How InsurTech-Insurance Partnership Delivers New Product Innovations

4 minutes, 27 seconds read

Published on Feb 13, 2020

Updated on May 11, 2020

In 2019, InsurTech funding reached $6 billion, acknowledging the pace that technology can bring to overcome the age-old Insurance problems, the State of AI in Insurance 2020 says. While Incumbents are known for their core competencies in end-to-end insurance processes (from underwriting to claims settlement and reinsurance), InsurTechs are enticing millennials with fully digital innovative products and solutions.

The current situation can be viewed as either growing competition for traditional Insurers or an opportunity to collaborate and procure maximum benefits from each other’s competencies.

The World InsurTech Report 2019 states that nearly 90% of InsurTechs and 70% of Insurers are interested in collaboration with other InsurTechs and Insurance firms.

[Quick read: 10 Key Takeaways from the World InsurTech Report 2019]

In this article, we will discuss how InsurTech and Insurance partnership is proving beneficial for the entire ecosystem along with some successful partnership stories.

InsurTech and Insurance Partnership Benefits

A recent study pointed out that 70% of Insurance Executives are interested in collaborating with InsurTechs for developing new offerings. While developing new & innovative offerings remains the focus, such partnerships can play a crucial role in improving operational efficiency, enhancing customer experience, and increasing data capabilities.

InsurTech and Insurance Partnership outlook — *Source:* *The State of AI in Insurance*

Enabling Mobile-first Business Model

The current generation cares about self-managing everything that matters to them (including Insurance) on mobile. If it’s not convenient to use, the consumer is, perhaps, not ready to adopt it. For instance, each day, more than 5 billion people go online using their smartphones or mobile devices.

InsurTechs, as consumer-focused they are, have been leveraging mobile technologies for micropayments, mobility and IoT connectivity.

Insurer’s benefits:

Capability to extend their services/products to the mobile channel.
Attracting new customers who are more inclined towards self-service options.
Making information and services accessible and available everywhere, irrespective of geographical location, thus enhancing the customer experience.

Gaining Operational Efficiency at Scale

Insurers can harness InsurTechs’ capabilities on cutting-edge technologies like cognitive process automation, natural language processing, and ML-derived insurance analytics. Applications built using these technologies are scalable to the enterprise level.

For instance, with cognitive automation, Insurers can improve the efficiency and quality of computer-generated responses. Forrester predicts cognitive processes will overtake nearly 20% of service desk operations.

Similarly, InsurTechs are investing in developing workflow automation solutions, using which Insurers can create new automated workflows and/or customize existing workflows. Workflow automation with intelligent document and data processing capabilities has resulted in over 80% operational gains over manual processes.

Another milestone in improving operational efficiency is achieved through the adoption of chatbots. NLP-powered chatbots seamlessly integrate with an organization’s workflows and are a great way to humanize machine conversation and at the same time automate customer service portals.

Opportunity to extend the portfolio

InsurTechs still require traditional Insurers’ support for underwriting and during risk mitigation. On the other hand, Insurers are sceptical about micro and on-demand insurance because of the distribution challenges it poses for low-profit products. Insurers and InsurTechs can easily bridge the gaps and at the same time extend their range of offerings through strategic collaboration. Since 2017, Insurance and technology firms have announced more than 180 partnerships, KPMG states.

For example, American Family Insurance (AmFam) organizes its interests around innovation, advanced analytics, and connectivity. It has investments in CoverHound, HomeTap, Bunker, Wireless Registry, and LeaseLock.

“By making these investments, we do seek a financial return with the investment, but really we look for opportunities to work together, reconnaissance on how the world is changing.”
Dan Reed, MD, Managing Director, American Family Ventures

Source: Insurance Journal

Thus, InsurTech and Insurance partnership can also benefit from extending the product portfolio. Let’s now look at some remarkable examples.

4 Noteworthy InsurTech and Insurance Partnerships from Recent Years

1. Zurich Connect and Yolo

Zurich Connect, the digital arm of Zurich Italy, partnered with on-demand digital Insurance broker Yolo to provide virtual assistance to its customers. Together, they launched HomeFlix — to provide a range of Insurance coverage to renters and homeowners.

HomeFlix offers laundry service, concierge maintenance services such as plumbing and electric, and cleaning services to its customers along with regular and short-term insurance coverages starting at a nominal price of € 3.55 per month.

2. FRIDAY and Friendsurance

FRIDAY is a Berlin-based InsurTech startup. It offers digital automotive insurance with flexible terms like kilometre-accurate billing and the option to terminate at month’s end. The company partnered with Friendsurance, an online peer-to-peer insurance service provider. Friendsurance business model relies on paying out a percentage to customers who do not use (or use very little) annual insurance.

This partnership helps FRIDAY to sell at its policies on the Friendsurance platform and Friendsurance benefits from providing a range of insurance cover options to its customers.

3. Generali Global Assistance with Lyft and CareLinx

Generali Global Assistance is a division of Italy’s Generali Group. It provides travel insurance-related services. The company partnered with InsurTech Lyft and CareLinx to improve customer service and provide value-added services (e.g. CareRides, a door-to-door transportation service for special-needs individuals) respectively.

4. Prudential Singapore and StarHub

Singapore-based Prudential Insurance Company is the subsidiary of Prudential Plc, a British multinational life insurance & financial services company. The company partnered with StarHub to create FastTrackTrade — a digital trading platform. Using the FastTrackTrade platform, users can buy/sell goods, track shipments, make transactions, access financing, and buy insurance.

We’re a recognized InsurTech100 company with main focus on developing AI-first products and solutions for modern Insurance enterprises. For more details, please feel free to drop us a word at hello@mantralabsglobal.com.

In 1989, a missing $0.50 bolt led to the mid-air explosion of United Airlines Flight 232. The smallest oversight in manufacturing can set off a chain reaction of failures. Now, imagine a factory floor where thousands of components must function flawlessly—what happens if one critical part is about to fail but goes unnoticed? Predictive analytics in manufacturing ensures these unseen risks don’t turn into catastrophic failures by providing foresight into potential breakdowns, supply chain risk analytics, and demand fluctuations—allowing manufacturers to act before issues escalate into costly problems.

Industrial predictive analytics involves using data analysis and machine learning in manufacturing to identify patterns and predict future events related to production processes. By combining historical data, machine learning, and statistical models, manufacturers can derive valuable insights that help them take proactive measures before problems arise.

Beyond just improving efficiency, predictive maintenance in manufacturing is the foundation of proactive risk management, helping manufacturers prevent costly downtime, safety hazards, and supply chain disruptions. By leveraging vast amounts of data, predictive analytics enables manufacturers to anticipate machine failures, optimize production schedules, and enhance overall operational resilience.

But here’s the catch, models that predict failures today might not be necessarily effective tomorrow. And that’s where the real challenge begins.

Why Predictive Analytics Models Need Retraining?

Predictive analytics in manufacturing relies on historical data and machine learning to foresee potential failures. However, manufacturing environments are dynamic, machines degrade, processes evolve, supply chains shift, and external forces such as weather and geopolitics play a bigger role than ever before.

Without continuous model retraining, predictive models lose their accuracy. A recent study found that 91% of data-driven manufacturing models degrade over time due to data drift, requiring periodic updates to remain effective. Manufacturers relying on outdated models risk making decisions based on obsolete insights, potentially leading to catastrophic failures.

The key is in retraining models with the right data, data that reflects not just what has happened but what could happen next. This is where integrating external data sources becomes crucial.

Is Integrating External Data Sources Crucial?

Traditional smart manufacturing solutions primarily analyze in-house data: machine performance metrics, maintenance logs, and operational statistics. While valuable, this approach is limited. The real breakthroughs happen when manufacturers incorporate external data sources into their predictive models:

Weather Patterns: Extreme weather conditions have caused billions in manufacturing risk management losses. For example, the 2021 Texas power crisis disrupted semiconductor production globally. By integrating weather data, manufacturers can anticipate environmental impacts and adjust operations accordingly.
Market Trends: Consumer demand fluctuations impact inventory and supply chains. By leveraging market data, manufacturers can avoid overproduction or stock shortages, optimizing costs and efficiency.
Geopolitical Insights: Trade wars, regulatory shifts, and regional conflicts directly impact supply chains. Supply chain risk analytics combined with geopolitical intelligence helps manufacturers foresee disruptions and diversify sourcing strategies proactively.

One such instance is how Mantra Labs helped a telecom company optimize its network by integrating both external and internal data sources. By leveraging external data such as radio site conditions and traffic patterns along with internal performance reports, the company was able to predict future traffic growth and ensure seamless network performance.

The Role of Edge Computing and Real-Time AI

Having the right data is one thing; acting on it in real-time is another. Edge computing in manufacturing processes, data at the source, within the factory floor, eliminating delays and enabling instant decision-making. This is particularly critical for:

Hazardous Material Monitoring: Factories dealing with volatile chemicals can detect leaks instantly, preventing disasters.
Supply Chain Optimization: Real-time AI can reroute shipments based on live geopolitical updates, avoiding costly delays.
Energy Efficiency: Smart grids can dynamically adjust power consumption based on market demand, reducing waste.

Conclusion:

As crucial as predictive analytics is in manufacturing, its true power lies in continuous evolution. A model that predicts failures today might be outdated tomorrow. To stay ahead, manufacturers must adopt a dynamic approach—refining predictive models, integrating external intelligence, and leveraging real-time AI to anticipate and prevent risks before they escalate.

The future of smart manufacturing solutions isn’t just about using predictive analytics—it’s about continuously evolving it. The real question isn’t whether predictive models can help, but whether manufacturers are adapting fast enough to outpace risks in an unpredictable world.

At Mantra Labs, we specialize in building intelligent predictive models that help businesses optimize operations and mitigate risks effectively. From enhancing efficiency to driving innovation, our solutions empower manufacturers to stay ahead of uncertainties. Ready to future-proof your factory? Let’s talk.

How InsurTech-Insurance Partnership Delivers New Product Innovations

InsurTech and Insurance Partnership Benefits