Core Insurance
PR Newswire | October 03, 2023
NSM Insurance Group, a global specialty insurance provider with more than $1.6B in premium across 25+ niche insurance programs, today announced the completion of its acquisition of Envisage International. Based in Neptune Beach, Fla., Envisage is a leading provider of global health and travel insurance plans for international students and cultural exchange participants around the world.
"The travel insurance market is booming and will continue to grow at a rapid pace — with the industry predicted to reach $41B by 2027. We plan to seize this market opportunity and become a dominant player in the space," said Bill McKernan, President of NSM Insurance Group. "Envisage is a market leader in international education and cultural exchange insurance with a talented team, strong customer base, established revenue relationships and cutting-edge technology infrastructure. They are an enterprising addition to our portfolio as we look to build our footprint in the international health and travel insurance space."
Envisage offers a wide range of international health and travel medical insurance products through its two brands, International Student Insurance (ISI) and Envisage Global Insurance (EGI). ISI serves colleges, universities, ESL programs, study abroad programs, students, teachers and scholars with A+ rated plans and best-in-class resources. EGI is the leading provider of group insurance plans to organizations in the J1 cultural exchange and global youth travel market, offering unparalleled service and custom-built technology to its clients around the world.
"We're absolutely thrilled to join forces with NSM to help us continue to grow and scale the business," said Keith Clausen, President of Envisage International. "Over the last two decades, our dedicated and talented team has helped us grow into the force we are today, and we look forward to extending that growth with NSM. NSM has the prowess and proven track record to help ISI and EGI grow by expanding our distribution channels, further enhancing our technology platforms and expanding our global market reach."
Over the past 33 years, NSM has developed a winning formula for building the industry's most successful and sustainable insurance programs, consistently outperforming competitors and driving industry-leading growth and profitability over the last four years. This latest acquisition complements NSM's robust portfolio of specialty insurance programs and brands for the commercial P&C industry and consumer insurance — backed by the company's state-of-the-art resources, including IT, operations, marketing, HR and finance.
For more information about NSM or for investment opportunities, please visit nsminc.com.
About NSM Insurance Group
NSM Insurance Group is a global specialty insurance provider, exclusively focused on building successful insurance programs. For more than 30 years, NSM has been committed to delivering industry-specific insurance programs that help agents meet the unique needs of their customers and fuel market growth through innovative development, underwriting, distribution and claims expertise. The company has built more than $1.6 billion in premium across 25+ specialty insurance programs and brands around the world focused on collector cars; pets; social services and behavioral health; addiction treatment; coastal condominiums; towing and garage; trucking; sports and fitness; professional liability for contractors, architects and engineers; habitational; general contractors; medical stop loss and managed care; staffing; and workers' compensation. For more information on NSM, visit nsminc.com.
About Envisage International
Envisage International Corporation specializes in international health and travel insurance under its two key brands, International Student Insurance (ISI) and Envisage Global Insurance (EGI). With more than 20 years of experience, we take a consultative approach to helping our clients understand their insurance needs, creating customized solutions and providing support every step of the way. With offices in the United States, Mexico, China and Europe, Envisage is well placed to help organizations around the world with their international insurance needs. You can find more information about Envisage, ISI and EGI at envisageinternational.com
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Insurance Technology
PR Newswire | October 19, 2023
Acturis, the leading technology provider to the general insurance industry, has partnered with Customer Lifecycle Intelligence platform FullCircl to integrate its SmartBroker solution into the platform in order to deliver a rich, contextualised, and connected data solution for brokers, insurers, and MGAs. The SmartBroker API integration will provide next generation data enrichment to Acturis users proven to drive growth, improve decisioning, and enhance compliance.
Recent research has highlighted a persistent level of doubt when it comes to broker and insurer trust in data. This has significant knock-on impacts when tackling many of the biggest challenges facing the industry - onboarding speeds, underwriting accuracy, underinsurance, personalised customer journeys, risk and fraud reduction, and meeting compliance duties. By integrating FullCircl SmartBroker into the Acturis platform brokers and insurers can:
Efficiently identify and win new customers
Save time and pre-populate forms in Acturis with validated data
Run screening and onboarding checks
Enrich customer data to save time and improve underwriting submissions
Improve in-life monitoring for personalised experiences, elevated renewal rates, and expanded upsell opportunities
Improve customer outcomes and comply with the Consumer Duty
Speaking about the partnership Tony Goddard, CEO of Acturis commented: We're always looking for new ways to enhance how our customers write more business and ensure the trading experience is accurate, efficient, and effective. Integrating with FullCircl is another opportunity for us to elevate our platform and connect the insights brokers need, when it matters most.
Andrew Yates, CEO and Co-Founder at FullCircl said: "This integration has been driven by demand from our shared customer base. We've worked together to provide users with a connected solution that will provide meaningful opportunities to drive growth. We believe brokers, insurers and MGAs are better with data, and this integration makes data enrichment more accessible. We're delighted to announce this partnership so quickly after the launch of our SmartBroker solution and exclusive facility for BIBA members. It's an exciting time for us, and for our customers in the insurance sector."
Phil Barton CEO at Partners&, collaborators in the integration, expressed his excitement at the launch commenting: "I am delighted to see the integration of Acturis and FullCircl being announced. As a partner of both firms, and a business committed to intelligent use of technology, we could see the natural synergy in this integration, and the potential added value for our business. I am pleased to have played a role in influencing the development of this valuable proposition for the broking community."
About FullCircl
FullCircl is a Customer Lifecycle Intelligence (CLI) platform that connects the insight you need, when it matters most.
Its software, delivered through a platform, API, and suite of applications, is used to identify and acquire customers, verify entities and assess risk to accelerate onboarding, and retain and grow customers by delivering proactive account management.
FullCircl identifies millions of actionable insights daily on entities from 160 countries, providing a near real-time record of companies, their officers and shareholders, and the relationships between them. FullCircl improves commercial effectiveness while empowering businesses to satisfy regulatory requirements and make informed decisions about their customers.
FullCircl was formed following the merger of Artesian Solutions and DueDil and is backed by top tier investors including Octopus Investments, Notion Capital and Augmentum Fintech. In 2023, FullCircl acquired W2 Global Data Solutions, strengthening its KYC, AML and identity verification capabilities. Today, it serves 700+ customers, 15,000+ users, processes over 300 million onboarding and monitoring transactions per month and facilitates the onboarding of 200,000+ customers annually.
About Acturis
Acturis is the leading, award winning Software-as-a-Service provider to the insurance industry.
Founded in 2000, we have grown exponentially over the past 20 years. To date, more than 100,000 individuals, in over 40 countries, use Acturis solutions to power their business. We drive innovation in both personal and commercial lines by working closely with brokers, insurers, and MGAs. Our work has helped create and shape the insurance market of today.
The Acturis Group includes Acturis SaaS, Nordic Insurance Software (NIS), ICE InsureTech, Broker Buddha, Acturis Deutschland, Acturis France and Acturis Canada.
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Risk Management
PR Newswire | October 12, 2023
INSURICA, one of the largest privately held independent insurance agencies in the nation, has selected Ascend, the leading financial operations automation platform, to advance their commitment to innovation, elevate the client experience, and drive increased efficiency across their operations.
As the industry's sole provider of financial operations automation software, Ascend will streamline INSURICA's billing, carrier payables, and financing workflows. By integrating Ascend's transformative technology, INSURICA aims to enhance their customer-centric approach while empowering their teams to dedicate more time to building valuable client relationships.
We are constantly re-evaluating the way we do business, striving to deliver exceptional customer service and optimize our operations, said Kylie Hubbard, Director of Innovation at INSURICA. Ascend is a groundbreaking solution that has truly revolutionized our post-placement lifecycle for policies. With seamless software and automation, we have significantly improved customer service and streamlined our processes.
Ascend's solution automates all accounts receivable (AR) and accounts payable (AP) tasks in the agency bill workflow. From invoicing to premium financing to carrier payables, Ascend simplifies the complex tasks associated with premium and commission management. This unified workflow provides real-time transparency and accelerates the speed at which INSURICA can bind and manage policies, all while prioritizing a superior customer payment experience.
We founded Ascend with the goal of partnering with leaders in the insurance distribution channel to optimize operational efficiencies and elevate the client experience through automation, emphasized Andrew Wynn, Co-CEO of Ascend. INSURICA's commitment to innovation aligns perfectly with our mission, and we are honored to collaborate with them in pushing the insurance industry forward.
About Ascend
Ascend is the industry-leading provider of financial operations automation software, dedicated to modernizing the insurance industry's financial infrastructure. Ascend is the only solution designed to enhance agency management systems by streamlining the insurance life cycle for agency bill processes. By eliminating manual back office accounting tasks, improving cash collection cycles, and providing a best-in-class customer experience, Ascend significantly increases the productivity, efficiency, and profitability of agencies and brokerages. To learn more about how Ascend can transform your business, please visit www.useascend.com.
About INSURICA
Placing over $1 billion in annual premiums for our clients, INSURICA is among the 40 largest insurance brokers in the United States and is currently the 24th largest privately held independent agency in the country.
INSURICA employs more than 600 colleagues in 33 offices located throughout Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Kansas, Colorado, Arizona, California, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. We are constantly looking to expand our network with partners who bring additional value and expertise to the enterprise and our clients. Our focus on finding quality and experienced partners, coupled with the resources of Assurex Global positions INSURICA as one of the preeminent insurance brokerages in the country and further emphasizes our customer pledge that we "Specialize in You."
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