Aon sues ZestyAI for patent infringement

Aon Re has filed a lawsuit against building analytics platform ZestyAI in the US District Court for the District of Delaware, alleging patent infringement. The complaint centers around Aon’s proprietary technology for assessing property risks using aerial imagery and machine learning.

Aon claims that ZestyAI, founded in 2017 and headquartered in California,  has been unlawfully using its patented technology to enhance its own property risk assessment offerings. The four patents in question (Nos. 10,529,029; 10,650,285; 11,030,491; and 11,195,058) cover methods and systems for analyzing aerial imagery to determine property characteristics and conditions, such as roof quality and structural vulnerabilities.

Aon argues that ZestyAI’s products, including Z-Property and its associated risk analysis tools, directly infringe on these patents.

According to the complaint, Aon informed ZestyAI of the alleged infringement as early as April 2023, but discussions failed to yield a resolution. Aon now seeks monetary damages, a permanent injunction against further infringement, and an award for legal fees.

ZestyAI has raised $56 million across five funding rounds from investors like Centana Growth Partners and Brex.