DUAL North America Inc., a specialty program administrator offering a broad range of insurance products, has announced a partnership with artificial intelligence-driven risk analytics provider ZestyAI to strengthen its storm-risk underwriting and pricing capabilities.
The partnership aligns with DUAL’s ongoing expansion across the U.S. market and its commitment to improving accuracy in underwriting amid a rise in severe weather events. Through the adoption of ZestyAI’s Z-STORM™ model, DUAL aims to refine risk differentiation, support sustainable growth, and maintain compliance with regulatory standards.
AI-Powered Storm Modeling
ZestyAI’s Z-STORM™ model combines artificial intelligence and property-level data to assess the effects of hail and wind. By analyzing roof condition, material type, surrounding exposure, and local climatology, the model produces detailed insights into property vulnerability. These insights enable insurers to better predict storm frequency and severity, improving both underwriting speed and pricing precision.
In September 2025, ZestyAI expanded its storm-risk suite to include mitigation-aware scoring. This feature adjusts risk scores dynamically based on verified property improvements, such as roof replacements and material upgrades. The update is designed to promote transparency and integrate mitigation incentives directly into pricing workflows.
Regulatory and Regional Reach
ZestyAI’s storm models have undergone regulatory review and are currently in use across the Great Plains, Midwest, and southern United States — regions that face the highest exposure to severe convective storms. Multiple carriers have adopted these models for use in rating and underwriting operations.
Industry Perspectives
DUAL chief actuary Luke Wolmer said accurate property-level risk prediction is essential as the company expands across property lines. “Z-STORM gives us a more nuanced understanding of storm vulnerability, helping us recognize differences in risk that traditional models overlook. This enhances our team’s confidence in pricing decisions and will support our continued expansion across the U.S.,” Wolmer said.
ZestyAI founder and CEO Attila Toth noted that DUAL’s adoption of the model reflects a proactive approach to storm-risk management. “By applying property-level risk analytics and mitigation-aware scoring, DUAL is positioned to underwrite more precisely, grow responsibly, and strengthen community resilience across the regions that are most exposed to extreme weather,” Toth said.
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