Insurtech

In 2021, the insurance industry reckoned with the broad impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Appropriately, 2022 will need to be the year that agencies and carriers pivot from reacting and surviving to implement new strategies for success.

There’s no denying that working with startups entails risk. Plenty of newer insurtechs have technology that’s too underdeveloped, a value proposition that’s too undefined or leadership that’s too inexperienced to overcome the gauntlet of obstacles that stands between startups and success.

Wyshbox is the marketing name for Wysh Life and Health Insurance, which provides term life insurance for consumers with digital customized plans.

In other news: Chubb teams up with Betterfly in Latin America; Franklin Mutual partners with vipHomeLink; Aon announces last-mile insurance with CarrierHQ.

Chubb Ltd. is joining with insurance-tech startup Betterfly for offerings in Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile and Argentina as the companies seek to tap into under-served Latin American markets.

As the wave of SPAC mergers crested in the past two years, startups that chose this path found it difficult to keep up with more established companies and investor expectations. The insurtech companies that went this route are not exempt from experiencing that strain.

There were an equal amount of rounds of more than $20 million and seed or pre-seed rounds.

In this segment of the series, the authors examine the role M&A will play in the industry’s adoption of insurtech—and more generally, the need for established carriers to adapt to the increasingly innovative and service-based product and service offerings new entrants bring to bear.

Today’s clients are looking for financial guidance and product recommendations that account for their entire financial lives. Unfortunately, because of legacy technology in place, most insurance advisors can’t credibly weigh in on the whole picture.

Metromile went public via a SPAC in February.

There are many important legal issues to consider when operating in the heavily regulated and ever-changing insurance ecosystem. Discussed are some of the key issues to consider when contracting, to demonstrate what is truly important and where insurtechs should focus, whether it concerns program administrator agreements or other types of partnership, master services, or marketing agreements.

Lemonade Car, a telematics auto insurance product, is now live in Illinois and will roll out across the U.S. soon.

There were nine rounds of more than $20 million this month.

At this point in the insurance sector’s lifecycle, change is inevitable. Now more than ever, especially with the rise of technology and insurtechs, competition in the space is cutthroat. And that is why first and cheap are no longer going to cut it.

Digital Insurance spoke with Maroun Mourad, president of global underwriting and leader of the life unit at Verisk about life insurance technology and what’s ahead for the industry.

In other news: Algorithm calculates number of good health years; Hiro rebrands to Locket; Alliant launches diversity initiative.

15 startups will take part in hybrid virtual and in-person program

In other news: Allstate closes $400M sale of New York life, annuity business; USAA partners with Blink by Chubb; Zurich North America implements Chisel AI.

Flood insurtech Neptune Flood has acquired Jumpstart, another insurtech that offers a parametric product for earthquake response.

Haven Technologies will make the platform behind MassMutal’s Haven Life available as a software-as-a-service insurtech.