RISK MANAGEMENT, INSURANCE TECHNOLOGY
PRnewswire | May 03, 2023
Arbol, a global climate risk coverage platform, and The Institutes RiskStream Collaborative, the insurance industry's largest blockchain consortium, announced a strategic partnership to transform the parametric insurance space today. The partnership integrates Arbol into RiskStream's network of industry leaders dedicated to unlocking the potential of blockchain in risk management and insurance. The consortium actively explores insurance-specific blockchain and distributed ledger technology (DLT) applications to reduce operating costs, enhance systems, and improve customer experiences across the $1 trillion insurance industry.
Arbol and RiskStream's collaboration aims to leverage blockchain technology to streamline data flow, increase transparency, and enable rapid payouts in parametric insurance and reinsurance programs, addressing the challenges in managing seasonal and catastrophic climate risks, such as major storms and hurricanes.
The partnership between Arbol and RiskStream Collaborative will initially focus on developing an innovative, blockchain-driven parametric solution for the insurance industry. This solution will enhance trust and collaboration among all parties involved. It could be extended to non-parametric insurance solutions for reinsurance programs, harnessing the unique value of smart contracts and DLTs.
Sid Jha, Founder and CEO of Arbol, said, "Our collaboration with The Institutes RiskStream Collaborative marks an exciting step in bringing innovation to the parametric insurance space. By leveraging smart contracts and distributed ledger technology, we aim to transform how climate insurance and reinsurance deals are managed, introducing unprecedented transparency and efficiency to global climate risk management."
"We are excited to welcome Arbol into the collaborative as a solution provider. Their work in the parametric (re)insurance space opens the door for our producer, carrier/cedent and reinsurer members to leverage their automated solutions," said Patrick Schmid, President of The RiskStream Collaborative. "Arbol's application, which works with external blockchain oracle data for various perils, aims to leverage RiskStream's Canopy platform. The goal is to improve industry-wide operational efficiency and lead to a better overall insurance experience."
The strategic partnership between Arbol and The Institutes RiskStream Collaborative seeks to create significant value for the insurance industry by showcasing the power of blockchain technology and decentralized data storage. The collaboration is committed to delivering cutting-edge solutions that address current industry challenges while paving the way for future advancements in parametric insurance and beyond.
About Arbol
Arbol is a global climate-risk coverage platform and FinTech company offering full-service solutions for any business looking to analyze, manage, and transfer climate risk. Arbol's products offer parametric coverage based on objective data triggers rather than a subjective loss assessment. Arbol's key differentiator versus traditional InsureTech, or climate- analytics platforms, is the complete ecosystem it has built to address climate risk. This ecosystem includes a massive, climate-data infrastructure, scalable product development, automated, instant pricing–using an artificial intelligence underwriter–blockchain-powered operational efficiencies, and non-traditional risk capacity bringing capital from non-insurance sources. By combining all these factors, Arbol brings scale, transparency, and efficiency to parametric coverage in stark contrast to the oligopoly of reinsurers currently dominating the climate-risk insurance space.
About The Institutes RiskStream Collaborative
The Institutes RiskStream Collaborative™ is the risk management and insurance industry's first enterprise-level blockchain consortium that brings together experts and developers to advance insurance-specific use cases via Canopy, a custom blockchain architecture. The Institutes RiskStream Collaborative is committed to equipping organizations to work together to inspire product innovation, enable efficiencies, and open new technological frontiers.
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CORE INSURANCE, RISK MANAGEMENT
Globenewswire | May 23, 2023
World Insurance Associates LLC (“World”), a Top 50 Insurance Brokerage, announced today that it acquired the business of Rubicon Benefits LLC (“Rubicon Benefits”) of Melville, NY on April 1, 2023. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Rubicon Benefits was founded in 2000. Today they provide employee benefits to businesses in the New York metropolitan area, as well as across the country.
“Rubicon Benefits strives to become a strategic partner with employers, leveraging successful strategies in plan design so our clients can attract and retain top talent, and save money without reducing benefits,” says Adam Rosenfeld, President, Rubicon Benefits. “We look forward to continuing this approach as part of World.”
“It’s great to welcome Rubicon Benefits to the World family,” says Rich Eknoian, CEO and Co-Founder of World. “They successfully work with their clients to create innovative employee benefits solutions, and I know they will be a great addition to our Employee Benefits team.”
“We are delighted to welcome Rubicon Benefits to our World Employee Benefits Practice. Their expertise in developing tailored benefit solutions for clients will be instrumental in our continued growth and success,” says Jennifer Barton, Head of Employee Benefits.
Giordano, Halleran & Ciesla provided legal counsel to World, and Fortrust Diligence advised them on the transaction. Lauletta Birnbaum, LLC provided legal counsel to Rubicon Benefits, and Rosen Advisory advised them on the transaction. No other advisors, diligence or legal counsel were disclosed.
About World Insurance Associates LLC
World Insurance Associates LLC (World) is headquartered in Iselin, N.J., and is a nationally ranked, full-service insurance organization providing individuals and businesses with top products and services across personal and commercial insurance, employee and executive benefits, retirement and financial services and human capital management solutions. Since its founding in 2011, World has completed over 190 acquisitions and serves its customers from more than 250 offices across the United States. World is ranked #34 on the 100 Largest Brokers of U.S. Business list by Business Insurance, ranked #3 on the Fastest Growing Brokers list by Business Insurance, ranked #3 on the Fastest Growing Benefits Brokers list by Business Insurance, ranked #24 on the Top 100 P&C Agencies by Insurance Journal, and is a Top-50 ranked personal lines agency by Insurance Journal. For more information, please visit www.worldinsurance.com.
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CORE INSURANCE, INSURANCE TECHNOLOGY
Businesswire | April 28, 2023
Zinnia, a life and annuity insurance technology and digital services company, today announced it is acquiring Policygenius, a digital insurance marketplace. The acquisition lays the foundation for the industry’s first front-to-back architecture to power the entire insurance value chain and better serve carriers, advisors, and policyholders.
The transaction expands Zinnia’s reach into digital distribution solutions, creating new opportunities to service carriers and distribution partners. Together, Zinnia and Policygenius will offer products and services spanning life and annuities, disability, and property and casualty insurance. At the heart of Policygenius is a platform that simplifies the process for consumers to buy insurance, and an extensive data analytics capability that, combined with Zinnia’s growing tech capabilities and well-established third-party administrator (TPA) infrastructure, lays the groundwork for exceptional experiences for those who buy, sell, manufacture or administer insurance policies.
Zinnia will continue to offer Policygenius’ full suite of online services under the Policygenius brand. These capabilities will connect with Zinnia’s new system of record to further develop the Open Insurance architecture. The acquisition opens growth opportunities for Zinnia’s and Policygenius’ combined 60+ carrier clients, 350 distributors and partners, and 2M+ policyholders.
“At Zinnia, we want to provide solutions that simplify the process of buying insurance and deliver an exceptional experience for consumers from purchase to claim,” said Michele Trogni, Zinnia Chief Executive Officer. “Policygenius has always put consumer experience at the heart of their business, and their capabilities will accelerate our journey. We look forward to welcoming Policygenius clients, an experienced leadership team, and approximately 450 new team members to Zinnia, and are excited to power growth in our industry.”
“We are thrilled to have a partner in Zinnia, that shares in our vision to transform the industry through technology and a consumer-first approach,” said Jennifer Fitzgerald, Policygenius Co-founder and CEO and newly appointed Zinnia board member. “Their depth of insurance expertise and entrepreneurship has resulted in more than $170B in assets under administration and the launch of 170+ new carrier products. Together, we will expand the reach of our carrier and distribution partners, helping even more consumers achieve financial protection. The promise of Open Insurance is huge, and we are excited to embark on this journey with Zinnia together.”
“This strategic combination positions Zinnia and Policygenius to deliver great benefits for carriers and consumers, and we believe there is enormous unmet demand in the market for a seamless digital experience underpinned by a compelling, end-to-end insurance offering,” said Jake Heller, Partner at KKR and newly appointed Zinnia board member. “We look forward to serving as an investor in the combined business alongside Eldridge and supporting Michele, Jennifer, and these talented teams in their next chapter of growth.”
KKR, through its Technology Growth strategy, was a lead investor in Policygenius and will remain an investor in the combined company.
Sidley Austin LLP and WilmerHale served as legal counsel to Zinnia. Latham & Watkins LLP served as legal counsel to Policygenius.
About Zinnia
Zinnia, an Eldridge business, combines a rich history of insurance expertise and product capabilities to create simplified and digitized outcomes that deliver better value and foster more seamless, secure, and efficient experiences for carriers, advisors, consumers, and reinsurers. The Company’s vision for Open Insurance empowers clients through intuitive technology solutions that decrease processing time, drive product innovation, and bring new products to market faster, enabling more people to protect and enrich their financial futures.
About Policygenius
Founded in 2014 by Francois de Lame and Jennifer Fitzgerald, Policygenius transforms the insurance journey for today’s consumer, providing a one-stop platform where customers can compare options from top insurance carriers, get unbiased expert advice, buy policies, and manage their insurance portfolio, in one seamless, integrated experience. Our proprietary technology platform integrates with the leading life, disability, and home and auto insurance carriers and delivers an exceptional digital experience for both consumers and insurance carriers. Since 2014, our content, digital tools, and experts have served as a resource for millions of people on their insurance journey, and we have sold more than $200 billion in coverage.
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