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A US-based online insurance marketplace is to create 70 new jobs in Northern Ireland.

EverQuote plans to set up a software development centre in Northern Ireland.

Invest Northern Ireland has offered the company £425,000 in support, with 12 of the positions already in place.

The company said it used data and technology to match consumers with insurance providers who best met their needs and offered a good rate.

The company is looking for graduates and highly-experienced professionals, co-founder Tomas Revesz told ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ News NI.

"We are focusing on software development, IT and product management-related roles," he said.

"A few of us visited Northern Ireland in 2019 and I cannot speak highly enough about that visit and every interaction since.

"We are truly thrilled with the early beginnings of our team already."

The company said it would likely need office space as part of its development.

The jobs would contribute £3.7m in salaries into the economy, said Economy Minister Diane Dodds.

"Northern Ireland has long had a reputation for its skilled people and it is this core strength that continues to attract new investors to locate here," she said.

"This reputation has been bolstered further by the positive response existing global investors experienced in Northern Ireland during Covid.

"It was our skilled workforce that initially attracted EverQuote to Northern Ireland, and the adaptability of our people that convinced them this was the right location for the new development centre."

Kevin Holland, CEO of Invest NI, said: "EverQuote is expanding its product development team to support its growth and expansion business strategy into new insurance areas such as health, rental and direct-to-consumer markets.

"The new software development team in Northern Ireland will drive engineering and software excellence to support its US operations."