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Lemonade, Inc.: Q1 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q1 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 29 April 2026: letter to shareholders. Guidance figures: 4 raised. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • IFP grew 32% to $1.33 billion: In force premium reached $1.33 billion, up 32%, which management described as the tenth consecutive quarter of IFP growth rate acceleration. Source
  • Gross profit up 159%: Gross profit was $100.1 million, up $61.5 million, mainly on the 71% revenue increase and a 19 percentage point improvement in net loss ratio. Source
  • Net loss narrowed to $36 million: Net loss was $35.8 million, or $0.47 per share, against $62.4 million, or $0.86 per share, a year earlier. Adjusted EBITDA loss was $17.1 million. Source
  • Pet passed $500 million IFP: Pet is now the largest line and passed $500 million of IFP early in the second quarter. Pet IFP was $490 million at March 31, 2026. Source
  • Car IFP growth accelerated to 60%: Car IFP grew 60% year over year, up from 9% a year earlier. Car gross loss ratio was 74% in the quarter. Source
  • Gross loss ratio fell to 62%: Gross loss ratio was 62% against 78% a year earlier. Gross loss ratio excluding catastrophe losses was 58% against 59%. Source
  • Adjusted free cash flow positive: Adjusted free cash flow was $17.4 million, against negative $31.0 million a year earlier. Operating cash flow was negative $0.6 million, against negative $47.2 million. Source
  • IFP per employee near $1 million: IFP per employee was just over $1 million at quarter end. Management said IFP more than doubled since Q4 2022 while team size fell 6%. Source

“Conventional wisdom says that as you increase growth spend, efficiency declines. We’re seeing something notable, and have for some time.”

Lemonade, Inc., letter to shareholders

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
In force premium (IFP) SourceQ2 2026$1,428 - $1,433
In force premium (IFP) SourceFull year 2026$1,632 - $1,639Raised
Gross earned premium (GEP) SourceQ2 2026$328 - $331
Gross earned premium (GEP) SourceFull year 2026$1,369 - $1,373Raised
Revenue SourceQ2 2026$287 - $290
Revenue SourceFull year 2026$1,197 - $1,203Raised
Adjusted EBITDA loss SourceQ2 2026($23) - ($19)
Adjusted EBITDA loss SourceFull year 2026($51) - ($47)Raised
IFP growth SourceFull year 202633%
Stock-based compensation expense SourceQ2 2026$24
Stock-based compensation expense SourceFull year 2026$95
Weighted average common shares SourceQ2 202677
Weighted average common shares SourceFull year 202678

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Full-year 2026 ranges for IFP, GEP, revenue and Adjusted EBITDA were described as improved versus prior guidance. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • IFP grew 32% to $1.33 billion: In force premium reached $1.33 billion, up 32%, which management described as the tenth consecutive quarter of IFP growth rate acceleration. Source
  • Revenue rose 71% on retention: Revenue rose 71% to $258.0 million, which management attributed to the reinsurance transition and higher premium retention. Source
  • Gross profit up 159%: Gross profit was $100.1 million, up $61.5 million, mainly on the 71% revenue increase and a 19 percentage point improvement in net loss ratio. Source
  • Net loss narrowed to $36 million: Net loss was $35.8 million, or $0.47 per share, against $62.4 million, or $0.86 per share, a year earlier. Adjusted EBITDA loss was $17.1 million. Source

Segments and products

  • Pet passed $500 million IFP: Pet is now the largest line and passed $500 million of IFP early in the second quarter. Pet IFP was $490 million at March 31, 2026. Source
  • Car IFP growth accelerated to 60%: Car IFP grew 60% year over year, up from 9% a year earlier. Car gross loss ratio was 74% in the quarter. Source
  • Autonomous Car converts better: Management said new-customer conversion for the autonomous Car product is about 70% higher than for the comparable non-autonomous product. Source
  • Colorado now fourth largest Car state: Colorado, launched in 2025, is the fourth largest state by Car IFP share, according to management. Source
  • IFP mix by line: At March 31, 2026, IFP was Homeowners multi-peril $540 million, Pet $490 million, Car $214 million, Europe $67 million and Other $23 million. Source

“At ~$1m IFP per employee, we believe we are already roughly at parity with incumbents such as Progressive, Allstate, GEICO, and Travelers, while being a fraction of their size.”

Lemonade, Inc., letter to shareholders

Costs, margins and loss ratios

  • Gross loss ratio fell to 62%: Gross loss ratio was 62% against 78% a year earlier. Gross loss ratio excluding catastrophe losses was 58% against 59%. Source
  • Operating expense rose 25%: Operating expense, excluding net loss and loss adjustment expense, was $159.3 million, driven mainly by higher growth spend for customer acquisition. Source
  • Prior-year development lowered losses: Prior period development lowered the gross loss ratio by 3 points in Q1 2026, against 8 points a year earlier. Catastrophe losses excluding PPD were 5 points. Source
  • Automation keeps LAE near 4%: Management said AI-powered automation keeps LAE ratios near 4%, which it described as a structural cost advantage over peers. Source
  • Adjusted gross profit ratio rose: Adjusted gross profit was 33% of gross earned premium, against 20% a year earlier, per the non-GAAP reconciliation. Source

Demand, customers and retention

  • Customers up 23% to 3.14 million: Customers reached 3,142,581, up 23% from 2,545,496 a year earlier. Source
  • Premium per customer up 7%: Premium per customer was $424 at quarter end, up 7% from $396 a year earlier. Source
  • Retention held at 85%: Annual dollar retention was 85%, one point above a year earlier and flat from the fourth quarter of 2025. Source
  • Car new business up over 100%: Car new business rose more than 100% year over year in both direct-to-consumer and cross-sale channels, according to management. Source
  • Cross-sales add Pet IFP without CAC: CAC-free cross-sales to existing customers account for about $85 million of Pet IFP, per management. Source

“The result is a business that is growing more than 3x faster than the industry.”

Lemonade, Inc., letter to shareholders

Capital, cash and liquidity

  • Adjusted free cash flow positive: Adjusted free cash flow was $17.4 million, against negative $31.0 million a year earlier. Operating cash flow was negative $0.6 million, against negative $47.2 million. Source
  • Cash and investments near $1.14 billion: Cash, cash equivalents and investments totaled about $1.14 billion at March 31, 2026. Source
  • Regulatory surplus held at $290 million: At March 31, 2026, the insurance subsidiaries were required to hold about $290 million of regulatory surplus. Source

Strategy, AI and efficiency

  • IFP per employee near $1 million: IFP per employee was just over $1 million at quarter end. Management said IFP more than doubled since Q4 2022 while team size fell 6%. Source
  • AI pricing engine finer segmentation: Management said its AI-powered pricing engine offers greater segmentation granularity than peers, allowing rate to be matched more precisely to risk. Source
  • Growth spend up 200% since Q1 2023: Since Q1 2023 growth spend rose about 200% while LTV/CAC stayed at or above 3x, which management hopes to continue. Source
  • Pet ranks as top-searched brand: Management said Pet became the most searched pet insurance brand in the U.S. and the fourth largest carrier by written premium in under six years. Source

Coming up, as management said on 29 April 2026

  • Investor Day on November 17: Investor day will be held in New York City at 9:00am on November 17, with more details to follow. Source
  • Autonomous Car expands to more states: Management expects to expand the autonomous Car product into multiple additional states during 2026. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Net premiums written Source$274.0 million, up 137%
Prior-year reserve development Source(3%) of gross loss ratio, Q1 2026
Catastrophe losses Source5% of gross loss ratio, Q1 2026 (excl. PPD)
Investment income Source$9.8 million net investment income, Q1 2026

Risks management discussed

  • Operational: Customer acquisition spend rose, and management tied the higher operating expense to growth spend for customer acquisition. Source
  • External: Management cited California wildfire losses in the first quarter of 2025 when comparing gross profit and net loss ratio with the current quarter. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: Management continues to expect its first Adjusted EBITDA positive quarter in Q4 2026. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.