Life insurance isn't as popular as it once was, despite the fact that a majority of people consider it to be important. Over 80% of consumers agreed in a recent survey that people need a life insurance policy, yet just 62% say they have one themselves. In fact, only 44% of U.S. households held individual life insurance as of 2010 -- a 50-year low -- compared with the 72% of Americans who owned life insurance in 1960. A New York- and Hartford, Connecticut-based startup hopes to reverse the trend with a novel service that rewards policyholders for making smart lifestyle choices. Dubbed Sproutt Insurance, it's the brainchild of insurance tech company Akitbo CEO Yoav Shaham, who nearly two years ago set out to blend analytics and health insights with AI to match people with life insurance providers.