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.