Cinven nears completion of €3.5 bn Viridium Group sale to Allianz consortium
Cinven is finalizing the sale of Viridium Group, Germany’s largest life insurance administrator, to a consortium led by Allianz for €3.5bn
🇪🇺 Europe Insurance News
Swiss Re plans to sell shares of Definity Financial for C$655 mn
Swiss Re plans to sell 11.7 mn common shares of Definity Financial Corp., a Canadian property/casualty group, for C$655 mn
Allianz, BlackRock, T&D lead €3.5bn acquisition of Viridium, life insurance consolidator
A consortium led by Allianz SE, BlackRock, and Japan’s T&D Holdings will acquire Viridium Group, a German life insurance consolidator, for €3.5bn
PERILS released 3rd insurance industry loss estimate for the Central Europe and Italy floods
PERILS, a Zurich-based organization providing catastrophe insurance data, released its third industry loss estimate for the Central Europe and Italy floods
IK Partners acquires stake in Seventeen Group to expand UK insurance presence
Private equity firm IK Partners announced that one of its funds will acquire a minority stake in Seventeen Group, a London-based company
Insurance Europe criticizes EU Sustainability Risk Rules for duplication & cost
The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority’s proposed sustainability risk rules would duplicate existing regulations and increase costs
Vienna Insurance Group posts higher 2024 profit despite €617 mn flood loss
Vienna Insurance Group boosted its 2024 profit despite taking a €617 mn hit from flooding caused by storm Boris in Central and Eastern Europe
Swiss Re published its Annual Report and Sustainability Report
Swiss Re published its Annual Report 2024, Sustainability Report 2024 and the invitation for the upcoming Annual General Meeting of shareholders
EU Insurance markets could benefit from public-private reinsurance for climate risks
EU insurance markets could gain from a proposed public-private reinsurance scheme for climate-related losses
Optio Group acquired Norwegian-based MGA S Insurance
Optio Group (Optio), an independent specialty MGA, has acquired Norwegian-based MGA S Insurance AS (S Insurance) for an undisclosed amount
Kera McDonald appointed Swiss Re’s Group Chief Underwriting Officer
Swiss Re announced that Kera McDonald, currently Chief Underwriting Officer of Swiss Re Corporate Solutions, is appointed Group Chief Underwriting Officer
Insurtech Alan increased an annual recurring revenue to €505 mn
French insurtech Alan reported €505mn in annual recurring revenue (ARR) for 2024, marking a 48% increase from €340mn in 2023
Trump`s “tariffs” could increase P&C insurance claims by $10 bn to $36 bn
Tariffs imposed by the Trump administration could increase claims costs for property and casualty insurance by $10 bn to $36 bn
ICEYE and SATIM partnered for AI-powered SAR imagery analysis products development
ICEYE and SATIM, a world-leading provider of AI-based solutions, announced the signing of partnership agreement for joint product development
Insurtech Weecover secured €4.2 mn to support international expansion
Weecover, a Barcelona-based insurtech specializing in embedded insurance, secured €4.2 mn in funding to support growth and international expansion
Wopta Assicurazioni, a phygital insurtech MGA, launched a €50 mn Series B
Italian insurtech firm Wopta Assicurazioni secured €12 mn in new funding through a club deal led by Belluzzo International Partners. The company also launched a €50 mn Series B
30% of the natural catastrophe budgets set by Europe’s reinsurers for 2025 may be eroded
Fitch Ratings estimates that 30% of the aggregate natural catastrophe budgets set by Europe’s big four reinsurers for 2025 may be eroded
Generali and BPCE form $1.97 tn asset management joint venture
Generali and French banking and insurance group BPCE have agreed to form a 50-50 joint venture, creating a global asset management operation with €1.9 tn
Canadian Fairfax becomes the 100% owner of Ukrainian insurers – ARX, ARX Life, UNIVERSALNA
Fairfax Financial Holdings has completed a deal with the EBRD and has become the 100% owner of Ukrainian insurance companies UNIVERSALNA, ARX, and ARX Life
Swiss Re’s Board of Directors proposes Morten Hübbe and George Quinn for election
Swiss Re’s Board of Directors proposes Morten Hübbe and George Quinn for election as new members of the Board at the upcoming AGM on 11 April 2025
DARAG acquires run-off portfolio from wefox Insurance
DARAG Group, a prominent legacy acquirer, has agreed to purchase a run-off portfolio from wefox Insurance AG. The portfolio includes motor damage, third-party liability
AXA become a founding patron of the Louvre Museum’s new Department
AXA Mutuelles d’Assurance has become a founding patron of the Louvre Museum’s new Department of Byzantine Arts and Eastern Christianities
Farm Bureau Insurance partnered with insurtech Akur8 to enhance pricing process
Farm Bureau Insurance Company of Idaho, the largest property-casualty insurer based in the state, has partnered with Akur8 to enhance its pricing process
Flood events accounted for $18.2 bn in international Q4 catastrophe losses
Flood events accounted for $18.2 bn in international fourth-quarter catastrophe losses, led by October floods in Valencia, Spain
Monte Chia raised funding to transform risk management for insurers and businesses
Monte Chia, an Italian insurtech startup, has closed a €500,000 pre-seed funding round. The investment efforts to revolutionize risk management
Perils revised its estimated insured losses for floods in Central Europe & Italy
PERILS has disclosed its second industry loss estimate for the floods in Central Europe and Italy to €2.08 bn
Munich Re is aiming for an IFRS net profit of €6bn in 2025
Munich Re is aiming for an IFRS net profit of €6bn in 2025. Group insurance revenue is expected to reach €64bn in 2025, and return on investment
Swiss insurtech Poncho secures $617K seed funding
Poncho, a Swiss insurtech startup focused on weather-based refunds for outdoor experiences, has raised $617,000 in seed funding
MGA Optio Group acquired of Den Hartigh Beheer & Exploitatie B.V.
The UK-based managing general agent (MGA) Optio Group has finalized its acquisition of Den Hartigh Beheer & Exploitatie B.V.
Allianz acquires 24% of MicroStrategy’s $600 mn notes
Allianz, Germany’s largest insurer, has purchased 24.75% of MicroStrategy’s $600 mn convertible note offering. The deal was finalized in March 2024
Zurich Insurance completed $600 mn acquisition of AIG’s personal travel business
Zurich Insurance Group has completed its $600 mn cash purchase of American International Group’s personal travel business. This move strengthens Zurich’s position
Vienna Insurance Group reports robust 9M 2024 financial performance
Vienna Insurance Group (VIG) released its 9M 2024 results, showcasing continued growth across key metrics despite challenges from natural catastrophe (NatCat) events
SaaS Agicap raised €45 mn in Series C funding led by AVP
SaaS platform for SMBs to manage and forecast their cash flows Agicap has raised €45 mn in Series C funding led by AVP. This investment aims to bolster Agicap’s presence in Europe
PERILS released final insurance loss estimate for Windstorm Ciarán (Emir) of €2.07 bn
PERILS, a provider of catastrophe insurance data, has released its final industry loss estimate for Windstorm Ciarán (Emir). This storm affected France, the UK, Belgium, and the Netherlands
Perils estimated insurance losses from Storm Boris in Central and Eastern Europe at €1.9 bn
Insurers in Central and Eastern Europe and Italy are facing estimated losses of €1.89 bn from Storm Boris, which brought devastating floods to the regions
Insurers face extensive financial impact from severe flooding in Spain
Insurers face extensive financial impact from extreme rain that led to severe flooding in eastern and southern Spain during late October, according to Aon
Munich Re faced €500 mn losses from Hurricane Helene
Munich Re faced losses of about €500 mn ($540.8 mn) from Hurricane Helene, impacting third-quarter profits due to above-average natural catastrophe expenses
Helvetia partnered with Coinnect to adopt its advanced Cyber Insurtech platform
Helvetia Group has partnered with insurtech Coinnect to adopt its advanced Cyber Insurtech platform, enhancing cyber risk underwriting and helping clients manage cyber risks
ICEYE reports over 2.6k buildings affected by flooding in Spain
ICEYE reports that over 2,600 buildings have been impacted by recent flooding in southeastern Spain
Vienna Insurance Group launched CyRiSo, a cybersecurity firm
Vienna Insurance Group has launched CyRiSo, a cybersecurity firm focused on small and medium-sized businesses. Christiana Bruckner and Michael Ganzwohl will lead CyRiSo
Fitch Ratings upgraded its outlook for Assicurazioni Generali
Fitch Ratings upgraded its outlook for Assicurazioni Generali S.p.A. to Positive, affirming the Insurer Financial Strength (IFS) Rating at ‘A+
French insurers’ ratings unchanged despite France’s revised negative outlook
The ratings of French insurers are unaffected by the recent revision of the Outlook on France to Negative, Fitch Ratings says, with the exception of CNP Assurances SA
Storm Boris flooding leads to €2-3 bn in insured losses across Europe
Insurers faced losses of €2 bn to €3 bn from flooding after Storm Boris hit Austria, Poland, and the Czech Republic last month, according to estimates from Verisk
French insurtech Alan reached a €1.4 bn valuation after latest Series D funding
French healthcare insurtech Alan has reached a €1.4bn ($1.7bn) valuation after its latest Series D funding round. Founded in 2016, Alan aims to bring transparency and fairness to healthcare through
Storm Boris caused €1.5-3 bn in insured losses in Central Europe
Storm Boris’s torrential rains and flooding likely caused more than €1.5 bn in insured losses in Central Europe, according to an Aon
Hannover Re anticipates reinsurance prices & conditions to remain on a stable level
Hannover Re anticipates prices and conditions to remain on a sustained stable level for the treaty renewals in property and casualty reinsurance as at 1 January 2025
Insurers faced significant threats of risks during the Paris Olympics
During the Paris 2024 Olympics insurers were on high alert over potential risks that could lead to event cancellations and significant insurance losses
Vienna Insurance Group’s premiums reached EUR 7.9 bn in H1 2024
Vienna Insurance Group’s robust growth in H1 2024. Gross written premiums increased by 7.9% year-over-year, reaching EUR 7.89 bn in the first half of 2024
Insurers estimate losses from Greece wildfires and European storms
Aon reports that wildfires in Greece and severe convective storms across Europe could result in hundreds of millions of dollars in losses. Beginning August 12, storms in Switzerland and Austria brought heavy rain
AM Best estimates the property catastrophe bond market ~$45 bn by mid-2024
AM Best estimates the property catastrophe bond market reached approximately $45 bn by mid-2024, marking a $3 bn increase
AXA acquired Gruppo Nobis, a retail P&C insurer in Italy
AXA announced an agreement to acquire Gruppo Nobis, a retail P&C insurance company in Italy with a diverse distribution network
ERGO generated a result of €535 mn in H1 2024
Munich Re generated a result of €284m (250m) in its ERGO field of business in Q2 and €535m (470m) in H1. Insurance revenue from insurance contracts issued in Q2 rose
Munich Re achieves profit of €3.8 bn in H1 2024
Munich Re generated a net result of €1,623 mn in the second quarter of 2024 and €3,763 mn in H1 2024. Insurance revenue from insurance contracts issued rose
Allianz robusted operating profit of €3.9 bn for Q2 2024
Allianz has reported a robust operating profit of €3.9 bn for Q2 2024, a slight increase from €3.8 bn in Q2 2023. All segments of the company contributed to this result
Global insured losses from natural catastrophes to reach $60 bn in H1 2024
Frequent small to medium events caused global insured losses from natural catastrophes to reach $60 bn in the first half of 2024, according to Swiss Re
Climate & Digitalisation are challenging traditional insurance products
Developments such as climate change and digitalisation are changing risk pools and can challenge the viability of traditional insurance products
AXA announced a €13 mn lead investment in Novocuff’s financing round
AXA IM Alts, a leader in alternative investments and AXA Investment Managers’ alternative business unit, manages over €184 bn ($197 bn) in assets
Insurtech Cowbell sequred €55 mn Series C led by Zurich
Cyber insurtech Cowbell has closed a €55 mn Series C equity round led by Zurich Insurance Group, a global multi-line insurer
S&P awarded Vienna Insurance Group an “A+” rating
Standard & Poor’s has awarded Vienna Insurance Group (VIG) an “A+” rating with a stable outlook. This ranks VIG among the top companies in the Austrian Traded Index
Natural disasters in 1H 2024: $117 bn economic & $58 bn insured losses
Aon estimated of more than $117 bn in economic losses from global natural disasters during the 1H 2024, lower than the 21st-century 1H average
Fitch estimates Winter Storm Fern insured losses at $4-7 bn. Losses hit earnings, not capital, with P&C insurers absorbing most claims and no rating downgrades
2026 Atlantic hurricane season passed without a single US hurricane landfall for the first time in ten years, yet still delivered deadly storms, elevated major hurricane activity, and meaningful losses
Singapore expands ILS grants as Asia’s cat bond market grows, but investor education, capacity gaps and regulatory momentum still shape the asset class
Hurricane Melissa and Asian floods show insurance’s role in adaptation, yet coverage is scarce. Philanthropy, bundling and aggregation could shift that