Avantia Group, the digital home insurance company behind the direct-to-consumer brand Homeprotect, has introduced an AI-powered claims tool named Holmes.
Designed in-house, Holmes aims to combat fraud and streamline claims handling, marking a significant shift in how UK home insurers manage risk and customer service.
Fraud continues to burden the UK insurance sector, costing over £143mn annually in property-related claims alone, according to the Association of British Insurers.
Legacy detection tools remain slow and limited, often failing to identify sophisticated fraud while delaying claims for genuine policyholders and inflating premiums across the board.
Avantia’s solution builds on its proprietary decisioning platform, integrating AI trained on extensive first-party data from the entire customer journey.
Holmes helps claims handlers by flagging high-risk cases for further scrutiny and identifying straightforward claims for expedited resolution.
Trials conducted in Q2 2025 showed Holmes delivered strong results. Fraud detection rates improved by a factor of six, with the AI calculating payments at 98% accuracy.
In half of all reviewed claims, Holmes also provided actionable recommendations on next steps, coverage details, and data collection—particularly useful in complex scenarios.
These outcomes revealed wider operational benefits beyond fraud detection. Holmes contributed to notable savings in indemnity and processing costs, giving Avantia the flexibility to reinvest in product development and enhance customer service across its portfolio.
Dan Huddart, CTO at Avantia Group, explained the origins and impact of the project:
“We began investing in AI in 2016 by building our own machine learning platform and assembling a dedicated data science team. Holmes started as an internal hack day project, driven by our team’s curiosity to challenge traditional fraud detection with the tools already at our disposal. Its evolution has exceeded our expectations.”
Huddart emphasized that Holmes supports, rather than replaces, human decision-making: “The tool interprets large volumes of data in seconds, surfacing insights that support our claims team. Judgment still lies with the handler, but AI enhances consistency and response time.”
“We’re now shaping our entire operational model around this technology because the benefits are clear—for both the business and the customer.”
Mark Eastham, CEO at Avantia Group, added: “Fraud slows claims and raises premiums for everyone. Holmes gives us a scalable way to tackle this issue and deliver faster, fairer outcomes. It positions us to lead on both innovation and service in a sector that’s overdue for change.”
Holmes will begin processing live claims in September 2025, furthering Avantia’s position as a digital-first insurer focused on efficiency, transparency, and customer satisfaction.
