InsurTech and Innovation news- a great banquet but fill your plate wisely

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TLDR   The volume and variety of insurance/InsurTech news is almost too much to keep track of, even if one tries to keep focus on one insurance line, one region, one company, legacy vs. innovation, etc.  And of course, I like to keep up with all.  Foolishly, because a jack of all trades remains a master of none, even in the digitally aware environment. 

In any case here’s a sampling of what caught my attention during the past week:

Auto telematics help inform driving decisions for the elderly (and maybe create a sales opportunity for scooter sales  What was rolled out originally as an app to measure driving habits for taxis and fleets by Orix Auto Corp evolved into a clever tool for the elderly and their families to broach the subject of safe driving, and whether a person has requisite driving skills.  In turn, many who choose to surrender their auto driving rights have found a measure of freedom using motorized wheelchairs or scooters, e.g., devices rented by Whill, Inc.    Japan Today   Thanks, Robert Collins

InsurTech builds a market for a complementary product.

Equipment breakdown claims grow in a booming economy

“Equipment breakdown now rivals fire loss in both frequency and severity of claims, driven by the booming economy and human influence, according to an FM Global analysis of large property-related losses greater than $3 million released Tuesday.”

Sure, it’s one firm, but what??? Rivals fire losses for frequency and severity???

“Lack of maintenance was a factor in two-thirds of equipment breakdown losses in 2018, while nearly half had a significant human element impact or influence, FM Global said.”

InsurTech opportunity– IoT devices to monitor equipment performance, maintenance, automated repair, and controlled shut down.  Keep in mind equipment failure equates directly to loss of use and profitability issues.  This speaks to changes in underwriting, policy forms/exclusions, changes in indemnity paired with parametric for a new sort of indexed parameter.   Business Insurance

AIG unit off the hook for non-property damage arising from flood

“A flood sublimit in a property policy applied to all losses arising out of a flood, not just property damage, a federal appeals court ruled, reversing a lower court’s ruling against an American International Group Inc. unit.”

An AIG insured filed suit for loss of use (time element) claims, a contention the appeal court said was unfounded as the policy sublimit was deemed to include all claimed losses, not just direct property losses.  Policy provision/endorsement wording and existing case law- insureds need to understand and/or ensure their broker does.  While this is an insurance ‘due diligence’ issue that is not new, this is another innovation opportunity- policy language/unstructured data analysis.  Chris Cheatham of RiskGenius has done yeoman’s work in providing a service to allow companies to “better understand policy language and create more efficient underwriting workflows,” but that does not force a company to understand what coverage applies.  Business Insurance

InsurTech opportunity- automated learning from denials of coverage– this flows both from the insured to the carrier, and vice versa.  Same principle applies to analysis of litigation- learnings for all.

Which P&C Insurers Made the 2019 Fortune 500?

Let’s not consider the 500, let’s consider the top 100 companies on the list, of which 7 are P&C insurers.  Why care for this article?  Well, the seven firms represent $535 Bn in annual revenues, and employ in total 658,000 insurance professionals (not including those populating tens of thousands of agencies).  That’s a lot of financial clout, and 658K pros (estimated one million with all carriers included)?  Innovation opportunity– Think what the input from an informed constituency of that size could contribute to insurance innovation and the industry’s future but are in whole discouraged from doing so. (roll this up to the global top ten- $917 Bn capitalization, hundreds of thousands of staff)

Unleash the innovation Kraken, P&C industry, free the staff! – the only real problem that would be had will be what to do with all the great ideas.  PropertyCasualty360

GetSafe CEO Predicts Lemonade Will ‘Struggle’ In Germany

“Lemonade will have to struggle in Germany,” GetSafe co-founder and CEO Christian Wiens told Carrier Management vie email. “The market is regulated and complex, and the domestic InsurTechs are in no way inferior compared with Lemonade.”

“While Lemonade is a fantastic storyteller, they concentrated on their brand and not so much on their product and technology,” Wiens said. “Germans, on the other hand, prefer to do it the other way around.”

First sentence- seems the industry cognati agree- plenty of DE innovators already in play across all covers.

Second sentence- not so sure.  Lemonade has been a mostly transparent sharer of the principles behind its policy form, and certainly speaks a lot of its favorite bot, Maya.  GetSafe is no technological slouch as its easy app and MGA-based operation has brought together backing (Munich Re) and leverage of changing customer needs in its property insurance platform.

InsurTech opportunity- harken back to business school– what are your market threats, and who is manifesting a potential competitor’s novelty, and can you iterate more effectively based on what new entrants are bringing to your base?  Lemonade’s substantial financial backing can help them bring a ‘square peg’ to a DE ‘round hole’, so why not shamelessly and fashionably imitate?  Don’t denigrate the disruptor of the disruptors- re-disrupt (is that a word?)   Carrier Management

Plenty to see here, as they say, but don’t rest too long on one news feed- too much of one good thing could cause info-indigestion.

Best approaches I have found- watch what your respected connections watch and watch what smart persons in tangential industries watch- there are bound to be meaningful overlaps.  Don’t limit yourself to one region’s news, don’t limit yourself to one line of thought.  Read the contrarian’s point of view.  And understand that the next best thought may come from an unexpected source/country/post/medium/neophyte/expert/anything.

Patrick Kelahan is a CX, engineering & insurance professional, working with Insurers, Attorneys & Owners. He also serves the insurance and Fintech world as the ‘Insurance Elephant’.

I have no positions or commercial relationships with the companies or people mentioned. I am not receiving compensation for this post.

Subscribe by email to join the other Fintech leaders who read our research daily to stay ahead of the curve. Check out our advisory services (how we pay for this free original research).

 

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The local insurance agent- insurance ecosystem re-defined

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You don’t have to look very far to find an active insurance ecosystem- just visit the neighborhood insurance agent or contact a commercial broker.  They have been fostering the ecosystem method of serving customers since before the term was moved into the front row at the innovation and InsurTech get-together.

TLDR.  Read any of the volume of current discussion regarding insurance ecosystems and you’ll find references to smart device apps, on-demand, shopping or ride sharing companies that are adding insurance options (Paytm and LIC, Amazon and Acko, Flipkart and Digit) but these are not surprisingly in insurance markets that are developing through a ‘digital native’ business culture.  Ecosystems per se have been a difficult ground up start in more developed insurance markets, e.g., U.S., Canada, and Europe.  But what of the US and Europe- forget being part of an ecosystem?

A quick look at defining an insurance ecosystem finds:

Ecosystem- “An ecosystem is a new business paradigm in which firms use digital tools to leap over traditional industry boundaries or forge partnerships.”  (WHY ECOSYSTEMS ARE THE FUTURE OF INSURANCE, Accenture).

Huh.  Leap over traditional industry boundaries or forge partnerships.

Or this-

“we suggest that middle-market insurers may want to consider expanding their horizon well beyond the standard product and service options they typically offer policyholders (see figure 2). This would involve creating or joining a much broader ecosystem offering a wider range of business support solutions, as well as facilitating educational and networking opportunities for customers.”  (Building new ecosystems in middle-market insurance, Deloitte)

Hmmm.  Offering a wider range of business support solutions, as well as facilitating educational and networking opportunities for customers.

I suggest if we look past the urge to see ecosystems as a new paradigm in developed insurance markets you will find- the agency model.  Not just the independent or captive agents who are churn and burn lead chasers, but the agents who have a holistic approach to building relationships (old school suggestion of recognizing inter-connectivity of business- nascent ecosystems.)

Digital ecosystems such as are noted above typically didn’t begin as systems; they were applications.  WeChat was launched in 2011 as a mobile chat app by China digital giant, Tencent.  Within four years it had developed by the popular demand of users and affiliate companies into being a 200 million users per month- wait for it- ecosystem of users and providers.  The application was adding value to what was originally a form of communication.  It was accessible, easy to use, had features that were meaningful in daily life.  It’s said that WeChat was the impetus behind the explosive growth in use of QR codes in China.

How does that tie into insurance, or insurance ecosystems?

There are tens of thousands of insurance agents in the U.S. alone, each of whom is working to build business, retain customers, increase the actual or perceived value customers find in the agent’s service, in other words- working to sell a reason for the customers to interact with the agency more often than once per year.

Smart agents have figured ways to do this for years before digitization- sponsor little league, be active in the chamber of commerce, bring a dish to pass at the service organization luncheon, donate bicycles to good readers at school (Chris Paradiso !), names on bowling shirts, filling sandbags, holding a customer’s hand when a claim occurs, referring the accountant next door, keeping a bank account in the local 1st National, keeping abreast of business and tech changes, and so on.  Building the value he/she could bring to customers, being a resource.

How is it that agents can be the insurance ecosystems of today?  If in China- have your QR code on WeChat, of course.  Piggyback on the platform Tencent has constructed.  But in mature markets where the insurance industry has tenure, the model has it’s own reference- ‘legacy’- and the availability of carriers is a fractured confusion to customers?

Active agents have the basis- relationships with collaborative businesses/organizations, and a pool of mostly content customers.  How might the agent leverage these resources?

  • What does an agent’s website say when it’s opened? Chances are it says, “I want to sell you something.”  So, people visit the site when they need to buy insurance.  Why not have a splash page that showcases the value/connections/resources that the agent has built over time?  A site that is a resource pool for clients that also serves as a selling tool when needed. (not like that of the Life Insurance Corporation of India– love their resources but the splash page is crazy busy).
  • Collaborate with business partners- what’s wrong with having synchronization of messages within the respective websites? If the agent resides in a smaller community then resources are common, success of one results in success of another, and there’s that synergy thing to take benefit from.
  • Be an active part of social media that makes sense for business. Not just a ‘like’ clicker, but a question asker, expertise sharer (Billy Van Jura )
  • Don’t try to re-create the wheel- link to existing resources customers are familiar with. Have an FAQ link on your site?  Did you know that Pinterest has an insurance info page? The details aren’t too tough to get a link onto your page, and cross-clicks builds your digital presence.
  • Be an easy source of information/links for emergency, weather, and government contacts. Be the source customers want to keep as a favorite.
  • Build a smart device application that makes sense- not a selling tool but a resource for the user that can also serve as a selling tool.
  • Leverage the digital resources your stable of carriers has- they know that being a digital resource is important; some are better at it than others.
  • There’s a lot more that the reader can think of- convert your analog ecosystem into a digital version.

There are agents who are working to perfect targeted ecosystem plays, e.g., cyber insurance (Brett Fulmer, Joe Hollier, Ben Guttman in the US), or in unique SME plans (Michael Porpora ), or in facilitating service tools for high net worth customers (Kurt Thoennessen).  A very good example of building an ecosystem/resource platform is Pat West whose firm, Hedgequote’s primary function is to be a resource for those needing information on insurance and potential firms from which to purchase.

I regret I do not know many agents working outside of the US, but some good examples who are building services beyond the basic sales model include Muhammad Ayodeji working in Lagos, Nigeria, (who in addition to representing insurance well posts traffic and accident updates through Twitter), or Mark Callanan in Sydney, Aus, who investigates crop and parametric options for the farmers and farm landowners in the country.  And one never knows- the transition that German insurer DFV-AG   has forged from being a more traditional carrier to digital expert may lead the firm into digital ecosystem land.

The point is that ecosystems can be insurance businesses that truly offer a wider range of business support solutions, as well as facilitating educational and networking opportunities for customers.  Perhaps a clever player will build an ecosystem of business connections that is a digital repository of business links.  Ecosystem is still be defined- agents can evolve beyond the world of sales quotas and discussions about premiums.

“Alexa, who does my insurance agent recommend for plumbing repairs?”

 

Patrick Kelahan is a CX, engineering & insurance professional, working with Insurers, Attorneys & Owners. He also serves the insurance and Fintech world as the ‘Insurance Elephant’.

I have no positions or commercial relationships with the companies or people mentioned. I am not receiving compensation for this post.

Subscribe by email to join the other Fintech leaders who read our research daily to stay ahead of the curve. Check out our advisory services (how we pay for this free original research).

 

Insurtech Front Page Weekly CXO Briefing – Online Insurance Marketplace

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The Theme last week was about InsurTech accelerators.

The Theme this week, is about online insurance marketplace. This has been a popular sector since InsurTech Day 1. Starting with a marketplace, both incumbents and startups can build an ecosystem out of it.

For more about the Front Page Weekly CXO Briefing, please click here.

Incumbents embracing InsurTech is a common theme in our posts. This time, it’s about customer engagement.

Story 1: ZhongAn, Grab Form JV to create digital insurance marketplace in SEA

Extract, read more on Digital News Asia:

“ZHONGAN Online P&C Insurance Co, Ltd (ZhongAn or ZA Insurance), the first Internet-based insurer in China, announced on Jan 16 that its subsidiary ZhongAn Technologies International Group Limited (ZA International), and Grab Holdings Inc, Southeast Asia’s leading online-to-offline mobile platform, will establish a joint venture company (JV) to enter the digital insurance distribution business in Southeast Asia.

The JV will create a digital insurance marketplace that offers insurance products in a range of categories with fractionalised premiums, directly to users through the Grab mobile app.”

ZhongAn has delivered a great performance in 2018 with a 11.22 billion RMB (1.65 billion USD) premium income and an 88.4% growth. Now Zhong An is trying to build its influence in SEA, and an insurance marketplace built on a popular local platform with huge internet traffic is a perfect choice.

 

Story 2: Policygenius Adds Auto and Home Insurance to Online Marketplace

Extract, read more on Insurance Innovation Reporter:

“Policygenius, a New York-based national direct-to-consumer insurance broker, has announced that it is expanding its online insurance marketplace to offer home insurance and auto insurance with a personalized shopping experience that aims to be unique in the market.

“Our customers have repeatedly told us they love how easy we’ve made comparing and buying life and disability insurance,” comments Jennifer Fitzgerald, CEO and co-founder, Policygenius. “They wanted to know when we’d be expanding to help them with other types of insurance as well. Today, we’re happy to announce that we’ve added home and auto to our marketplace.””

Founded in 2014, Policygenius is a veteran in the online insurance marketplace sector. The offer expansion could bring its customers with a more comprehensive insurance shopping experience.

 

Story 3: Wellthie Launches Health Insurance Marketplace

Extract, read more on Coverager:

“Wellthie, the company that’s “modernizing the insurance shopping experience,” has launched a new health insurance marketplace for small businesses to search and compare health insurance costs and options.”

While most of the online marketplace is designed for individual consumers, Wellthie aims at small business owners. A relatively small market with less competition.

Online insurance marketplace is, in a sense, the alpha version of InsurTech. It could be as simple as e-commercialized insurance store. But behind the curtain, you also need to figure out a way to recommend policies which suit customers’ best interests. That would involve technologies and thinking in customers’ position.

 

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Zarc Gin is an analyst for Warp Speed Fintech, a Fintech, especially InsurTech-focused Venture Capital based in China.

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To schedule an hour of Zarc’s time for CHF380 please click here to send an email.