Dakotah Rice is returning to the founder role with Harper, his AI-native insurance brokerage that has secured $46.8 million in combined Series A and seed funding. The Y Combinator graduate aims to disrupt the traditional insurance brokerage model by leveraging artificial intelligence to streamline commercial insurance for small to mid-sized businesses. Investors include YC, Lobster Capital, and Peak XV Partners.

Rice brings experience from founding Poolit, an investment company that closed in 2023. His new venture matches businesses with over 160 insurance carriers, completing what typically takes traditional brokers five to seven days in just one to two days. Harper's AI system handles over 1,000 customers monthly, far exceeding the 20-30 deals managed by human brokerages.

With more than 5,000 customers already, Harper distinguishes itself by targeting middle America's "real-world businesses" like daycares and manufacturers. The fresh capital will expand Harper's engineering team and brand presence, positioning the company as a comprehensive solution for entrepreneurs' risk management needs beyond just insurance while competing against fragmented traditional brokerages.