Local insurtechs have signed up to pitch at a jointly hosted Insurance News and Insurtech Australia start-up competition as part of a technology seminar in Sydney next month.    

Kanopi, Curium, Haast, HumanableCX, Airdocs and Coverfreight will pitch live at the August 6 seminar. 

Votes from the public and a panel of judges will be tallied on the day to crown a winner, which will receive a prize package including a feature by insuranceNEWS.com.au.  

Tickets are on sale here for the event, at Dockside Cockle Bay Wharf, which will include a debate on Promise v Reality: Can Technology Really Change a People-Based Industry? among informative panel sessions.  

Each insurtech will be given five minutes to present, focusing on the challenges its proposition is solving and how, and the lessons learnt on what works. The competition will identify companies using emerging technologies to solve problems in general insurance across distribution, underwriting, risk management and claims.  

The conference, Insurtech – Moving Forward Faster, is made possible by Insurtech Australia and sponsors AAMC, SSP and JAVLN, and supporting sponsor HDI. Attendees qualify for 5.5 NIBA CPD points and six ANZIIF CIP points.  

“We are delighted to work with Insurance News to showcase how insurtech can move the industry forward faster,” Insurtech Australia CEO Simone Dossetor said. “This is a fantastic opportunity for insurtechs to pitch and demonstrate the range of emerging technologies they bring to the insurance industry.”   

Start-ups bring an agile and entrepreneurial mindset and a different perspective to removing friction in insurance processes, she says, improving consistency, and delivering faster and at a lower cost.     

Kanopi, which last year won the Australian round of Zurich’s Innovation Championship, is based in Melbourne. Its data-driven platform uses modular, low code software to help insurers create, manage, distribute, embed and scale new products to customers. Hollard invested in Kanopi during a $4 million fund raising in 2021.  

Platform Curium offers smart insurance and compliance technology that runs claims operations. 

Regtech Haast, which won the Australian round of this year’s Zurich innovation championship, uses artificial intelligence (AI) to automate marketing compliance processes. It says an explosion of digital content has made marketing compliance “virtually impossible”, as digital brands have on average 20 channels promoting products. 

HumanableCX, based in Sydney, says its product leads customers through onerous online tasks with a breakthrough interactive video experience that offers "the care and attention of a real human concierge”. 

Sydney-based Airdocs automates welcome packs, statements, schedules, renewals, claims updates, servicing letters, call centre inquiries, notifications and reminders. It won the DXC Invitational insurtech competition in December. 

Coverfreight, part of Steadfast’s Coverforce, offers innovative delivery of all types of cargo insurance, providing a “no touch” solution whereby transport operators and freight forwarders can generate an optional cargo insurance solution in real time using the data already captured in the client engagement process.