OCTO and Pouch Insurance Partner to Power AI-Driven Per-Mile Commercial Auto Insurance for Gig Economy Fleets

Business Wire

NEWTOWN SQUARE, PA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Pouch Insurance, the admitted commercial auto managing general agent built for 1099 workers and gig economy operators, today announced a strategic partnership with OCTO, the global leader in telematics and data analytics for connected insurance. The partnership integrates OCTO's AI-powered telematics platform into Pouch's commercial auto programs, delivering the flexible, intelligent data infrastructure that makes per-mile pricing not just possible — but precise.

The announcement coincides with the official go-live of Pouch's Micro-Fleet Rideshare program in Tennessee, the first admitted, per-mile commercial auto product purpose-built for fleet owners leasing vehicles to gig workers on Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, and Amazon Flex. OCTO's platform serves as the telematics backbone for this program and for Pouch's Artisan Contractor Auto program, available across Arizona, Illinois, Indiana, New Mexico, Tennessee, and Texas.

Why Telematics Changes Everything for Gig Economy Insurance

The problem at the center of gig economy insurance is a data problem. Fleet owners leasing vehicles to TNC drivers face a coverage gap every moment the platform app is inactive — but quantifying that exposure accurately requires the ability to separate on-platform miles from off-platform miles in real time, score each individual driver's behavior independently, and price accordingly. Without that data layer, per-mile pricing is a concept. With it, it is a competitive advantage.

OCTO's platform provides exactly that capability — through flexible OBD-II device deployment, AI-driven behavioral analytics, and a data architecture built to handle the complexity of shared-vehicle, multi-driver fleet environments.

From Steve McKay, CEO of Pouch Insurance

"Let me be direct about what this partnership means for Pouch and for the clients we serve.

Per-mile pricing is not a marketing position. It is a fundamentally more honest way to price commercial auto risk — and it only works if the data underneath it is accurate, real-time, and intelligent. We evaluated what was available in the market and OCTO was the clear answer. Their platform does three things that matter to us: it separates the miles we actually cover from the miles the TNC platforms cover, it scores individual drivers within a shared fleet so good behavior is rewarded at the driver level — not just the fleet level — and it gives us the flexibility to deploy across device types so we are not creating operational friction for fleet owners who already have enough on their plate.

The gig economy has been underserved by insurance not because the demand wasn't there, but because the infrastructure wasn't there. We built Pouch around the thesis that if you build the right data infrastructure, the right products follow. OCTO is a critical part of that infrastructure. Every mile we measure, every driver we score, every fleet we serve makes our model sharper. That is how you build an insurance product that actually improves over time — and that is exactly what we are building.

Tennessee is where we start. Nine states is where we are going before the end of 2026. And this partnership scales with us every step of the way."

From Nino Tarantino, President North America of OCTO

“The commercial auto market is evolving quickly, and the ability to access accurate, real-time behavioral data is becoming essential for insurers looking to build sustainable and scalable products. What makes this partnership with Pouch particularly compelling is the shared vision around innovation, flexibility, and data intelligence. OCTO’s telematics platform is designed to help insurers better understand risk, improve pricing accuracy, and support the development of next-generation mobility insurance solutions for an increasingly dynamic market.”

What the OCTO Integration Delivers

Chargeable Mile Separation OCTO's platform automatically distinguishes miles driven while a TNC application is active from miles driven off-platform. Only off-platform miles are billed to the Pouch policy — ensuring fleet owners are never charged for exposure the TNC platform already covers. This is the foundational mechanic that makes the Micro-Fleet per-mile product work honestly and accurately.

AI-Powered Individual Driver Scoring Each driver within a fleet is scored independently based on real-time behavioral data — braking patterns, speed, acceleration, and distraction indicators. Drivers are assigned to a Premium Per Mile rate tier that reflects their individual contribution to the fleet's risk profile. Safe drivers earn lower rates. Well-managed fleets pay less. The connection between behavior and premium is direct, transparent, and automatic.

Flexible Device Deployment at Scale OCTO's device-agnostic architecture supports OBD-II plug-in devices, hardwired installations, and smartphone-based telematics — giving Pouch the ability to match the right solution to each fleet's operational needs. Every vehicle on a Pouch Micro-Fleet policy requires an active telematics device. OCTO's ecosystem ensures that requirement is met efficiently across fleets of one vehicle to twenty-five.

Integration with Eden — Pouch's AI Platform OCTO's data feeds integrate directly into Eden, Pouch's AI-native insurance operating system, which consists of three intelligence domains: AIDEN for acquisition, ACUITY for underwriting, and ATLAS for operations and claims. The integration enables real-time risk adjustment, portfolio-level behavioral analytics, and underwriting signals that improve with every policy written.

Beyond enabling accurate per-mile pricing, the partnership also leverages OCTO’s proprietary DriveAbility™ Score, one of the industry’s most established and proven driver behavior analytics models. Built on decades of telematics expertise and billions of connected miles analyzed globally, the DriveAbility Score delivers actionable insights that help commercial auto programs better align pricing, risk segmentation, and driver performance.

OCTO’s longstanding experience across digital telematics, OBD-II and connected device deployments, and fleet management solutions uniquely positions the company to support the growing needs of MGAs and commercial lines carriers throughout the U.S. market. As the commercial auto sector continues to evolve toward data-driven underwriting and real-time risk assessment, OCTO remains focused on expanding strategic partnerships across the insurance ecosystem to accelerate adoption and drive measurable value creation.

This strategy is already reflected in collaborations such as OCTO’s partnership with Sedgwick, alongside additional strategic initiatives currently underway within the commercial lines space.

Built to Expand

The Pouch Micro-Fleet Rideshare program launches in Tennessee on May 13, 2026. Pouch has targeted nine-state expansion before December 31, 2026, with the OCTO integration designed to scale into each new market without infrastructure rebuilds. The partnership also extends to the Artisan Contractor Auto program, where telematics participation unlocks a 20% first-term discount for eligible policyholders — driving adoption and generating behavioral data across Pouch's broader commercial auto book.

About Pouch Insurance

Pouch Insurance is an admitted commercial auto managing general agent built for 1099 earners, artisan contractors, and gig economy fleet operators. Operating under the tagline "Money In Your Pocket," Pouch delivers fast, fair commercial auto coverage through appointed independent agents across six states. Pouch's Micro-Fleet Rideshare program is underwritten by First Acceptance Insurance Company of Tennessee, Inc. The Artisan Contractor Auto program is underwritten by Redpoint County Mutual Insurance. Both programs are admitted. pouchinsurance.com · (844) 768-2448

About OCTO

For over 20 years, we have been developing integrated solutions that enable us to support our clients in seizing the opportunities offered by smart mobility and digital transformation. Thanks to an innovative approach based on Artificial Intelligence, we have developed advanced algorithms for accident detection, driving behavior analysis, claims management, and consumption optimization. These solutions allow us to meet the needs of key markets, such as insurance and mobility, with a strong focus on modularity and customization. Our scalable and modular data analytics platform delivers solutions for the Insurtech and mobility markets, helping partner companies transform the way they manage and grow their business. A robust and purpose-driven ESG strategy ultimately guides our market proposition, focusing on the development of solutions that support the energy transition and data-driven urban planning. OCTO has profiled 20 million drivers and holds the world’s largest telematics database, based on 610 billion kilometers of driving and over 13 million crashes detected. www.octotelematics.com