Property repair claims platform Handdii has entered into a partnership with California-based Hippo Insurance, giving the Australian outfit an instant entry into the US, the world’s biggest insurance market.

The partnership has seen Handdii successfully service hundreds of claims for minor repairs like water leaks, exterior leak damage and general equipment breakdown in selected cities across California and Texas.

Claims are closed in an average of 14 days inclusive of mitigation and reconstruction, which Hippo says is significantly lower than the 40-day industry average. There are now plans to expand the program to other states in the near future. Hippo has insurance products available to more than 65% of US homeowners.

Handdii co-founder and COO Kathryn Wood says the partnership with Hippo represents a “great achievement and milestone” for the Victorian start-up, which has grown rapidly since it launched last year.

“We set out to leverage tech to simplify the traditional claims process, and Hippo saw the opportunity to truly evolve their customer experience, and the results speak for themselves,” Ms Wood told insuranceNEWS.com.au.

“Balancing customer demand for fast-track claims and customer service turns out to be a global problem. Our insurance clients at home will certainly benefit from what we’re achieving with Hippo.”

Ms Wood formerly led the Motor and Property Claims division at QBE, while co-founder and CEO Christie Downs was Sales Director at Johns Lyng Group for 11 years.

They established Handdii in 2018 to plug the gap in property insurance claims-handling, connecting local repair contractors with insurers more quickly.