Instech London Podcast

Artificial intelligence has opened up a wealth of opportunities for both insurers and insurtechs, but turning AI’s vast potential into scalable, successful technology solutions is a major challenge. Tractable is a great example of a company that has managed to do it, with its AI solution for assessing vehicle damage now being used worldwide to process thousands of claims every day. Co-founder and President Adrien Cohen joins Matthew to discuss Tractable’s global growth, the challenges of working with AI, and what the company has planned for property insurance. Talking points include: Why insurance is a great use case for AI Data challenges and training AI systems Why insurers struggle to develop solutions in-house Spotting opportunities and expanding into different markets Convincing customers about new technology Sign up to the InsTech London newsletter for a fresh view on the world every Wednesday morning. If you like what you're hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use, or contact M

By installing low-cost, easy to use sensors, Safehub is creating unique insights on how a building would react in the event of an earthquake. The technology continuously monitors a building’s natural frequency to create a profile of potential vulnerabilities and a baseline for assessing structural damage if catastrophe strikes. Co-founder and CEO Andy Thompson joins Matthew to discuss how Safehub is helping to reduce risk and why the wider adoption of affordable sensors benefits both customers and their insurers. Talking points include: Making faster, better decisions through data analysis How different earthquakes affect different buildings Using technology to spot inaccessible damage Understanding vulnerabilities through building frequencies Why user experience is crucial for new technology The RFID Journal article mentioned in the discussion can be found here - https://www.rfidjournal.com/iot-shakes-up-building-intelligence-with-earthquake-sensor-management Safehub is listed as one of the companies to wat

Nigel Walsh from Google Cloud steps in as a guest host on Podcast 132 to talk to Matthew about our new report, Location Intelligence 2021 - the Companies to Watch: Where, what and how risky? The report offers a comprehensive look at the technology helping insurers identify and manage risk, and profiles more than 50 companies that are leading the way in the provision of location intelligence. Talking points from Nigel and Matthew’s discussion include: Key considerations for pricing and selecting risks Data and developments for supporting claims Insights for residential and commercial property How location intelligence can help with ESG Consumers, trust and having too much data Our Location Intelligence report is free to download until the end of April. You can get your copy from: https://www.instech.london/insights/location-intelligence-2021-companies-watch-where-what-how-risky Sign up to our newsletter for a fresh view on the world every Wednesday morning. If you like what you're hearing, please leave us a

Robin and Matthew catch up for their quarterly Partners’ Chat on Episode 131 to discuss the latest news and themes emerging in insurance. Talking points include: Whether Covid-19 has actually accelerated innovation Why Robin is expecting a rise in insurtech M&A activity The emergence of real AI insurance products and solutions How Zego managed to become the UK’s first insurtech unicorn Vaccines, face-to-face dinners and a return to The Steel Yard Sign up to our newsletter for a fresh view on the world every Wednesday morning. If you like what you're hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use, or contact Matthew Grant on LinkedIn. Continuing Professional Development - Learning Objectives InsTech London is accredited by The Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). By listening to any InsTech London podcast or reading the accompanying transcript, you can claim up to 0.5 hours towards the CII member CPD scheme. To claim 0.5 hours for this podcast, go to the Episode 131 page of the InsTech Lo

Changes to the US government’s National Flood Insurance Programme have created opportunities for insurers to offer alternative solutions for protection against flood risk. Fathom is one of the technology companies helping insurers to do that by providing accurate flood modelling hazard data for the entire US, down to a resolution of one metre. Matthew is joined on Podcast 130 by Fathom’s Chief Operations Officer Dr Andrew Smith and Chief Research Officer Dr Oliver Wing to discuss the creation of its US flood model and how Fathom evolved from a university research project into a successful commercial product. Talking points include: the impact of different types of flooding making data consumable through technology platforms tracking vulnerability as well as hazards the key focus areas for growing a business why insurance technology is attracting interest from other sectors Sign up to our newsletter for a fresh view on the world every Wednesday morning. If you like what you're hearing, please leave us a revie

The most useful insurance products are often a combination of a simple concept powered by complex technology.  Flyreel’s AI Assistant is a great example, harnessing the potential of AI in a practical application that allows policyholders to conduct self-inspections using their phone camera. Founder and CEO Cole Winans joins Matthew to discuss how insurers are using Flyreel’s technology to create a comprehensive baseline record for underwriting, risk management and claims. Cole also shares some great tips on starting a company, finding customers and how to scale a business. Talking points include: Balancing AI with human intervention How to sell to insurers Developing portfolio risk characteristics through data Why a mutual customer benefit is vital Building a company culture and collaboration Sign up to our newsletter for a fresh view on the world every Wednesday morning. If you like what you're hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use, or contact Matthew Grant on LinkedIn. Continui

Using its own constellation of microsatellites, ICEYE is providing insurers with high-resolution, building-level flood depths around the world immediately after an event. VP of Solutions Charles Blanchet joins Matthew to discuss how the company is making satellite technology commercially viable, and how insurers are now able to provide rapid flood loss estimates and efficient claims settlements.  Talking points include: How synthetic aperture radar can see through clouds Why the insurance division of this company has been engaged by leading insurers in only 12 months How aerial imagery is augmented with third-party data Parametric product solutions Making a complex offering easy to use  Look out for ICEYE on our Live Chat panel on Thursday 1 April. The company will also be one of more than 60 featured in our forthcoming Location Intelligence report.  Sign up to our newsletter for a fresh view on the world every Wednesday morning. If you like what you're hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform

The ability to accurately forecast annual changes in the likelihood of damaging hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons occurring has been a challenge in the past.    Now, with advances in technology, research and the use of AI, new companies are emerging with techniques to provide insurers with the evidence they need to confidently change their assessment of potential catastrophe risks over the short term (less than one year). Australia-based reask is rethinking how catastrophe models are built, with a global solution that has caught the attention of leading insurers and investors. Co-founders Nick Hassam and Thomas Loridan join Matthew on Podcast 127 to discuss how they are helping insurers understand climate change, and why it is driving a greater frequency and intensity in natural disasters. Talking points include: Why today’s models need a global focus Seasonal forecasting Machine learning and neural networks Integrating new approaches with historical views Tracking storms after landfall Sign up to our n

Since its inception in 2015, Flock has grown from a promising insurtech to setting its sights on becoming a truly global insurance provider.  The company’s micro-duration policies have made it a market leader for insuring drone flights, and it launched Flock Motor last year to provide flexible, digital-first products to the commercial motor space.  CEO Ed Leon Klinger joins Matthew to discuss the company’s growth, its new connected vehicles division, and a whole lot more.  Talking points include:  Finding funding and building a brand Identifying and researching new markets How to innovate with insurers Augmenting traditional datasets Embedded insurance solutions  Sign up to our newsletter for a fresh view on the world every Wednesday morning. If you like what you're hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use, or contact Matthew Grant on LinkedIn. Continuing Professional Development - Learning Objectives InsTech London is accredited by The Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). By listening

A lack of standardisation and the ability to transfer data through the entirety of the insurance lifecycle remains a major challenge for the industry. Charles Taylor InsureTech CEO Arjun Ramdas joins Matthew on Podcast 125 to discuss data collaboration between insurers, MGAs and brokers, and how Charles Taylor’s technology is supporting the Lloyd’s market. Talking points include: Moving from on-prem to SaaS tech solutions The shift towards platform solutions Delegated Data Manager (previously known as DA SATS) Minimising paperwork through automation Forging partnerships with Systems Integrators Sign up to our newsletter for a fresh view on the world every Wednesday morning. If you like what you're hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use, or contact Matthew Grant on LinkedIn. Continuing Professional Development - Learning Objectives InsTech London is accredited by The Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). By listening to any InsTech London podcast or reading the accompanying transcript,

Money is the rocket fuel for business growth, but raising funds is a major challenge for almost every company looking to scale. So how do you do it? Matthew asks three founders who secured early stage funding for their tips. Goncalo de Vasconcelos (Rnwl), Sam White (Stella Insurance) and Jonathan Spry (Envelop Risk) share the lessons they learned in turning start-ups into scale-ups. The conversation was recorded from Raising Money: The Founders' Stories, an InsTech London Live Chat sponsored by Genasys Technologies. CGO Andre Symes also shared his insights on the key characteristics Genasys sees in successful start-ups. Talking points include: Identifying potential brand advocates Crowdfunding vs bootstrapping What to expect from angel investors How to spot when you’re wasting your time The importance of having a strong narrative Sign up to our newsletter for a fresh view on the world every Wednesday morning. If you like what you're hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use, or contact 

Since forming part of the first Lloyd’s Lab cohort in 2018, Parsyl has established itself as an innovative technology company, global cargo insurer and more recently, a vital part of the fight against Covid-19. CEO and Co-founder Ben Hubbard joins Matthew on Episode 123 to discuss the company’s rapid growth.  Listen now for more on how Parsyl is using sensors to keep vaccines safe in transit, combining traditional and parametric insurance, and why companies no longer have to ‘ship and pray’.  Talking points include: Using data and automation to improve cold chains Designing technology that users understand Working with government organisations MGAs and launching a Lloyd’s syndicate Scaling at speed and future plans  You can read edited highlights of the conversation on the Episode 123 page of the InsTech London website. Sign up to our newsletter for a fresh view on the world every Wednesday morning. If you like what you're hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use, or contact Matthew Gr

Robin Merttens talks to guest host Mark Geoghegan ahead of the release of our new report on e-trading of reinsurance and complex risks.  E-Trading Platforms: Challenges, Opportunities and Imperative examines the renewed interest in the platforms space, accelerated by Covid-19, Lloyd’s Blueprint Two and the needs of increasingly demanding customers. Talking points include:  What’s needed to help e-trading catch on The lessons learned so far Who is doing what in the platform space How to get brokers on board The role that Lloyd’s has to play  E-Trading Platforms: Challenges, Opportunities and Imperative is available to download from the InsTech London website.  Sign up to our newsletter for a fresh view on the world every Wednesday morning. If you like what you're hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use, or contact Matthew Grant on LinkedIn. Continuing Professional Development - Learning Objectives InsTech London is accredited by The Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). By listening to

On Podcast 121, Matthew Grant talks to Mark Patterson from Deloitte about its survey, The Future of Home and Motor Insurance. The survey is the result of interviews with 8,000 consumers across 12 countries. Mark Eastham, CEO of Avantia, which sells insurance under its HomeProtect brand, joins the discussion with a view from insurance.  Talking points include:  The importance of simplicity Pros and cons of embedded insurance products Connected devices and what’s holding the market back Flexibility of policy systems Why parametric solutions are capturing consumer attention Download the Deloitte report here. Read edited highlights of the conversation on the InsTech London podcast page. Sign up to our newsletter for a fresh view on the world every Wednesday morning. If you like what you're hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use, or contact Matthew Grant on LinkedIn. Continuing Professional Development - Learning Objectives InsTech London is accredited by The Chartered Insurance Institute

The increasing threat from cyber attacks has presented the insurance industry with its biggest opportunity in over a century, according to Pascal Millaire. The CyberCube CEO joins host Matthew Grant to discuss the expansion of the cyber insurance market since his first podcast appearance in 2019, and why the world’s largest insurance institutions are turning to CyberCube to manage their cyber exposures. Talking points include: Business interruption and lessons from Covid-19 The role of data, and how to access it, in improving modelling capabilities Establishing clear exclusions and lines for cyber risk How brokers are engaging with their clients and using analytic tools Why regulation is key to tackling cyber risk  Capital markets and public-private partnerships Learn more about CyberCube on their dedicated member's page on the InsTech London website. Sign up to our newsletter for a fresh view on the world every Wednesday morning. If you like what you're hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platfor

This week we're hearing from a well-known leader from one of the largest global speciality insurers, AXA XL and someone who always provides a refreshing perspective on what is happening around us.  The core purpose of insurance is to provide a safety net for customers. As the industry looks at improving its own efficiency, is it at risk of losing sight of that purpose? Robin Merttens is this week's host, and our guest is Parul Kaul-Green, Chief of Staff, AXA XL Asia and Europe.   Talking points include: The importance of context in digital transformation  What commercial teams can learn from the consumer side Accelerating disruption to meet Covid challenges Becoming a true partner to the customer Tackling the industry's diversity issues  Keep track of everything we are up to at instech.london and sign up to our newsletter for a fresh view on the world every Wednesday morning. If you like what you're hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use, or contact Matthew Grant on LinkedIn. Continu

After the rollercoaster of 2020 it’s a brave soul that’s willing to commit to what 2021 will look like. But running a global network of talented and successful people means that we have been able to dip into the collective wisdom of 20 of our friends and supporters from InsTech London. We crowdsourced what is top of mind from some of the best people to predict the year ahead – i.e. those that are part of making it happen. One investor, two reinsurers, three consultants, five Lloyd’s syndicates, six growing insurtechs, and three others – all that was missing was the partridge and the pear tree. Scrubbed and polished - find out what the movers, shakers and thinkers at PKF, Munich Re, Swiss Re, EY, PwC, Deloitte, Brit, Talbot, Convex, Wakam, Chaucer, Concirrus, CyberCube, Blink, Riskbook, Flock, Zego, Insurtech Gateway, Voice of Insurance, Miller and FintechOS had to say. So much in 40 minutes: Why platforms will be so powerful, finally Climate change - here it comes Data - still hard to extract, but will be mor

A pause from interviewing our usual guests this week as Matthew Grant and Robin Merttens - the InsTech London partners - are back to reflect on the year that's passed and what's coming up. Find out: how we've been getting on putting some of the insurtech offerings to the test - personally high and low points of the year the insured and uninsurable from real life to digital in 26 steps and more random recollections. Normal service will be resumed soon. Keep track of everything we are up to at instech.london and sign up to our newsletter for a fresh view on the world every Wednesday morning. If you like what you're hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use, or contact Matthew Grant on LinkedIn. Continuing Professional Development - Learning Objectives InsTech London is accredited by The Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). By listening to any InsTech London podcast or reading the accompanying transcript, you can claim up to 0.5 hours towards the CII member CPD scheme. To claim 0.5 hours f

Rod Fox co-founded TigerRisk Partners in 2008 after spotting a gap in the reinsurance market. Just over a decade later, the company has established itself in a leadership role and a reputation for innovation. Rod joins Matthew on Episode 116 to discuss how the company has grown, the future of the broker, and why he feel right now is the most interesting time for insurance. Talking points include: Solving problems through technology The future of placement platforms Protection gap and opportunities Embedded insurance solutions Building a culture to attract talent Keep track of everything we are up to at instech.london and sign up to our newsletter for a fresh view on the world every Wednesday morning. If you like what you're hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use, or contact Matthew Grant on LinkedIn. Continuing Professional Development - Learning Objectives InsTech London is accredited by The Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). By listening to any InsTech London podcast or reading t

Covid-19 has led to insurance companies ramping up the speed of their digital evolution, but relying on third-party services like a cloud provider creates new external risks that need insuring.   Parametrix Insurance was launched 18 months ago to protect businesses from the hidden costs of going offline. As well as attracting strong interest from brokers, the company also had a parametric product named after them in the Lloyd’s Lab. Co-founder and CTO Neta Rozy joins Matthew on Episode 115 to discuss the company’s rapid growth and how they’re using technology to monitor thousands of digital services worldwide. Talking points include: Tailoring solutions for large and small businesses Defining payouts without physical losses Why brokers love parametric products What to look for in potential partners Standing out and scaling at speed Keep track of everything we are up to at instech.london and sign up to our newsletter for a fresh view on the world every Wednesday morning. If you like what you're hearing, pleas