Aon expands digital infrastructure risk team with two senior hires
Aon appointed Stephen Fox and Brian Hearst to strengthen digital infrastructure and builders’ risk advisory as demand rises for data centres and AI projects
News
Reinsurance renewals at 1 April extended the softening seen at 1 January – Howden Re
Howden Re said 1 April renewals extended January’s softening trend, with Japan property-cat rates falling and Hormuz-driven stress staying focused in specialty lines
Geospatial Insight launches FireWatch for wildfire risk analysis
FireWatch uses satellite data, weather forecasts, and environmental signals to help insurers, utilities, and governments track wildfire risk in near real time
AI Startup Yupp shuts down after $33 mn seed as AI feedback model stalls
Yupp is closing less than a year after launch, despite raising $33mn, as its crowdsourced AI model-ranking business failed to find strong product-market fit
Starr closes IQUW M&A deal to expand specialty reinsurance platform
Starr completed its acquisition of IQUW Group, expanding its specialty insurance and reinsurance platform across Lloyd’s, Bermuda, and UK motor
US shipping insurance plan for Hormuz set to launch soon, Scott Bessent says
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said a US insurance programme for Strait of Hormuz shipping will begin soon, aiming to support safer tanker traffic
Connecticut court backs insurer GEICO in towing fee complaint immunity case
A Connecticut appeals court ruled GEICO is protected by absolute immunity when filing DMV complaints over towing and storage charges
QBE and insurtech Aurora launched an automated underwriting capability for Yacht P&I
QBE and Aurora launched an automated underwriting capability for Yacht P&I, cutting broker submission-to-bind time to under 10 minutes
Zalos raises €3.1 mn to scale AI finance agents for enterprise systems
Zalos secured €3.1mn to expand its Computer Agents for finance teams, targeting large enterprise deployments and on-premise systems without ERP replacement
Zocks expands AI workflow tools into the US life insurance market
Zocks is bringing its AI workflow and document automation tools to life insurance, aiming to cut admin work, reduce NIGO delays, and help advisors issue more policies
Federal Housing Finance Agency chief accuses Letitia James of false insurance filings
FHFA Director William Pulte sent criminal referrals accusing Letitia James of false statements in insurance filings tied to a Virginia property
LEEO launches telematics-led commercial auto cover tied to driving performance
LEEO introduced a telematics-based commercial auto product that uses driving data, AI, and real-time insights to connect safer fleet performance with savings
Massachusetts insurance brokers plead guilty in $750k fraud scheme
A New Bedford couple pleaded guilty in federal court after prosecutors said they stole more than $750k from insurance clients, lenders, and providers
China rolls out long-term care insurance as ageing pressure builds
China launched a long-term care insurance system to support people with lasting disabilities and ease pressure on families as the population ages
Prudential cuts 54 more jobs in Newark as layoffs reach 237
Prudential filed another WARN notice in New Jersey, bringing total planned job cuts in Newark to 237 since July despite stronger recent earnings
Oklahoma House passes insurance bill to tighten claims oversight
Oklahoma lawmakers advanced HB 2933, adding claims reporting, mediation rules, a Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights, and stronger consumer protection
Insurtech Heathos launches unified life insurance platform for agencies
Heathos introduced a unified life insurance platform that brings carriers, workflows, and commission reporting into one system for agencies selling multiple products
US Senator Jeanne Shaheen bill targets crop insurance subsidies and aims to save $40 bn
Senator Jeanne Shaheen introduced a bill to cut crop insurance costs, curb abuse, save $40 bn over 10 years, and shift support toward smaller farms
First Central hires banks for potential £1 bn London IPO
UK insurer First Central is working with Deutsche Bank and UBS on a potential London IPO that could value the company at around £1 bn
UK targets Russian shadow fleet with boarding powers in home waters
The UK will board Russian shadow fleet vessels in its waters, tightening pressure on oil shipments tied to Moscow’s war funding and sanction evasion
Illinois bill to review home and auto insurance rates moves ahead
Illinois lawmakers advanced a bill giving regulators power to review home and auto insurance rates, with insurers warning the overhaul would raise costs
Senate bill would cap insulin costs at $35 for private insurance plans
A bipartisan Senate bill would cap insulin at $35 for privately insured Americans and launch a pilot to extend the same limit to uninsured patients
Readhunt secures Lloyd’s broker status to expand complex risk access
Readhunt received Lloyd’s broker registration, giving the UK insurance broker direct access to Lloyd’s syndicates for more tailored commercial risk solutions
Insurtech Shepherd raises $42 mn to push AI underwriting in commercial insurance
Shepherd secured $42 mn in Series B funding to expand its AI underwriting platform for construction, infrastructure, and other asset-heavy commercial sectors
Niyam wins Lloyd’s approval for Syndicate 2047 launch
Niyam Group received Lloyd’s approval for Syndicate 2047 and named Devesh Srivastava chairman as it builds a reinsurance platform for India
Hail now rivals major hurricanes in insured loss potential in the US
Cotality says hail has become a major insured loss driver, with modern storms causing damage on par with a Category 4 hurricane in the US
AI is reshaping life underwriting workflows, Pacific Life survey shows
Pacific Life’s underwriting survey shows wider AI use, stronger demand for structured health data, and growing concern over underwriting talent
Agent-based AI will change cyber offence and defence, Munich Re says
Munich Re says agent-based AI will change cyber offence and defence, widening attack surfaces, pressuring trust, and raising the pace of cyber threats
Munich Re says cyber insurance needs wider uptake as threats intensify
Munich Re says cyber risks are widening beyond ransomware and calls for stronger resilience, broader cyber insurance uptake, and closer market collaboration
Corebridge and Equitable strike $22 bn all-stock merger deal
Corebridge and Equitable agreed to an all-stock merger valued at $22 bn, creating a financial services group with $1.5 tn in assets
Brit launches BRIDGE cargo consortium with up to $80 mn capacity
Brit launched BRIDGE, a new cargo consortium offering up to $80mn in line capacity as cargo values rise and supply chains grow more complex
Galtea raises €2.7 mn seed to test AI agents before production
Barcelona-based Galtea secured €2.7 mn to expand its AI evaluation platform, helping enterprises test AI agents with less cost and better production reliability
MSIG Asia backs insurtech Ancileo to expand travel insurance across Asia
MSIG Asia made a strategic investment in Ancileo and formed a regional partnership to grow digital travel insurance across Asia’s fast-moving travel market
CoverGo rolls out AI claims document processing for Generali Hong Kong
CoverGo deployed its IDP AI Agent for Generali Hong Kong, automating health claims document handling to speed processing and improve accuracy
Sypher Insurance Exchange wins Florida permit as startup insurer targets organic growth
Sypher Insurance Exchange won a Florida operating permit and now moves toward final approval as the startup sticks with an organic growth strategy
Meta and Alphabet’s Google verdicts put Section 230 appeals fight in motion
Jury verdicts against Meta and Google in child harm lawsuits set up appeals over Section 230, with wider consequences for social media and other online platforms
AccuWeather sees slightly softer 2026 Atlantic hurricane season
AccuWeather forecasts 11-16 named storms in 2026 as El Nino may suppress activity, though warm Atlantic waters still raise rapid intensification risk
Lloyd’s keeps Hormuz insurance cover available as war risk rates jump
Lloyd’s will keep insuring Strait of Hormuz voyages, though shipowners stay away as war risk premiums jump and underwriting shifts to case-by-case review
Delaware court says insurers don’t have to defend Meta Platforms in lawsuits
Delaware judge ruled Meta insurers owe no duty to defend social media harm lawsuits, citing intentional conduct not covered under liability policies
Startup Mandel AI raises €3.6 mn seed to automate supply chain coordination
Sofia-based Mandel AI secured €3.6mn from Y Combinator and others to automate supplier coordination, detect disruptions, and streamline procurement
SpaceTech startup Arkadia Space lands €14.5 mn from EIC to scale green satellite propulsion
Arkadia Space secured €14.5 mn from the EIC Accelerator to scale green propulsion systems for satellites and push commercial rollout in Europe
OpenUp raises €20 mn to expand employee mental health platform in Europe
Amsterdam-based OpenUp secured €20 mn from Smartfin and Rubio to expand across Europe and grow its employee mental health platform
Fannie Mae updates property insurance standards and condo project rules
Fannie Mae revises condo review, reserve, and insurance rules, giving lenders more flexibility while tightening standards for long-term project stability
Fannie Mae opens door to crypto-backed mortgages with Better, Coinbase
Fannie Mae will accept crypto-backed mortgages through Better and Coinbase, letting buyers pledge bitcoin and other holdings for down payments
First Mutual Insurance extends AI home inspection deal with Chrp to cut risk costs
First Mutual expands Chrp AI inspections, speeds underwriting, cuts review time 50%, and flags home risks across NC, SC, TN markets
Insurtech Kayna raises €1.5 mn seed round to expand in the UK and US
Irish insurtech Kayna secured €1.5 mn in seed funding to grow in the UK and US and expand embedded insurance for vertical SaaS platforms
Allianz reshuffles Board of Management as Tomas Kunzmann joins in 2027
Allianz announced board changes effective 2027, including Tomas Kunzmann’s promotion, new regional responsibilities, and a CFO mandate extension
Vienna Insurance Group reports record 2025 profit and proposes 12% dividend increase
Vienna Insurance Group posted strong 2025 growth, lifted profit above EUR 1 bn, and proposed a 12% dividend increase as expansion plans continue
Health insurtech Alan reaches $5.83 bn valuation after new $116 mn funding round
French health insurtech Alan raised $116 mn at a $5.83 bn valuation, backing AI investment, international growth, and further platform expansion
Cloud underwriting platforms help insurers defend margins under rising risk
Insurers are using cloud platforms, analytics, and real-time underwriting tools to manage climate risk, claims inflation, and tighter margins
Insurtech Loxa closes £2.7 mn seed round to expand retail insurance platform
UK InsurTech Loxa raised £2.7 mn in seed funding to expand across Europe, grow retail partnerships, and broaden product protection coverage
Neptune Flood launches ChatGPT quoting app as growth accelerates
Neptune Flood introduced a ChatGPT quoting app, extending automated flood insurance access while reporting strong 2025 growth across revenue and written premium
Insurtech Akur8 acquires Slope Software to expand into life actuarial technology
Akur8 acquired Slope Software to enter life and annuity actuarial modeling, broadening its platform beyond P&C with cloud-native tools
ZestyAI expands US insurer partnerships to sharpen property underwriting
ZestyAI partnered with Harford Mutual and AEIG to improve property-level underwriting, pricing precision, and portfolio risk management
Cytora launches Autopilot to automate insurance risk workflows
Cytora introduced Autopilot, an agentic AI capability built to automate underwriting and claims workflows across fragmented insurance data flows
Insurtech Azos raises $24 mn to expand AI push in Brazil life insurance
Azos secured R$125 mn ($24 mn) to scale AI tools and grow in Brazil’s individual life insurance market, where Bradesco and Prudential still dominate
Insurtech mShift launches Quantum AI to automate commercial insurance workflows
mShift introduced Quantum AI, a platform built to structure submissions, automate insurance workflows, and support underwriting across commercial lines
Oklahoma Senate advances bill mandating liability insurance for events
Oklahoma Senate passes bill requiring $1mn liability coverage for special event alcohol licenses, raising concerns over costs for small businesse
P&C insurers using AI outperform peers on profitability and growth
WTW survey shows North American insurers investing in AI and analytics achieve lower combined ratios and stronger premium growth
North Carolina court backs insurance firm in agent exit dispute
North Carolina Court dismisses most counterclaims by former agents in dispute over client poaching, leaving wage claim as sole surviving issue
U.S. cyber insurance premiums rose nearly 11% in 2025 as policy volume jumped, but weaker pricing, higher losses, and AI-driven threats added fresh pressure
Finding affordable health insurance in California can be overwhelming. You’re faced with dozens of plan options, unfamiliar terms and questions about whether you qualify for subsidies through Covered California
Insurers enter 2026 with longer settlement cycles, rising volumes, and slow AI adoption, increasing costs and operational risk, AutoRek finds
Global insurance M&A stabilised, as insurers and brokers took a more strategic approach to acquisitions amid falling interest rates and a realignment of strategic priorities