount of tax benefit to be recognized. First, the tax position must be evaluated to determine the likelihood that it will be sustained upon external examination by the taxing authorities. If the tax position is deemed more-likely-than-not to be sustained, the tax position is then assessed to determine the amount of benefit to recognize in the consolidated financial statements. The amount of the benefit that may be recognized is the largest amount that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. The provision for income taxes includes the effects of any resulting tax reserves, or unrecognized tax benefits, that are considered appropriate as well as the related net interest and penalties. The Company’s policy is to record interest and penalties related to income taxes as part of the tax provision.

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

In June 2022, the FASB issued ASU 2022-03, Fair Value Measurement of Equity Securities Subject to Contractual Sale Restrictions (Topic 820), which clarifies that a contractual restriction on the sale of an equity security is not considered part of the unit of account of the equity security and, therefore, is not considered in measuring fair value. The guidance also clarifies that an entity cannot, as a separate unit of account, recognize and measure a contractual sale restriction. The guidance includes disclosure requirements including the fair value of equity securities subject to contractual sale restrictions included in the balance sheet, the nature and remaining duration of the restriction and circumstances that could cause a lapse in the restriction. The amendments in this update are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2023, with early adoption permitted. The amendments in this update are to be applied prospectively with any adjustments from the adoption of the amendments recognized in earnings and disclosed on the date of adoption. The Company adopted this guidance as of January 1, 2024, and the adoption did not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures, which requires public entities to disclose information about their reportable segments’ significant expenses and other segment items on an interim and annual basis. Public entities with a single reportable segment are required to apply the disclosure requirements in ASU 2023-07, as well as all existing segment disclosures and reconciliation requirements in ASC 280 on an interim and annual basis. ASU 2023-07 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and for interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024, with early adoption permitted. The Company adopted this guidance as of January 1, 2024, and the adoption did not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures, which requires public entities, on an annual basis, to provide disclosure of specific categories in the rate reconciliation, as well as disclosure of income taxes paid disaggregated by jurisdiction. ASU 2023-09 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently assessing the impact of the adoption of this guidance on its consolidated financial statements.

In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU 2024-03, Income Statement—Reporting Comprehensive Income—Expense Disaggregation Disclosures (Subtopic 220-40) to improve financial reporting by requiring that public business entities disclose additional information about specific expense categories in the notes to financial statements at interim and annual reporting periods. ASU 2024-03 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2026, and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2027, with early adoption permitted. ASU 2023-09 allows for adoption using either a prospective or retrospective method. The Company is currently assessing the impact of the adoption of this guidance on its consolidated financial statements.