Gilad Shai

AI can automate underwriting workflows and process submissions in real time. But it can't knock on doors with a box of donuts. Aman Gour, co-founder of FurtherAI, had no background in insurance when he started. No network. No warm leads. So he drove around the Bay Area with pastries, asking insurance agents what AI could solve for them. Two years later, FurtherAI is one of the leading AI companies in insurance—automating workflows for underwriters and claims adjusters across the industry. Teams are doubling productivity, improving submission-to-quote ratios by 15%, and reaching 95%+ accuracy in policy comparisons. But Aman still does 70 customer conversations a week. Personally. AI has changed what you can build, but it hasn't changed how founders need to show up: ➡️ Door-knocking for insights — No domain expertise? Drive to your customers and ask what they need ➡️ Being present in every conversation — "A lot of people have a lot to share if you're listening," Aman says ➡️ Talking to end users early — FurtherAI began working with early customers during the product’s initial build phase—ensuring real-world alignment from day one. At Rippling, we see this across our early-stage customers: AI changes the product, but the best founders still roll up their sleeves and do the unglamorous work of truly understanding their customers. Watch Aman explain how he door-knocked his way to product-market fit 👇 P.S. Big congratulations to the FurtherAI team on their Series A. If you’re looking for a vertical AI company in insurance with a great team and real momentum, join them!

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We’ve recovered over $250M in claims for insurers, MGAs, and insurtechs. It starts with finding 8–12 critical gaps in every program we review. After 25+ years advising insurers, MGAs, and insurtechs, we’ve reviewed hundreds of programs. Every single one had 8–12 critical gaps. Not technicalities... gaps that would have turned into seven- or eight-figure losses. Here’s why our clients don’t get caught off guard: 1. Deep specialization in financial institutions       We’ve spent decades inside your world - seeing patterns no generalist could.       We anticipate regulatory shifts 12–18 months ahead.       And we maintain market relationships that keep coverage available when others can’t.       Example: Six months before a surprise market conduct exam, we added specific regulatory coverage that saved one carrier $850K in uncovered costs.     2. Superior policy architecture and wording       We don’t accept the 200-page generic forms most brokers place.       Instead, we deploy bespoke Lloyd’s manuscript forms - concise, purpose-built, and proven under pressure.       They close multi-million-dollar gaps before they become losses.       Example: We replaced an E&O policy that excluded underwriting - the client’s core function - with a manuscript form that erased a $4M gap.     3. Claims mastery by reverse-engineering from the loss backward       We stress-test every program with worst-case claim scenarios.       We position coverage so the insurer is prepared to pay - before a claim is ever filed.       Example: We reframed a $4.2M denial as an underwriting authority issue instead of a distribution problem - securing full payment.    Protection on paper is easy. Protection in practice is earned. - Want boardroom intelligence with zero noise? Every week we share curated insights that cut through the chaos and help you make the best policy decisions: Join here: https://lnkd.in/garzxSxG LION Specialty. The Leader in Institutional Insurance. 🦁

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The biggest mistake early insurtechs make? Trying to scale before they prove they can underwrite. I saw this and more at the Lloyd’s Lab Investor Insights Forum, where VCs, CVCs, MGAs, and startups gathered to talk about what’s next in funding insurance innovation. Here are 4 takeaways that stood out: 1️⃣ Fundamentals still rule. Deep domain knowledge, disciplined underwriting, and capital efficiency continue to separate winners from hype. 2️⃣ Early-stage VC funding is tricky. Rapid scaling often clashes with the need to prove out loss ratios and underwriting performance. 3️⃣ Scale follows clarity. Once the underwriting framework is proven and demand is validated, distribution can unlock rapid expansion. 4️⃣ The market is ready. Insurtechs that boost pricing and ops efficiency are poised to improve EBITDA and that’s exactly what investors and customers want. Now is the time to build, with precision, discipline, and data at the core. What trends are you seeing in funding insurtech right now? __ ♻️ Repost to share with your network 🔔 Follow me for posts on insurtech, logistics, startups, and resilience

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🌟 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 & 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗥𝗶𝗲𝗯𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝘃𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗸 🌟 In a recent interview, Julian Riebartsch, CEO and co-founder of Calvin Risk , shared the groundbreaking journey of his insurtech that has been transforming AI risk management for nearly three years. 🚀 At Calvin Risk, the focus is on empowering companies to transition to high-quality, high-performance, and low-risk AI solutions. J ulian and his co-founder, Syang Zhou, recognized the pressing need for systematic approaches to understand and manage AI risks, especially in an era where innovation often clashes with risk awareness. 💡 "Our mission is not just about buzzwords, it's about delivering tangible, quantitative risk measurement and automated quality assurance," says Julian. This customer-centric approach has enabled Calvin Risk to cater to diverse clients, from DAX-listed corporations to SMEs, ensuring that AI risk management is accessible to all. Having been recognized as the Insurtech of the Year 2024 at the Swiss InsurTech Hub Summit and Awards, the team at Calvin Risk continues to innovate with solutions that prioritize data-driven transparency and structured metrics—key elements for gaining regulatory confidence. Nowadays world is in rapid technological advancement, especially with generative AI, and Julian emphasizes the importance of adaptable governance frameworks to keep pace with emerging risks. Their platform not only aids in evaluating AI models but also supports strategic governance development, ensuring that companies can confidently navigate the complexities of AI integration. As Julian highlights, the future holds vast potential: “We envision our platform extending into sectors like health and education, where responsible AI can make substantial positive impacts." Join us in exploring how Calvin Risk is redefining the landscape of AI governance and contributing to a more secure, ethical technological future. 👉 Read the full interview on thebrokernews for more insights! #AI #RiskManagement #Insurtech #Governance #thebrokernews

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InsureVision just made the CB Insights Insuretech 50 🤯 Out of thousands of startups analyzed, we're one of 50 shaping the future of insurance. The timing matters. Early-stage insurtech funding hit a 9-year low this year. Median deal sizes dropped 35%. P&C insurtech funding reached an 8-year quarterly low. While the industry contracts, we're being recognized for doing what everyone said couldn't be done: → Turning video into predictive risk models using end-to-end transformers → Running lightweight AI on the edge without LTE → Outperforming traditional telematics by 2-4x The reality is simple. Commercial fleets lose billions to crashes. Telematics missed the mark. Video was dismissed as "only marginally better." We proved them wrong. Our mission hasn't changed: unlock the power in video to end nuclear claims and road deaths. This recognition validates three years of work with some of the best machine learning scientists in the field. ITC Vegas, Thursday October 16th, 11am Pacific — I'll be sharing how we reimagined telematics using state-of-the-art transformer AI. Recognition is great. But the work is what matters. What's your opinion on this? What's the biggest obstacle preventing insurers from finally solving the crash prediction problem?

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85% of healthcare insurtechs are spending $2.5 million just to stay on the right side of the law. The number hits you harder when you see what it looks like in practice. Just yesterday, I asked someone on a call, “Has your admin updated the latest compliance protocol under the Bima Trinity?” The silence on the line said enough. Across continents, the story never really changes: One small oversight with 𝐇𝐈𝐏𝐀𝐀 in the US, a new twist in 𝐈𝐑𝐃𝐀𝐈'𝐬 "Policyholder-First" Era in India, or a sudden shift in 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 across Africa—and now you’re bracing for audits, penalties, or even lost partnerships. It only takes one new regulation for a workflow to collapse. One missed update, and you’re buried in paperwork you thought you’d already done. One global policy change, and suddenly, teams everywhere are translating dense legalese into daily processes. But the pain isn’t just on the balance sheet. It’s the feeling that you’re never truly caught up. That every day, perfection is mandatory. That constant vigilance is simply part of the job. No two days look the same for those #OnDuty. Miss a detail, and you pay a fine. Miss a trend, and credibility slips. Miss a beat, and your business risks falling behind. Manual processes just can’t keep pace. If you’re in this industry, you feel the 𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭 too. It’s in late nights, restless minds, and the weight of knowing the next regulation is always lurking. And some nights, when the inbox is quiet but the mind isn’t, I find myself returning to a single question: How do we build a system that adapts and evolves, that truly lifts this burden for the people I talk to every week? That question has shaped everything I do. Because at its core, 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞. Not about sleepless nights, endless paperwork, or scrambling to keep up with change. If you’re wrestling with the same admin chaos and want to see what a better way looks like, let’s talk about the Vitraya way. #Insurtech #Healthcare #Compliance #AdminPainPoints #WhosOnDuty

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Munich Re is acquiring Next Insurance for $2.6 billion, marking one of the largest insurtech exits in recent memory and underscoring the growing maturity of digital-first insurance platforms. Next Insurance, launched in 2016 and backed by investors including Redpoint Ventures, CapitalG, and American Express, has built a strong presence in the US SME insurance market through a tech-driven, customer-centric approach. Munich Re, already a key partner and investor, will now fully integrate Next into its global operations. M&A strategic dimensions: 🔹 Vertical Integration – Munich Re secures end-to-end control of the insurance value chain, from capital provision to digital distribution. 🔹 Digital Enablement at Scale – Next’s tech stack, embedded quoting tools, and algorithmic underwriting 🔹 U.S. SME Market Entry –Gain direct exposure to one of the most fragmented, high-potential segments in the global insurance landscape. 🔹 Data Synergies –Tighter integration of real-time behavioral data and claims analytics, enhancing actuarial precision and dynamic risk pricing. 🔹 Competitive Moat – Neutralizing a fast-scaling insurtech that could have strengthened a competitor’s digital edge. #MergersAndAcquisitions #Insurtech #TechM&A #DigitalInsurance #NextInsurance #MunichRe #StartupExit #SMEinsurance #Strategy #Thenetstreet https://lnkd.in/d_49xCXy

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I spent some time in insurtech-focused VC almost 10 years ago. This was the insurtech heyday and everyone thought they were going to make a lot of money! Investing was my first foray into insurance and the immense change you can drive when you add technology to the mix. The startups we found, spoke to and invested in were all bringing innovative solutions to market and they were building all of the tech to get this done - they had to! Fast forward 10 years and insurtech has mostly disappointed. The businesses that have survived are having to make a decisive call - are we an insurance business or are we a tech business? The economics suggest that you absolutely cannot afford to be both and remain competitive at scale. My view - if you're selling insurance products, you're an insurance business. Stick to your knitting and buy your foundational tech so you can focus on only building the tech that truly matters to your customers. There are so many platform partners out there to choose from. Root is one that proudly serves intermediaries across personal and commercial lines of business 🇬🇧 🇿🇦

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Welcome to the BOOOM💥 portfolio, Avallon AI (YC X25) 📞💡 Claims adjusters spend most of their day on tedious, repetitive tasks — listening to voicemails, combing through PDFs and retyping that same data into clunky legacy systems. It’s slow, manual, and incredibly expensive (fun fact: the avg. US claims adjuster salary is $109k 🥂) 🏦 TPAs (third-party administrators) and carriers are under pressure: claims volumes are growing, adjusters are retiring, and margins are shrinking. Avallon plugs right into their existing CMS and augments workflows instantly — delivering 5x faster claim resolution, 10x cheaper operations, and +3x productivity per adjuster. 👨‍💻 Cornelius, Jet & Bryan jointly dropped out of Cornell University’s CS grad program to chase this vision. Cornelius previously built FINN US to $15M ARR, where he saw firsthand how broken claims processes are being handled. Bryan led Fortune 500 product work and conducted ML research while Jet built quant trading models. They are young, hungry and fast autodidacts with an incredible rate of learning. BOOOM💥 has invested at inception and just before the current Y Combinator batch. Last week and prior demo day, the company has launched to public. Congrats team Avallon, we’re thrilled to be on this journey alongside you 💥 https://lnkd.in/dPeQmubc #BOOOM Andrej Steinberg (big shout-out) Nicolaus Schefenacker David Nothacker Julius Koehler Dr. Christian Gahr

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Our Scout InsurTech interview series continues with Noyo. Andy Hutter sat with Chris Luiz to discuss how Noyo is impacting the industry. https://lnkd.in/gwrbJ2rp "Our product is a data platform and API interface that connects benefits carriers and ben-admin companies. Noyo enables carriers to offer a modern enrollment experience
to HR teams (no faxes, forms or giant spreadsheets!) and gives ben-admin technology companies an easy, fast and accurate way to transmit crucial employee data to a wide network of insurance carriers without building expensive direct connections." - Andy Join us every week for interviews with emerging startups and high-growth companies impacting insurance. A big thank you to our Presenting Partner, JobsOhio, and our Scout InsurTech Partners: Westfield, Bold Penguin, Ohio Mutual Insurance Group, Grange Insurance, Central Insurance, Western and Southern, Encova and Farmers Insurance. #insurance #technology #insurtech #future #innovation

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Commercial insurance is a massive industry that still relies heavily on historical averages and manual processes, creating rising costs and pressure for fleets nationwide. Nirvana is changing this by putting data and machine learning at the center of commercial auto insurance. From day one, Rushil and the team recognized that insurance is fundamentally a data problem and built an AI-native platform to improve outcomes for fleets, partners, and the broader ecosystem. With models trained on more than 30 billion miles of real-world driving data, Nirvana delivers real-time intelligence across underwriting, pricing, and claims, resulting in stronger loss ratios, faster claims resolution, and meaningful cost savings. We are proud to continue supporting the team as they announce their $100M Series D with Valor + Lightspeed and to remain aligned with their long-term vision for applying AI to large, legacy industries. https://lnkd.in/gfMCHVd3

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We’re done reacting to systemic risk. The next decade belongs to those who prevent it. At InsureTech Connect Vegas, I sat down with James Thaler from The Insurer TV to discuss the shift that’s already reshaping our industry and why The Spark was built for this moment. For the first time, the global market has both the mature technologies and the industry alignment needed to bend the loss curve fundamentally. Not conceptually, operationally. Here’s what’s coming for The Spark members: ⚡ A yearly 10 high-impact systemic-risk use cases selected by the consortium and built for real execution. ⚡ Access to proven, field-tested technologies ready for deployment across underwriting, claims, and risk engineering. ⚡ A global collaboration representing $400B+ in premium, giving members unmatched reach, data depth, and validation power. ⚡ The ability to co-create and launch tech-enabled MGAs when a use case demands a new vehicle for scale. ⚡ Early preparation for quantum-driven disruption across cyber, health, longevity, and P&C, shaping what comes next long before it hits the market. The industry knows where the next wave of growth must come from. #Prevention isn’t a slogan, it’s the new operating system of insurance. Thank you, James, The Insurer, InsureTech Connect, and our partners at FinTLV Ventures and The Spark for elevating this discussion.

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🚀 We’re excited to launch the very first InsurTech NY Weekly News Roundup! Each week we’ll be curating the top funding, product, and partnership moves shaping insurance innovation. Here are last week’s headlines (Aug 8–14): 💰 ePayPolicy secures strategic investment from LLR Partners 💧 Previsico raises new funding from BlueOrchard Finance 📍 Pie Insurance expands workers’ comp to Connecticut 🤝 Orion180 partners with Neural Earth ⚡ Alleva launches instant insurance verification tool 💰 Beam Benefits raises $17.5M (Series E) 🤝 Embroker deepens partnership with Ascend 👉 Read the full Roundup here: https://lnkd.in/gVhjVNDw We’re excited to make this a weekly feature — helping the InsurTech community stay informed, connected, and inspired. #InsurTech #InsuranceInnovation #WeeklyRoundup #News

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