Willis Towers Watson: InsurTech investment doubles in Q3; parametric cover in focus
More than $1.3 billion of InsurTech funding was completed during Q3 2018, double the figure from the previous quarter. While individual investment rounds were larger, the number of transactions reported declined 20% to 57, according to the new Quarterly InsurTech Briefing from Willis Towers Watson, the leading global advisory, broking and solutions company, (NASDAQ:WLTW). Q3 saw eight transactions over $40 million, up from six, and the continued active participation of (re)insurers. The pipeline of InsurTech partnerships remains very strong.
The latest Briefing focuses on how InsurTech companies are deploying parametric structures, which unlike indemnity-based insurance pay out a predefined sum based on a trigger chosen as a proxy for an actual loss. Parametric products align the interests of insurers and insureds in a way which traditional indemnity covers do not, by removing the parties’ respective incentives to manage down or inflate claims. Parametric insurance is also substantially simpler than indemnity products, since it does not require costly claims handling. With parametric insurance, frictional costs can be very low.
Some InsurTech firms have acknowledged these benefits and combined technology and information within parametric or event-based insurance structures to address existing inefficiencies or coverage gaps. They use a combination of third-party and proprietary data, advanced sensors, and the capabilities of the Internet of Things to develop a new paradigm of insurance offerings for the connected world. The Briefing looks in detail at several examples, including companies using parametric structures to cover the risks of earthquakes, travel disruption, flash flooding, and horticulture.
“The impact of parametric insurance can be much more profound than simply lowering frictional costs and mitigating the potential for fraud,” says Rafal Walkiewicz, Chief Executive Officer of Willis Towers Watson Securities. “First, the use of parametric insurance encourages conversation around risk mitigation. Second, the simplicity of parametric insurance facilitates a decoupling of the various functions of the industry value chain and it allows for modularization.”
Dr Magdalena Ramada, Willis Towers Watson Senior Economist, says: “When automated correctly, besides being increasingly economical to deploy, parametric products are an important tool to access underserved segments and bridge coverage gaps. Their underlying policy structure and digital nature fundamentally reduce the complexity and frictional costs of traditional insurance, allowing for the simplicity, scalability and flexibility needed to cater to most of these markets.”
View the full Willis Towers Watson Q3 InsurTech Briefing
About Willis Towers Watson
Willis Towers Watson (NASDAQ:WLTW) is a leading global advisory, broking and solutions company that helps clients around the world turn risk into a path for growth. With roots dating to 1828, Willis Towers Watson has over 40,000 employees serving more than 140 countries. We design and deliver solutions that manage risk, optimize benefits, cultivate talent, and expand the power of capital to protect and strengthen institutions and individuals. Our unique perspective allows us to see the critical intersections between talent, assets and ideas – the dynamic formula that drives business performance. Together, we unlock potential. Learn more at willistowerswatson.com
About Willis Towers Watson Securities
Willis Towers Watson Securities, with offices in New York, London, Hong Kong and Sydney, provides advice to companies involved in the insurance and reinsurance industry on capital markets products, including acting as underwriter or agent for primary issuances, operating a secondary insurance-linked securities trading desk and engaging in general capital markets and strategic advisory work. Willis Towers Watson Securities is a trade name used by Willis Securities, Inc., a licensed broker dealer authorized and regulated by FINRA and a member of SIPC (“WSI”), Willis Towers Watson Securities Europe Limited (Registered number 2908053 and ARBN number 604 264 557), an investment business authorized and regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (“WTW Securities Europe”) and Willis Towers Watson Securities (Hong Kong) Limited, a corporation licensed and regulated by the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (“WTW Securities (HK)”).
About Willis Re
One of the world’s leading reinsurance brokers, Willis Re is known for its world-class analytics capabilities, which it combines with its reinsurance expertise in a seamless, integrated offering that can help clients increase the value of their businesses. Willis Re serves the risk management and risk transfer needs of a diverse, global client base that includes all of the world’s top insurance and reinsurance carriers as well as national catastrophe schemes in many countries around the world. The broker’s global team of experts offers services and advice that can help clients make better reinsurance decisions and negotiate optimum terms. For more information, visit willisre.com.
About CB Insights
CB Insights is a Pilot Growth and National Science Foundation backed software company that uses data science, machine learning and predictive analytics to help customers predict what’s next. CB Insights has built a tech market intelligence platform that analyzes millions of data points on venture capital, startups, patents, partnerships and news media to predict technology trends.
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