Reinsurtech

At this time of year, as peak-conference season begins, the market tends to reflect on conditions and the drivers setting up dynamics for year-end and beyond.

Digital risk trading insurtech start-up Akinova, which promises a digital platform for trading insurance and reinsurance risks and will begin with an industry-loss warranty (ILW) type product, has appointed Thomas Heise of Insurance Income Strategies (IIS) to its advisory board.

The reinsurance market evolution continues and as ever alternative capital and the insurance-linked securities (ILS) market is placed centre stage in any discussion of the disruption of traditional business models, but now that the payback model of the past has expired, a new and more symbiotic model with ILS is emerging.

Akinova, a digital risk trading insurtech start-up that is developing a platform where insurance and reinsurance related risk can be traded, has added another senior advisor in Susan Estes, a Wall Street veteran, as well as co-founder and CEO of bond trading platform OpenDoor.

Digital risk trading start-up Akinova, which is developing an “electronic marketplace for the transfer and trading of (re)insurance risks,” has signed up Pierre Francotte, the former CEO of Euroclear as an advisor.

There are signs that the world’s largest reinsurance firm Munich Re is beginning to refocus and reposition itself, intending to concentrate on its core areas of expertise in risk management, risk transfer and risk bearing, alongside a newer developed focus on technology.

The discussions about a potential investment deal between reinsurance major Swiss Re and Japanese technology conglomerate and investor SoftBank Group have come to an end with no deal agreed, according to an announcement from the reinsurer today

Global insurance and reinsurance player Swiss Re has reported expansion in the first-quarter of 2018, as it underwrote more premiums across much of its business, reported better returns in property and casualty reinsurance, but noted that while the price environment is improving, it’s still challenging the firm.

As the negotiations between reinsurance giant Swiss Re and technology and telecoms investor SoftBank are reported to have stalled, with the pair said unable to agree on the size of the stake, among other things. Perhaps SoftBank could put its innovation hat on and leverage ILS trends as a way to do something different in […]

It’s M&A season in insurance and reinsurance with seemingly nobody being safe from the searching eyes of an investor or acquirer and things are moving apace, with a number of deals on the table and likely more discussions going on behind closed doors.