Finextra Research: Latest fintech news, analysis, interviews, features and opinion by industry experts

Insurtech funding reaches new high, says WTW report

A total of 71 InsurTech funding transactions during the second quarter of 2018 marks a record high; however, the total of $579 million invested is down 20% against the prior quarter, according to the new Quarterly InsurTech Briefing from Willis Towers Watson, the leading global advisory, broking and solutions company, (NASDAQ:WLTW).

20 September 2018

Company update/Insurance

UnderwriteMe selects Yellowfin for analytics service

Yellowfin BI, the analytics company that provides better answers faster, today announced that UnderwriteMe, the largest supplier of automated underwriting systems in the UK and Ireland, has deployed Yellowfin technology to give insurers a new way to consume and serve up rich data services.

18 September 2018

Company update/Insurance

Homelyfe launches digital insurance platform

Insurtech start-up Homelyfe, which announced a partnership with ING’s smart money app Yolt last week, has launched a new digital insurance platform.

17 September 2018

News/Insurance

Yolt links up with Anorak to give users life insurance advice

Money management app Yolt has plugged Anorak into its platform, giving users access to personalised and impartial advice from the life insurance specialist.

13 September 2018

Company update/Insurance

Zurich launches international startup competition

Zurich Insurance Group (Zurich) has launched the Zurich Innovation World Championship, its new global competition to collaborate with the brightest and best start-ups and entrepreneurs in the insurtech space.

05 September 2018

News/Insurance

Munich Re pays $300m for IoT specialist relayr

Reinsurer Munich Re has agreed a $300 million deal to buy relayr, a Berlin-based Internet of Things (IoT) startup that helps industrial companies extract valuable data from their machinery.

05 September 2018

Company update/Insurance

Kingdom Trust secures insurance for custodied digital assets through Lloyd’s of London

Kingdom Trust, the first regulated financial institution to offer qualified custody for digital asset investments like Bitcoin and Ethereum, has secured insurance for digital assets held on its qualified custody platform through one of the world’s most respected insurers, Lloyd’s of London.

28 August 2018

News/Insurance

SoftBank to invest $100m in Chinese insurtech JV

Japanese multinational SoftBank, one of the most prolific fintech investors, is set to spend $100m on a joint venture with Chinese digital insurer ZhongAn Online.

28 August 2018

Company update/Insurance

SmartPesa introduces integrated insurance agent policy payment

Singapore-based FinTech company SmartPesa is pleased to announce that it is enabling Tune Protect Malaysia (TPM) to use its next-generation payment solutions.

23 August 2018

Company update/Insurance

Protean Risk appoints Tristan Sargeaunt director, fintech and payment services

Protean Risk, a specialist insurance broker for asset management, financial services, and technology firms, have appointed Tristan Sargeaunt as Director of Fintech and Payment Services, where he will spearhead the development of distinct insurance solutions for firms operating in this area.

17 August 2018

News/Insurance

Amazon sizes up price comparison market

Amazon is reportedly eyeing a foray into the financial comparison market, holding talks with some of Europe's big insurance firms about a possible launch in the UK.

16 August 2018

News/Insurance

AAIS partners IBM for blockchain-based insurance regulatory reporting

The American Association of Insurance Services (AAIS) is using blockchain technology from IBM to help to automate regulatory reporting.

15 August 2018

Company update/Insurance

Insurance sector to trial blockchain tech for dispute resolution

The insurance sectors’ experiment with Blockchain technology is due to take place to help resolve disputes with car-liability claims in the pre-litigation phase.

15 August 2018

Company update/Insurance

Axis launches digital venture vehicle for InsurTech

AXIS Capital Holdings Limited ("AXIS Capital") (NYSE: AXS), today announced the launch of AXIS Digital Ventures, a new unit that will lead enterprise-wide efforts to partner with entrepreneurial companies focused on data and analytics with high value (re)insurance applications, new product opportunities including emerging risks, and new distribution and (re)insurance business models.

31 July 2018

News/Insurance

BlackFin Capital Partners closes EUR180 million fintech fund

BlackFin Capital Partners is staking a claim to be the largest independent fintech fund in Europe, after completing a €180-million final closing with participation from top-tier banks and insurance houses.

18 July 2018

Company update/Insurance

Rabobank and Friss unlock the value of Iban-Name Check for insurers to reduce fraud

Insurance companies can now also use the IBAN-Name Check, an innovative service that checks whether the name and the IBAN number match.

17 July 2018

Company update/Insurance

Next Insurance closes $83m Series B funding round

Next Insurance, the leading digital insurance company for small businesses, announced today that it has raised $83 Million in a Series B Round.

11 July 2018

Company update/Insurance

Fineqia buys stake in blockchain insurance company

Fineqia International Inc. (the "Company" or "Fineqia") (CSE: FNQ) (OTC: FNQQF) (Frankfurt: FNQA) is pleased to announce it is taking an equity allocation in Black Insurance ("Black"), a digital insurance startup on the blockchain.

09 July 2018

News/Insurance

Nordea to acquire online banking arm of Norwegian insurer Gjensidige

Nordea is to acquire the online banking arm of Norwegian insurer Gjensidige for EUR578 million in cash.

02 July 2018

Company update/Insurance

CoverWallet launches commercial insurance API

CoverWallet, the tech startup that makes it easy for small businesses to understand, buy, and manage insurance online, today launched the first API for commercial insurance.

26 June 2018