German peer-to-peer insurer Friendsurance wants to recruit a Melbourne-based “head of customer acquisition”, signalling its imminent arrival in Australia.

The insurtech specialist placed an advertisement online last week.

“Friendsurance Australia is headquartered in Melbourne and is currently building a team who are keen to be part of one of the most exciting fintech start-ups in the history of the Australian insurance industry,” the ad says.

The peer-to-peer model groups customers with similar insurance needs, paying part of their premium into a cash-back pool.

If no claims are made during the year, members get that money back.

In March the Berlin-based business named Australia as the target of its first international expansion, but gave no dates or details. 

Friendsurance was established in 2010 by Janis Meyer-Plath, Sebastian Herfurth and Tim Kunde. It now has a “six-digit customer base”, 70 insurance partners and more than 80 employees.

Earlier this year it announced a capital injection of $US15.3 million ($20.07 million) – the biggest investment in the peer-to-peer insurance segment at that time.

The financing round was led by Hong Kong-based Horizons Ventures, which first invested in the business in 2014.

Other institutional and private investors include Otto Group Eventures, the German Startups Group and the European Regional Development Fund.

The company’s Australian recruitment ad says more than 15 new entrants in seven countries are seeking to emulate Friendsurance’s success.

Friendsurance Australia will be headquartered in a warehouse loft in inner-city Prahran.