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Richard McCathron is CEO and President of Hippo Insurance and has served as a member of the Board of Directors since February 2017. Prior to Hippo, Rick held senior executive positions at various insurance companies including First Connect Insurance, Superior Access Insurance and Mercury Insurance Group. Rick is both a Chartered Property & Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) and a Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) and sits on the board of directors of Spinnaker Insurance Company and First Connect Insurance. He is an advisor for several other InsurTech companies and holds a BS in Finance from Oregon State University. Highlights from the Show Rick's insurance career spans a lot of areas, including different carrier functions, distribution and more, and has been at Hippo for 8 years, including his current role as President & CEO 2023 reminded Rick of the Northridge Earthquake and the impact that had on the industry Hail was a major driver of loss in 2023, which coincided with a trend to buy net quota share insurance (QS with a cap for CAT losses) and Excess of Loss (XOL) coverage above that There weren't big events that would trigger XOL coverage, but the small losses exhausted the QS coverage, so many carriers found their balance sheets impacted There's a fundamental shift in insurance around our financials but also consumer behaviors The pricing pendulum swings wildly because cost drivers move fast, but rate filings and approvals move slowly Tech solutions at carriers are helping to narrow the time gap to help with this, especially tech-driven carriers like Hippo Hippo also mixes its approach to the market between their own product, their fronting business that brings in revenue from other players and lines of business, and their distribution arm, First Connect, that brings commission revenue from selling other carrier's products Growth in this context is imperative to be about profitable growth, and Hippo has focused on this now, whereas there was an initial push to grow, generally That means having more specific offerings to specific buyers, like those who would adopt IoT to protect their property Embedding insurance into new home construction, but using its agency to ensure they don't end up with aggregation issues when working with a builder to insure a new development Rick watches reinsurance profitability as a sign of where primary insurers will end up since there's a disconnect in when reinsurers move prices and when primary insurers are able to price that into their filings The fundamentals of insurance aren't changing, but the rate of speed that you have to adjust how you write and the customer demands and expectations continue to change constantly Rick shared his view on AI, where it is real today, but the AI being used now won't be anything like what we will use in 2 years given how fast it's evolving The traditional coverages the industry is selling are increasingly disconnected from what the exposures they insure are and what consumers actually need for protection (and the affordability of the coverage they can get) People want genuine customization in all aspects of their lives, and to know that what they're getting is genuinely built for their needs Embedded insurance – we have to meet customers where they are, like embedding pet insurance in the adoption process or the purchase process for homes or cars Remembering the fundamentals, but that there's a customer at the other end of this, and we have to serve them if we want to ultimately succeed We talked about being proactive on claims Using Parametric coverage is one way to do that since coverage can be delivered instantaneously (or very quickly) Reaching out to customers when we think there's likely to be a claim (like when there's 2" hail in their area), which historically people think leads to buying claims, but Hippo has seen that the claims would come in anyway, but they'll come later and with some form of representation (attorney, public adjuster), so you end up paying more for the claim in the end than if you had handled it correctly from the moment the loss occurred. This episode is brought to you by The Future of Insurance book series (future-of-insurance.com) from Bryan Falchuk. Follow the podcast at future-of-insurance.com/podcast for more details and other episodes. Music courtesy of Hyperbeat Music, available to stream or download on Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music and more.
Today, our guest is Sai Vishnubhatla, Head of P&C Innovation at USAA, and, at the time of recording, previously VP of Product at Hippo Insurance, where he led the product management teams responsible for launching products across acquisition, growth, and activation, as well as for building best-in-class pre- and post-purchase customer experiences On today's episode, LogRocket's VP of Marketing Jeff Wharton, talks with Sai about how Sai decided to pursue his CFA and how it impacted how he looks at product, what it's like working in a highly regulated industry, and how to simultaneously and effectively serve customers and the business at large. Before joining Hippo, Sai built and scaled product, engineering, marketing, and operations teams at various successful enterprises, including Yahoo, Microsoft, and Prudential. Links Leader Spotlight: Exceeding customer expectations with Sai Vishnubhatla (https://blog.logrocket.com/product-management/leader-spotlight-sai-vishnubhatla/) https://www.linkedin.com/in/saivishnubhatla What does LogRocket do? LogRocket combines frontend monitoring, product analytics, and session replay to help software teams deliver the ideal product experience. Try LogRocket for free today. (https://logrocket.com/signup/?pdr) Special Guest: Sai Vishnubhatla.
Some companies work so hard at trying to get diversity hiring right that “analysis paralysis” sets in. And as a result, no meaningful action gets taken. For some ideas on how to move forward, we asked Anna Lenhardt, Chief People Officer at Tomorrow Health. Highlights [2:25] Establishing a diversity strategy as your company is growing [4:16] Encouraging openness to a diverse talent pool [6:44] Overcoming pushback to DEI [8:37] Leveraging data and setting expectations to make a difference [11:46] Removing “barriers of perception” [14:11] What happens after benchmarks are met? [16:20] Inclusion and belonging awareness [27:46] HR leaders and conflict [32:11] Framing DEI [33:23] What if the CEO wants to abandon DEI? Guest Bio Anna Lenhardt, Chief People Officer, Tomorrow Health Anna Lenhardt is a transformational HR leader, business partner, operator, and strategist, with almost 20 years of experience. She's passionate about building and scaling high-impact startup companies. Prior to her role with Tomorrow Health, she was VP of People at Hippo Insurance, where she expanded the company's workforce from 100 to 600 employees nationwide, leading up to the company's 2021 debut on the New York Stock Exchange. As VP of People for Oscar Health, she helped grow the company's talent base from 250 to 1,000 employees over a period of two years. And as Anna shares with us during this episode, before all that she was an opera singer! Links https://www.linkedin.com/in/annalenhardt/ https://home.tomorrowhealth.com/ https://www.hrmorning.com/articles/diversity-efforts/ Berta Aldrich's best-selling book, Winning the Talent Shift, is available on Amazon https://a.co/d/iS7MuPJ We want to hear from you. Leave a review (5-Star would be nice!) on Apple Podcasts and add your question in the comment. We read every review and use them to choose topics, guests, and interview questions for the podcast. You can also reach out at podcast@hrmorning.com. If you love this show, please share your favorite episodes with colleagues and on social media. We greatly appreciate your support. Thank you for listening. Remember to subscribe and follow us so you never miss an episode! Voices of HR is brought to you by HRMorning.com.
The Twenty Minute VC: Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch
Sheel Mohnot is a Co-Founder and General Partner @ Better Tomorrow Ventures, a $225M fund that leads rounds in pre-seed and seed-stage fintech companies globally. Sheel and Jake (his co-founder) invested for many years together before founding BTV and wrote checks into Mercury, Flexport, Ramp, and Hippo Insurance to name a few. As for Sheel, before BTV he ran 500 Fintech for close to 7 years, and before that was a founder, founding two companies, both of which were acquired. In Today's Episode with Sheel Mohnot We Discuss: 1. VC Needs to Change: Why does Sheel believe that VCs should have smaller funds? What are the biggest misalignments between founders and VCs today? What are the biggest points of friction between VCs and their LPs today? 2. VC in 10 Years Time: Who are going to be the winners in venture in 10 years time? Who are going to be the losers? Will micro-funds be bigger or smaller as a segment of the ecosystem? Will solo-GPs be bigger or smaller? Were they a zero-interest rate phenomenon? 3. The Errors of a Bull Market: What does Sheel believe are the single biggest mistakes made by VCs between 2020-2022? Did Sheel take liquidity off the table in the last few years? What have been some of his biggest lessons on when to sell? How does Sheel evaluate the flood of capital into emerging markets in the bull market? What happens now? Fintech is also experiencing the same challenging time, how does Sheel assess what is happening in the fintech financing market today? 4. Building a Fund: Lessons, Mistakes and Advice Scaling to $225M: What are the single biggest mistakes Sheel and Jake have made in the fun scaling? How has it impacted their mindset? What does Sheel know now about fund management that he wishes he had known at the beginning? What advice does Sheel give to emerging managers today, raising their first and second funds?
We are sharing a really great episode on The Leadership In Insurance Podcast today. I sat down with Aviad Pinkovezky, President at First Connect, a Hippo Insurance company to discuss all things from Hippo's story, to acquiring First Connect and beyond.Acquired by Hippo in 2020, First Connect is a digital platform that helps independent insurance agents access carriers and insurtechs they may not otherwise reach on their own.Aviad and I discuss a whole host of topics (and could have spoken for much longer!) digging into Aviad's background in product, to the growth of Hippo, to why partner and the opportunities that lie in collaboration. Here are some of the highlights…
Twenty Minute VC Podcast Notes Intro Sheel Mohnot (@pitdesi) is a Co-Founder and General Partner at Better Tomorrow Ventures, a $225M venture fund for pre-seed and seed-stage fintech companies around the globeEven if you're not a multi-million dollar angel investor like Sheel, his lessons are applicable to the everyday person trying to invest in good companiesHost: Harry Stebbings (@HarryStebbings)Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.org Sheel Mohnot is a Co-Founder and General Partner @ Better Tomorrow Ventures, a $225M fund that leads rounds in pre-seed and seed-stage fintech companies globally. Sheel and Jake (his co-founder) invested for many years together before founding BTV and wrote checks into Mercury, Flexport, Ramp, and Hippo Insurance to name a few. As for Sheel, before BTV he ran 500 Fintech for close to 7 years, and before that was a founder, founding two companies, both of which were acquired. If that was not enough, Sheel is also a master at measuring the width of swimming pools and making cameo appearances in music videos with Justin Bieber. In Todays Episode with Sheel Mohnot We Discuss: 1.) Entry into Venture: How Sheel made his way into the world of venture having founded 2 fintech companies? Why did no LPs give Sheel money in the early 500 Fintech days? What were some of his biggest lessons from investing in 100s of companies with 500 Fintech? How did BTV with Jake come together most recently? What are the biggest differences to Sheel of being a fund manager vs being an investor? 2.) The Power Law: How does Sheel define "the power law" in venture capital? What multiple of return would be power law status? Given the size of outcome available with these power law returns, how does Sheel approach portfolio construction? Would it not be best to invest in 100s of companies? Who does Sheel believe has done the indexing approach best? Why? 3.) Venture Capital has Never Been Less Collaborative: Why does Sheel disagree with Harry that venture capital has never been less collaborative? Why now, for the first time, are large multi-stage funds taking single-digit ownership? Does Sheel agree with Harry it is moronic to have "guaranteed pro-rata"? How does Sheel approach re-investment decision-making? When does he pay up vs not? 4.) The Biggest Wins and Misses: What have been Sheel's biggest wins from a cashback and a multiple perspective? How did Sheel miss the chance to invest in both Robinhood and Chime early on? What did he not see? How would he have thought differently with the benefit of hindsight? How have Sheel's biggest hits and misses impacted how he invests today? 5.) Emerging and Frontier Markets: Does Sheel share Harry's concern for the removal of capital from emerging markets? Why does Sheel believe that India, South East Asia and LATAM will be fine? Why does Sheel believe Pakistan and Africa are most in trouble? What advice does Sheel give to his emerging markets founders today? Items Mentioned in Today's Episode: Sheel's Favourite Book: Enders Game
Twenty Minute VC: Read the notes at at podcastnotes.org. Don't forget to subscribe for free to our newsletter, the top 10 ideas of the week, every Monday --------- Sheel Mohnot is a Co-Founder and General Partner @ Better Tomorrow Ventures, a $225M fund that leads rounds in pre-seed and seed-stage fintech companies globally. Sheel and Jake (his co-founder) invested for many years together before founding BTV and wrote checks into Mercury, Flexport, Ramp, and Hippo Insurance to name a few. As for Sheel, before BTV he ran 500 Fintech for close to 7 years, and before that was a founder, founding two companies, both of which were acquired. If that was not enough, Sheel is also a master at measuring the width of swimming pools and making cameo appearances in music videos with Justin Bieber. In Todays Episode with Sheel Mohnot We Discuss: 1.) Entry into Venture: How Sheel made his way into the world of venture having founded 2 fintech companies? Why did no LPs give Sheel money in the early 500 Fintech days? What were some of his biggest lessons from investing in 100s of companies with 500 Fintech? How did BTV with Jake come together most recently? What are the biggest differences to Sheel of being a fund manager vs being an investor? 2.) The Power Law: How does Sheel define "the power law" in venture capital? What multiple of return would be power law status? Given the size of outcome available with these power law returns, how does Sheel approach portfolio construction? Would it not be best to invest in 100s of companies? Who does Sheel believe has done the indexing approach best? Why? 3.) Venture Capital has Never Been Less Collaborative: Why does Sheel disagree with Harry that venture capital has never been less collaborative? Why now, for the first time, are large multi-stage funds taking single-digit ownership? Does Sheel agree with Harry it is moronic to have "guaranteed pro-rata"? How does Sheel approach re-investment decision-making? When does he pay up vs not? 4.) The Biggest Wins and Misses: What have been Sheel's biggest wins from a cashback and a multiple perspective? How did Sheel miss the chance to invest in both Robinhood and Chime early on? What did he not see? How would he have thought differently with the benefit of hindsight? How have Sheel's biggest hits and misses impacted how he invests today? 5.) Emerging and Frontier Markets: Does Sheel share Harry's concern for the removal of capital from emerging markets? Why does Sheel believe that India, South East Asia and LATAM will be fine? Why does Sheel believe Pakistan and Africa are most in trouble? What advice does Sheel give to his emerging markets founders today? Items Mentioned in Today's Episode: Sheel's Favourite Book: Enders Game
The Twenty Minute VC: Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch
Sheel Mohnot is a Co-Founder and General Partner @ Better Tomorrow Ventures, a $225M fund that leads rounds in pre-seed and seed-stage fintech companies globally. Sheel and Jake (his co-founder) invested for many years together before founding BTV and wrote checks into Mercury, Flexport, Ramp, and Hippo Insurance to name a few. As for Sheel, before BTV he ran 500 Fintech for close to 7 years, and before that was a founder, founding two companies, both of which were acquired. If that was not enough, Sheel is also a master at measuring the width of swimming pools and making cameo appearances in music videos with Justin Bieber. In Todays Episode with Sheel Mohnot We Discuss: 1.) Entry into Venture: How Sheel made his way into the world of venture having founded 2 fintech companies? Why did no LPs give Sheel money in the early 500 Fintech days? What were some of his biggest lessons from investing in 100s of companies with 500 Fintech? How did BTV with Jake come together most recently? What are the biggest differences to Sheel of being a fund manager vs being an investor? 2.) The Power Law: How does Sheel define "the power law" in venture capital? What multiple of return would be power law status? Given the size of outcome available with these power law returns, how does Sheel approach portfolio construction? Would it not be best to invest in 100s of companies? Who does Sheel believe has done the indexing approach best? Why? 3.) Venture Capital has Never Been Less Collaborative: Why does Sheel disagree with Harry that venture capital has never been less collaborative? Why now, for the first time, are large multi-stage funds taking single-digit ownership? Does Sheel agree with Harry it is moronic to have "guaranteed pro-rata"? How does Sheel approach re-investment decision-making? When does he pay up vs not? 4.) The Biggest Wins and Misses: What have been Sheel's biggest wins from a cashback and a multiple perspective? How did Sheel miss the chance to invest in both Robinhood and Chime early on? What did he not see? How would he have thought differently with the benefit of hindsight? How have Sheel's biggest hits and misses impacted how he invests today? 5.) Emerging and Frontier Markets: Does Sheel share Harry's concern for the removal of capital from emerging markets? Why does Sheel believe that India, South East Asia and LATAM will be fine? Why does Sheel believe Pakistan and Africa are most in trouble? What advice does Sheel give to his emerging markets founders today? Items Mentioned in Today's Episode: Sheel's Favourite Book: Enders Game
On our 167th episode of FNO: InsureTech, Rob talks with Dave Wechsler, Principal at OMERS Ventures. With over 30 years of professional experience, including five tech startups, tenure at Comcast Xfinity, and most recently Hippo Insurance, where he served as the VP of Growth, Dave is aware of the challenges faced by startups, especially those in large industries. Rob had the wonderful opportunity to chat with Dave and explore his work experiences and journey, all leading up to his current role as Principal at OMERS Ventures. You don't want to miss this episode. Like what you hear on FNO: InsureTech? Let us know: Email us at amuya@alacritysolutions.com!
Today's guest is from one of the highest profile firms from the group of pioneering US insurtechs that emerged in the middle of the last decade. Hippo Insurance, along with many of its trailblazing peers, is now a public company. But despite the transparency this brings, it's easy to look at Hippo and become confused by a whirl of alliances, structures and news announcements. One analyst recently complained that it looked like Hippo was throwing different strategies against the wall and seeing which ones would stick. In the light of this podcast that doesn't seem fair. Today's guest would counter that Wall Street hasn't really got its head around the variety in the newly-arrived insurtech sector and currently tends to put them all in the same bucket. Hippo's President Rick McCathron joined the business five years ago. With almost 30 years' P&C experience, Rick has insurance running through his veins and is incredibly focused on what Hippo's mission is and how he is setting out to achieve that. Insurance people can relate to him and he is excellent company. Listen on and any lingering doubts about this firm's clarity of purpose will melt away. NOTES Rick mentions the 'CAC to LTV' ratio. This stands for customer acquisition cost to lifetime value. ie a measure of how effective your marketing/acquisition spend is. LINKS We thank our naming sponsor AdvantageGo - enabling an enterprise view of exposure: https://www.advantagego.com/ We also thank Claims Direct Access (CDA) for their support today: https://www.claimsdirectaccess.com/
On this episode of FNO: InsureTech, Rob and Lee talk with Chris Donahue, Chief Underwriting Officer at Hippo Insurance. As we reconvene from the holidays, we start the year off with a great interview from Hippo Insurance. Join us as we learn more about Chris' role at Hippo, the focus on loss/risk mitigation, emerging technologies and data sources; and more. Like what you hear on FNO: InsureTech? Know someone who'd be a great guest on our podcast? Email us at fno@470claims.com!
Hippo Insurance's Rick McCathron discusses their business model and how the company is harnessing data and technology to help owners better protect their property.
Rick McCathron, president of Hippo Insurance, loves the insurance industry, having grown up in a family agency and spending more years at Mercury Insurance. Here's an insider's look … Read More » The post Hippo Has Some Legs appeared first on Insurance Journal TV.
Rob and Lee talk with Hippo Insurance (Hippo) Leaders Assaf Wand, Rick McCathron, and Chris Donahue on this special episode recorded at InsureTech Connect 2021. With the annual event of InsureTech Connect, great minds and companies come together and network and celebrate innovation in insurance and technology. Hosts Rob and Lee had the opportunity to have a conversation with the following Hippo Insurance execs: CEO & Co-Founder Assaf Wand, President Rick McCathron, and Chief Underwriting Officer Chris Donahue. Join Assaf, Rick, Chris, Rob, and Lee as they discuss: why Hippo is attending ITC 2021 the evolution of Hippo over the years how data drives Hippo a value proposition going beyond insurance, and more.
Lately, when talking to friends, the topic of insurance has come up a lot. Whether it's the rising number of catastrophic events, from floods to wildfires to tornadoes, or simply an increased awareness of the need to be prepared in case of any emergencies, a lot of people I know are focusing more time and effort on finding the right insurance providers. So, for the latest edition of Hidden Layers, I sat down with Andrea Collins, VP of Marketing at Hippo Insurance, to learn more about the insurance industry and, in particular, how homeowners' insurance has changed with the times. Insurance is typically thought of as a fairly dry, unsexy industry. Since Hippo burst onto the market in 2015, however, the company has set out to redefine homeowners' insurance - and with it, the relationship people have with their homes. As Collins notes in our conversation, traditional coverage tends to include items like fur coats and pewter bowls, neither of which are common household items today. Instead, Hippo's goal is to focus on providing products and services that modern homeowners need that will protect the joy of home ownership. In the episode, we talk about the obstacles that Hippo faces as a challenger brand in an industry with many heavy-hitters, some of which have seemingly bottomless advertising budgets, as well as the steps that the company has taken to overcome them. We also discuss how the company has leveraged technology, from smart home kits to satellite imagery to telemaintenance, to develop a more proactive approach to insurance.
In this very first episode of the 21 Leaders podcast, Miguel Armaza sits down with Assaf Wand, Co-Founder and CEO of Hippo Insurance (NYSE: HIPO), a revolutionary home insurance company focused on making homes safer and better protected, harnessing the power of data and technology. Founded in 2015, Hippo recently went public on the New York Stock Exchange and has a current market cap ~$3B.In this great conversation, Assaf and Miguel discuss:Why he's “the worst employee ever” and entrepreneurship was the only career path that made sense for himDisrupting the home insurance industry, a sector with a net promoter score of -49, and why over the last century incumbents forgot who is their actual customerThe importance of listening to your client, collecting feedback, and always doing the right thing by the customersLessons from his evolving leadership approach and the hardest decisions Assaf has ever made at HippoKey questions they ask themselves before making any important decision at HippoTaking the company public via SPAC and some hard lessons he's learned as a public company CEOReasons behind Tel-Aviv's success as a hub for entrepreneurship and innovation… A lot more!Want more podcast episodes? Join Miguel and follow 21 Leaders today on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app for weekly conversations with today's global leaders that will dominate the 21st century in fintech, business, and beyond.Miguel Armaza is Host of the 21 Leaders Podcast, Author of the Fintech Leaders Newsletter, and Co-Founder of Gilgamesh Ventures, a seed-stage investment fund focused on fintech in the Americas.Miguel on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nKha4ZMiguel on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Jb5oBcFintech Leaders Newsletter: bit.ly/3jWIpqp
On this episode of FNO: InsureTech, Rob and Lee talk with Rick McCathron, President of Hippo Insurance (Hippo). You deserve smarter homeowners insurance. Founded on the belief that homeowners deserve better insurance, Hippo has positioned itself as a model of the insuretech, a strong blend of insurance know-how and technological innovation. As we continue to interview integral, executive members of the Hippo team, we are learning more and more about the depth, height, and width of all that's Hip(po). Join Rick, Rob, and Lee as they discuss: Austin, Texas as a unique hotbed of tech and innovation. Hippo's focus on homeowners and the customer-first mentality. the importance of prevention and risk mitigation. Hippo's work culture, Rick as the “insurance guy”, and more.
Inspectify and Hippo Insurance have a proposition for you. This may be a more comfortable route to approach errors by home inspectors, but Errors & Omissions Insurance usually would cover these occasions...unless your home inspector doesn't carry E&O insurance...but most usually do.
On this episode of FNO: InsureTech, we bring back one of our favorite and most popular episodes, featuring Hippo Insurance Co-Founder & CEO, Assaf Wand. With Hippo Insurance (Hippo) making its NYSE debut a few weeks ago, we're re-releasing our 2020 interview with Hippo's Co-Founder & CEO. Founded in 2015, Hippo was founded on the belief that homeowners deserve better insurance. Through leveraging smart-home technology, data and analytics; and many other insuretech innovations, they've created an end-to-end home protection and insurance platform. Their goal: creating smarter homeowners insurance. Join Assaf, Rob, and Lee as they discuss: the origins and start of Hippo. taking a proactive approach to insurance. balancing insurance and technology in being an insuretech, and more. (Originally released May 8, 2020)
Richard L. McCathron, CPCU, CIC, brings more than 25 years of P&C experience to his role as President of Hippo. Rick joined the company in 2017 to establish Hippo's insurance operations team and bring Hippo's smart, simple and proactive home insurance products to scale. In just over four years, Hippo has become a national leader in the U.S. homeowners market, reaching more than 80% of the total U.S. homeowners population. Hippo's integrated platform, which includes a growing suite of proactive services designed to prevent loss, is a modern approach to home insurance that brings customers greater peace of mind.Prior to Hippo, Rick held senior executive positions at well-respected insurance companies including First Connect Insurance as its President & CEO, Superior Access Insurance as its President & CEO, and Mercury Insurance Group (NYSE-MCY) as its Regional Vice President. Rick is both a Chartered Property & Casualty Underwriter and a Certified Insurance Counselor and sits on the Board of Directors of Hippo, Spinnaker Insurance Company, and First Connect Insurance. He is an advisor for several other InsureTechs.
In this week's episode, Gil Arazi, founder and managing partner of FinTLV Ventures, joins Gilad Shai to discuss FinTLV's fund meteoric growth, the fund's investment thesis, and playing the piano, guitar, and violin. Among FinTLV Ventures (fintlv.com) portfolio companies, you can find:WeFox, Sweetch, Corvus, Unqork, Next Insurance, Hippo, Akinova, Sproutt, maio, and Foretellix.
The next brew is in the house! ☕ Welcome to the third episode of FS Brew! In this episode, the hosts, Vidya Veerapandian and Renjit Philip have scouted a couple of homegrown start-ups to highlight and packed a bunch of trending global news: - Protect4less, an #InsurTech that provides mobile and gadget insurance, secures funding
Assaf Wand knew how broken the home insurance market was: an industry more interested in covering antiquated items like gold bullion and mausoleums rather than the electronics and home office equipment you need to get through your day. So Wand went to work, unafraid of the insurance world's red tape, rules and regulations, and launched Hippo. Designed to be a proactive, customer-centric experience, Hippo has made a swift impact with more than $400M premiums in force, now available in 34 states. After announcing its plans to go public, Hippo, an InsuraTech unicorn, is now valued at $5B. Discover how Wand navigates the complex world of insurance to build a home insurance alternative that serves real people's real needs. Show Notes2:09: What the Israeli Air Force taught him about entrepreneurship 6:40: Seeing Silicon Valley for the first time 9:15: Where did the idea for Hippo Insurance come from? 14:07: Overcoming the challenges a heavily regulated market brings 16:30: Realizing this was a business and not just an experiment 18:51: Obtaining the first 100 customers 22:13: Early pushback from investors and employees 25:37: Breaking Hippo Insurance down into two chapters 28:55: Building the culture 36:51: Showing up for customers during the 2020 California wildfires 41:54: The Sprint
Insurtech is also a space that has become increasingly crowded and more high-profile in recent years. Hippo Insurance uses technology to help homeowners maintain their properties, creating a new standard of care and protection for homeowners. Hippo announced its intention to go public via SPAC in early March of this year that will now give Hippo a valuation of $5B, making it one of the largest insurtechs in the US. Co-Founder & CEO Assaf Wand sits down with NFX Partner Pete Flint to share his Founder story, product mindset, strategy behind the SPAC, and personal frameworks for taking Hippo from idea to IPO.
Everybody comes into Data Science from a different background. Some studied maths, some took stats classes, some came from finance, etc.Ruben's story is especially unique in that way – for many years he used to be a Chemical Engineer!What prompted him to make the transition? His MBA. Yes! Ruben found a way to structure his MBA in a way that leads him to an ultra-successful career in Data. And he hasn't looked back since.We talked about how his company has transformed throughout the pandemic, how to set up and promote self-serve analytics systems, how to keep your workflow under control, and the importance of mentors in Data Science.Ruben Kogelhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/rkogelThe Data Standardhttps://datastandard.io/https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-data-standard/
Highlights from the March 2 editorial webcast “Implementation Strategies for Claims Automation.” This panel discussion was helmed by PC360’s Patricia Harmon and featured Tori Santos, Director, Claims Modernization at USAA; Jacqueline Tirpak, VP Corporate Claims Officer at Erie Insurance; Darin McCarthy, Vice President of Claims at Hippo Insurance; and Tim Christ, Vice President of Growth for Claimatic. The full on-demand presentation can be found at https://www.propertycasualty360.com/2021/02/01/implementation-strategies-for-claims-automation/
On this episode of FNO: InsureTech we are joined by Yuval Harry, Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) at Hippo Insurance. You deserve smarter homeowners insurance. And Hippo is bringing that to the table. FNO: InsureTech has had a front-row seat to the growth of Hippo and we’re excited to bring another integral member of their executive team on the podcast to share their personal story and the ongoing story of Hippo. Join Yuval, Rob, and Lee as they discuss: Hippo’s product distribution methods, leveraging technology to innovate customer experience, Yuval’s roles and experiences prior to Hippo; the balance between insurance and technology, and more.
Retrouvez le GOOD MORNING FrenchWeb tous les matins dès 06h45 avec Joseph Postec et la rédaction de FrenchWeb.fr pour découvrir les meilleures pratiques et innovation en matière de transformation numérique.Nouveau tour de table pour Luko. Un an après sa série A, la start-up française qui s'attèle à dépoussiérer l'assurance habitation vient de lever 50 millions d'euros supplémentaires. L'opération a été menée par EQT Ventures, avec le soutien des investisseurs historiques, à savoir Accel, Founders Fund et Speedinvest.Des business angels, à l'image d'Assaf Wand, co-fondateur de la licorne américaine Hippo Insurance, et de Thomas Plantenga, le patron de l'application de seconde main Vinted, ont également participé à ce tour de table.A ce jour, Luko revendique 100 000 assurés en France et entend s'appuyer sur ce nouveau financement pour s'étendre en Europe sur un marché pesant 100 milliards d'euros. Raphaël Vullierme, co-fondateur et CEO de Luko, dévoile les enjeux derrière cette levée de fonds réalisée en pleine crise du coronavirus. Cette semaine, nous réalisons un focus sur le secteur DeepTech. Ses acteurs, ses enjeux, ses financements, ses problématiques, ses opportunités. Et pour entamer cette semaine, notre journaliste Laetitia Lienhard a pu échanger avec Robert Marino, directeur du programme d'accompagnement DeepTech Founders pour dresser un bilan du secteur des DeepTech en France en 2020.
The worst thing that would happen is you learn something new along the way - Michael Matias Absolutely love that phrase. Very grateful to have gotten to speak to Micheal on the podcast, it was great to learn about his journey and his book: Age is only an int – book, Matias encourages readers to believe that age should not be measured in the number of years lived but in the capacity to learn and grow from every opportunity and challenge. We talked about the lessons he learned as a young entrepreneur, his key insights from interviewing leaders on his 20 Minute Leaders podcast, time management, and what work-life balance would look like to him. We also talked about whether everyone should be developing technical skills at this time. Why learning how to code isn't just for programmers and a lot more!! About Micheal : Micheal is an engineer and entrepreneur at heart, deeply motivated by people and products that make a positive impact on the world. Currently a Senior Associate at J-Ventures (early-stage Venture Capital fund) and a Software Engineer at Hippo Insurance (unicorn) while studying Artificial Intelligence at Stanford University. Graduated from 8200 Cybersecurity Unit in the IDF as an Officer (First Lieutenant), where he founded an led a machine learning research team. A Forbes `30 Under 30` and Forbes `18 Under 18` honoree, TEDx speaker, Birthright Excel alumni, founder of Hacking Generation Y and AnyMeal and host of the `20 Minute Leaders` talk show. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/itstartswithaction/message
Aviad chats with us about his journey into insurtech, being the first employee at a Silicon Valley startup gone unicorn, how he built the product management team and at what point to hire additional PMs and expand the product management team, and being design centric. Towards the end we get a glimpse into his creativity in a startup he creates from scratch in a matter of minutes and shares how to reach him. If you're a founder, a PM, a developer, a CTO or engineering manager, a designer, CEO, or any of role that touches product, please subscribe to Product Nation in your favorite podcast player such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Castro, etc. by searching for "Product Nation" inside your podcast app, and tune in to 30 minutes of weekly learning. Ofer Baharav & Nir Paz
Building a sophisticated AI that can evolve to fit our vast and diverse needs is a Herculean challenge. Today we speak with senior engineer Eric Steen about Automata, his experimental Elixir project that uses neuroevolution and cutting edge theory to create a multi-agent behavior tree — or really good AI in the common tongue. But before we tap into that rich topic, we talk with Eric about tech burnout, his background, and why Elixir is an excellent language for writing modern software. He then unpacks AI concepts like the need to develop backpropagation in your system, and the value of “neural diversity,” and Markov decision processes. After Eric gives his take on architecture versus design and the place of domain-driven design, we discuss Automata. A key breakthrough, Eric shares his enthusiasm for ‘novelty search,’ where machines learn from a variety of new behaviors and searches, as opposed to completing one task at a time. We touch on Automata’s progress, Eric’s long-term approach, and what his project might be used for. Near the end of our interview, we chat about CryptoWise, a collaborative analysis platform for cryptocurrency. Todd Resudek then opens with another edition of Pattern Matching, where he interviews Whatsapp engineer Michał Muskała. They talk about Michał’s career, the movies and music that he enjoys, and the projects that excite him. Tune in to hear more about both Michał and neuroevolution in AI. Key Points From This Episode: Experiencing tech burnout and challenges around algorithms rendering you redundant. Hear about Eric’s programming background and shifts in the industry. Backpropagation and using Elixir to build a neural evolutionary system. How Markov decision processes help systems choose between possible actions. Eric’s take on architecture versus design and the place of domain-driven design. Exploring Automata — Eric’s ambitious multi-agent behavior tree. The importance of neurodiversity when building AIs; they need to adapt to many needs. Novelty search; why learn through one task when you can learn through a variety of tasks at the same time? Automata’s practical applications and why Eric sees it as a long-term project. Eric shares a progress report on his work and using design processes like Sprint. What Eric would like people to use Automata for. A sense that Elixir is gaining in popularity within Silicon Valley. Eric gives an elevator-pitch for CryptoWise, a collaborative analysis platform for cryptocurrency. Todd Resudek interviews Michał Muskała on another edition of Pattern Matching. Michał shares his background and his move from Poland to London. Movies and music that Michał enjoys, and details on projects that excite him. Differences between Erlang and Elixir and why both communities would benefit from working together. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: SmartLogic — https://smartlogic.io/ Eric Steen on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericsteen1/ Eric Steen — https://twitter.com/thesteener Webflow — https://webflow.com/ Automata GitHub — https://github.com/upstarter/automata Automata on Slack — https://join.slack.com/t/automata-project/sharedinvite/zt-e4fqrmo4-7ujuZwzXHNCGVrZb1aVmA CryptoWise — https://www.cryptowise.ai/ Hippo Insurance — https://www.hippo.com/ Carl Hewitt — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CarlHewitt Stanford University — https://www.stanford.edu/ MIT — https://web.mit.edu/ Actor Model — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Actormodel Marvin Minsky — http://web.media.mit.edu/~minsky/ Tensorflex on GitHub— https://github.com/anshuman23/tensorflex Matrex on GitHub — https://github.com/versilov/matrex Handbook of Neuroevolution Through Erlang — https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9781461444626 Markov Decision Process — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Markovdecisionprocess Amazon Web Services — https://aws.amazon.com/ The Little Elixir & OTP Guidebook — https://www.amazon.com/Little-Elixir-OTP-Guidebook/dp/1633430111 Elon Musk — https://www.forbes.com/profile/elon-musk/ Welcome to the Era of Deep Neuroevolution — https://eng.uber.com/deep-neuroevolution/ Kenneth O. Stanley — https://www.cs.ucf.edu/~kstanley/ Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned: The Myth of the Objective — https://www.amazon.com/Why-Greatness-Cannot-Planned-Objective/dp/3319155237/ University of Florida — https://www.ufl.edu/ Uber Air — https://www.uber.com/us/es/elevate/ Jeff Bezos — https://www.forbes.com/profile/jeff-bezos/ Sprint — https://www.thesprintbook.com/ Adobe — https://www.adobe.com/ Horde — https://www.horde.org/development/ Libcluster on GitHub — https://github.com/dsteinberg/libcluster Swift for Tensorflow — https://www.tensorflow.org/swift Triplebyte Blog — https://triplebyte.com/blog EquiTrader — https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/equitrader/ BloXroute Labs — https://bloxroute.com/ Holochain — https://holochain.org/ Michał Muskała on GitHub — https://github.com/michalmuskala Jason on GitHub — https://github.com/michalmuskala/jason Todd Resudek on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddresudek/ Whatsapp — https://www.whatsapp.com/ CERN — https://home.cern/ Ralph Kaminski — https://ralphkaminski.com/ Jayme Edwards — https://jaymeedwards.com/ Special Guest: Eric Steen.
Hey everyone, Spencer Hsu here, your Tech Realtor of the Bay Area. Welcome to my new PropTech Talk Thursday series to take a look and provide my candid thoughts on new Proptech businesses. These could range from products to companies leveraging technology to improve all facets of real estate. The Real Estate industry is one of the slowest to adopt technology but there are many opportunities along with money chasing these opportunities. This week, let's take a look at Hippo Insurance. Hippo Insurance, based in Palo Alto, CA, recently raised $150 million in a new round of funding in July, bringing its total funding to $359M, and a valuation of $1.5 billion. They started their business in 2015 and have grew to $270MM in premiums written. How does this compare to the industry? Take a look here at the top 10 insurance providers. They are currently at 0.27% of the US market so on one end, there is a lot of room to grow, but at the same time, it's a tiny fraction of these well known providers. -- If you are tired of renting in the Bay Area, are a home owner looking to do a tradeup for a bigger home, or are thinking about selling your home, I would love to connect! Click on the link and let's set up a time to talk!
Shefi, Avi and Nick are joined by Assaf Wand, CEO of Hippo. We discussed:ADT/Google PartnershipProgressive testing the Root telematics modelAssaf opens up about his view and Hippo's bet on smart devices and other technologies to form deeper and more meaning relationships (and differentiation) with customers.
When it comes to talent at Venture Capital firms, they don’t come more seasoned than Tylee Holden. She leads the people part of the business at BOND. Spun out from Kleiner Perkins (where she was Talent Partner,) San Francisco-based BOND invests in Consumer & Enterprise growth companies. With over $1 billion in capital, BOND has made investments in companies like Hippo Insurance, Canva, and Nextdoor. Prior, she was Head of Executive Search at Uber. So she knows a thing or two about scaling a business. In this 20-minute conversation, Tylee shares how to find the best people, based on the stage of your company. How to land them. And how to keep them, even when the headhunter calls.
On this special episode of FNO: News, we talk with insurance and insuretech industry experts who weigh in on the recent Lemonade IPO. Hosts Rob and Lee talked with 8 experts/influencers from across the insurance and insuretech industries and asked: What does the Lemonade IPO mean for the insurance/insuretech ecosystem? Listen to this special FNO: News segment, Experts weigh in on the Lemonade IPO. Time stamps and guests: 4:06 - Dan Reed, Managing Director, American Family Ventures 10:34 - Assaf Wand, CEO & Co-Founder, Hippo Insurance 17:06 - Mark Breading, Partner, Strategy Meets Action 24:10 - Tim Attia, CEO & Co-Founder, Slice Labs 26:00 - Dan Moore, COO, QBE North America 35:12 - Caribou Honig, Chairman & Co-Founder, InsureTech Connect 44:45 - Jenn Byrne, President & CEO, Quesnay 52:54 - Rob Galbraith, Author & Insuretech Thought Leader #insuretech #insurtech #insurance #technology #innovation #inthenews #LemonadeIPO
The Twenty Minute VC: Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch
Oren Zeev is the Founding Partner @ Zeev Ventures, one of the best and most under the radar firms in the early stage Silicon Valley landscape. Over the past decade, Oren has backed the likes of TripActions, Tipalti, Audible, Houzz, Chegg and Hippo Insurance to name a few. Prior to crushing it with Zeev Ventures, Oren spent 12 years as a General Partner @ Apax Ventures, starting in Israel and then moving to the US where he headed the Technology Practice of Apax and the Silicon Valley office. In Today’s Episode You Will Learn: 1.) How Oren made his way into the world of venture with Apax and how that led to his founding his own firm, Zeev Ventures? 2.) Having been in a venture partnership, why did Oren want to be a solo GP? What are the benefits? How does it change decision-making? What are the downsides? How does Oren discuss deals and ideas without partners? How does Oren explain the decision to LPs on being a solo GP? 3.) Why does Oren not believe in thesis-driven investing? What are the dangers and downsides to it? Why do most managers still do it then? Why does Oren specifically look for under-appreciated markets? How is pricing and competition different there? How does Oren assess his own price sensitivity? 4.) Why does Oren think that diversification is overrated? How does Oren think about cross-fund investing? Why is it such a strength that managers should use? Why do many not do it? How does Oren think about reserve allocation? Why is he the only VC to not have a reserves strategy? 5.) How does Oren think about fund deployment timelines? Why do LPs not like the annual fundraising approach? How does Oren size up his position in companies over time and round? How does Oren feel about founders taking secondaries? Items Mentioned In Today’s Show: Oren’s Fave Book: The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill: Defender of the Realm Oren’s Most Recent Investment: Treeverse As always you can follow Harry and The Twenty Minute VC on Twitter here! Likewise, you can follow Harry on Instagram here for mojito madness and all things 20VC.
After moving to Silicon Valley, Andrew experienced the costly and painful process of fixing things around his condo. But why fix, when you can prevent? So he founded Sheltr, a "physical for your home" preventative maintenance startup that grew to become a leader in major US cities and was acquired by Hippo Insurance – all in less than a year. On this episode of the Startup Exits Podcast, we chat with Andrew about: • Going from a personal pain point to validating the market need • Educating your customers • B2B and B2C strategies • Support from being an early employee at Instacart • The future of home maintenance Startup Exits is brought to you by StartupSoft. New episodes every month, subscribe for more.
On this episode of FNO: InsureTech we are joined by Assaf Wand, CEO & Co-Founder of Hippo Insurance. Since 2015, Hippo Insurance has leveraged and married modern insurance practices with modern technology, offering smarter products to meet modern demands. Hippo has also taken a proactive approach to home insurance, utilizing smart home devices to detect current and mitigate future problems. We sat down and talked with Assaf Wand to learn more. Join Assaf, Lee, and Rob as they discuss: the origin and beginning of Hippo. Hippo’s approach in being a proactive insurance company. Hippo’s new telemaintenance service, Hippo Home Care (formerly Sheltr). the balance of insurance and technology in being an insuretech. To learn about Hippo Insurance, visit: https://www.hippo.com To learn more about Hippo Home Care, visit: https://www.getsheltr.com FNO: InsureTech Podcast is created, produced, and sponsored by Fourseventy Claim Management. Learn more at https://470claims.com. Visit us online at www.fnoinsuretech.com.
This episode was produced remotely using the ListenDeck standardized audio production system. You can subscribe to this podcast and stay up to date on all the stories here on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify and iHeartRadio. In this episode the host John Siracusa chats remotely with Assaf Wand, co-founder and CEO of Hippo Insurance. Hippo is a modern insurtech which provides home insurance and uses IOT and data to price policies, manage risk and take preventative measures to reduce claims. They’ve raised over $200 million to date. Tune in and Listen. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Google , Stitcher, Spotify and iHeartRadio to hear next Tuesdays in-studio interview recorded pre-Covid19 with Glenn Elliot from Practifi. About the host: John, is the host of the ‘Bank On It’ podcast recorded onsite in Wall Street at OpenFin, and 'Before the A' podcast recorded onsite in Flat Iron at Barclays/Techstars Rise NYC. He’s a highly sought after fintech, VC and financial services industry enthusiast and connector. He’s in the center of the fintech ecosystem, keeping current with the ever-innovating industry. Stay in the fintech know by subscribing to ‘Bank On It’, ‘Before the A’ Follow John on LinkedIn, Twitter, Medium
Every week the show host John Siracusa talks with impressive fintech leaders and entrepreneurs, through conversation uncovers the remarkable stories behind them, their creations and the most important topics in fintech. You can subscribe to this podcast and stay up to date on all the stories here on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify and iHeartRadio. In this episode the host John Siracusa chats with Hendrik Bartel, co-founder & CEO of TruValue Labs. TruValue Labs' products provide advanced analytics to create usable and real-time sustainability metrics and data for investment decisions. This is Hendrik’s second time on the show, this interview was recorded in-studio pre-Covid. Tune in and Listen. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Google , Stitcher, Spotify and iHeartRadio to hear Thursday’s all new remotely recorded episode with Assaf Wand from Hippo Insurance. About the host: John, is the host of the ‘Bank On It’ podcast recorded onsite in Wall Street at OpenFin, and 'Before the A' podcast recorded onsite in Flat Iron at Barclays/Techstars Rise NYC. He’s a highly sought after fintech, VC and financial services industry enthusiast and connector. He’s in the center of the fintech ecosystem, keeping current with the ever-innovating industry. Founder of the ListenDeck audio production system. Stay in the fintech know by subscribing to ‘Bank On It’, ‘Before the A’ Follow John on LinkedIn, Twitter, Medium
Richard McCathron on how Hippo Insurance has reimagined home insurance, why insurers need to listen to customers and the meritocracy of a good idea. Tune into the Accenture #InsuranceInfluencers podcast.
On this episode of FNO: InsureTech we are joined by Daniel Blanaru, VP of Growth Initiatives at Hippo Insurance, and Andrew Wynn, Co-founder of Sheltr. At the end of 2019, Sheltr joined the Hippo Insurance family. Hippo is focused on proactive home insurance and Sheltr's approach to preventative home maintenance is unique. Together, Hippo and Sheltr can better help you protect your home and keep small issues from becoming big headaches. To learn more about Hippo Insurance, visit https://www.hippo.com. To learn more about Sheltr, visit https://www.getsheltr.com. FNO: InsureTech Podcast is created, produced, and sponsored by Fourseventy Claim Management. Learn more at https://470claims.com. Visit us online at www.fnoinsuretech.com.
On this episode of FNO: InsureTech, we are joined by Darin McCarthy, Vice President of Claims at Hippo Insurance. Hippo has automated the process and modernized coverage, allowing them to offer policies that cover the homes and possessions that consumers own today, with cost efficiency and effectiveness. Tune in to this episode to hear Darin take us through Hippo’s model and how they view claims as a sales function. FNO: InsureTech Podcast interviews leaders from insuretech and insurance to get unique and intriguing perspectives on how technology is disrupting and transforming the industry. We bring stories, trends, and useful insights to our audience from carriers, insuretech companies, service providers, and various industry groups. New episodes each week. FNO: InsureTech Podcast is created and produced by Fourseventy Claim Management. Visit us online at www.fnoinsuretech.com
Episode 208: Chuck talks with West Virginia Insurance Commissioner James Dodrill about his first NAIC meeting and how things are doing during his first months on the job. Plus, AOB Reform heads to the Governor's desk, but not before one Florida lawyer's last-ditch effort to game the system.
In this special episode of Profiles in Risk, I preview The Insurance Nexus Insurance AI & Analytics USA Conference (May 2 & 3 – Chicago - code INSNERDSAI200) by talking about Creating an Outstanding Customer Experience From The Ground Up with Aviad Pinkovezky, Chief Product Officer at Hippo Insurance. In this episode we discussed:ABOUT AVIAD- Aviad can you provide a little background? What is Hippo and what is your role?- You actually did not come from an insurance background. What opportunities did you see that made you take the leap into insurance?ABOUT AI & ANALYTICS- How are AI and analytics changing insurance and how we all do business?- Can you provide a couple of examples of how Hippo is incorporating both into your business model?ABOUT AVIAD'S SESSION- Your session is on Outstanding Customer Experience From The Groundup...what can attendees who go to your session learn?- Who should attend?CONNECT WITH AVIAD - https://www.linkedin.com/in/aviadpinkovezky/
In this special episode of Profiles in Risk, I preview The Insurance Nexus Insurance AI & Analytics USA Conference (May 2 & 3 - Chicago) by talking IoT & Sensors with Mike Gulla, Senior Director of Underwriting at Hippo Insurance. We discussed:ABOUT MIKE- Mike, can you describe Hippo and what your role is there?ABOUT AI & ANALYTICS- What are some of the challenges you are seeing trying to integrate underwriting and pricing for IoT & sensors?- How have regulators viewed filed data when new technology is being integrated?- Do you think IoT & sensors will upend the traditional insurance business model (actuarial focus on rates etc)?ABOUT MIKE'S SESSION- Can you describe your session?- Who should attend? What do you hope they leave understanding better?Insurance Nerds is pleased to be helping Insurance Nexus promote this conference. Save $200 by using discount code: INSNERDSAI200 at https://events.insurancenexus.com/analyticsusa
There's been a rash of activity and a big influx of new capital into insurtech. Insurance almost feels like it was the last holdout to be targeted by fintech firms. That's because it's a really big problem to solve. Today's guest, Assaf Wand is the founder and CEO of Hippo Insurance. Hippo isn't Assaf's first startup and he doesn't shy away from big problems. To hear him tell it, Assaf wanted to be in the insurance business since he was a little kid. But startup technology costs were always too prohibitive, the lack of historical consumer data prevented him from competing, and customers just weren't ready to switch. That's all different now as Hippo is attempting to change the way home insurance is sold (spoiler: the buyers aren't just millennials). Hippo's Assaf Wand is my guest today on the Tearsheet Podcast. Before we jump into the interview — If you get value out of this podcast, we'd appreciate a review wherever you get your podcasts. We do this for you and reviews are the fuel that make this podcast go and help others to discover it.
A home insurance company that launched an Alexa skill to get some attention; a company trying to make the roll out of self-driving cars more seamless; and an acquisition deal that strengthens data and security in your emails. Theme music is "Bot Fest" by Alex Vaan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mike Gulla is the Director of Underwriting at Hippo Insurance, an insurance company that seeks to provide simple and easy to understand home insurance that is up to date with modern homeowner lifestyles. Mike’s responsibilities include developing full stack policy administration systems, support research and development efforts for system integrations, and providing subject matter expertise for regulatory filings, policy ratings, and compliance reviews. He holds a degree in Political Science focused in American Government and Politics from Troy University. Mike joins us today to discuss how insurance companies should innovate without alienating their consumers. He shares his story on how he got started in the insurance industry and what makes Hippo different. He also explains the need to modernize home insurance policies, why he thinks the Internet of Things is the future of insurance, and how the industry will look ten years from now. “Internet of Things is the one thing that's going to revolutionize insurance.” - Mike Gulla Today on Spot On Insurance: What set Mike on the path to a career in the insurance industry. The risks companies need to take to succeed in this market. The innovations that companies need to focus on to provide what the customers want. Why their company is not promoting disruption. What underwriters currently do and how their responsibilities have evolved over the years. Why underwriting is so innovative today. What consumers need to consider when looking at insurance. How do we streamline the compliance process? What he thinks will happen with insurance in the next ten years. Why he believes the Internet of Things is the future of insurance. Key Takeaways: If you've mastered a process, it means it's time to think of a way to make it better. Underwriting touches every facet of insurance. Everything at some point will reach the underwriting process. At the end of the day, innovations should all be about the customer and not the company. Resources mentioned: August Smart Lock Connect with Mike Gulla: Hippo LinkedIn This episode was brought to you by….. Insurance Licensing Services of America (ILSA), America’s Premier Insurance Compliance and Licensing experts. To learn more about ILSA and their services, visit ILSAinc.com. Connect, Learn, Share Thank you for joining us on this week’s episode of Spot On Insurance. For more resources and episodes, visit SpotOnInsurance.com. Subscribe so you never miss an episode. Love what you’re learning, Spot Light your review on iTunes and share your favorite episodes with friends and colleagues!
Brendan interviews Assaf Wand, CEO and Co-Founder of Hippo Insurance. They discuss Assaf's lifetime fascination with the insurance industry, the smart home technology changing the underwriting process, and Hippo's plans to build enduring relationships with customers. About Hippo: Hippo is transforming home insurance with smart coverage for today's homeowners. For more information, please visit: www.myhippo.com
In this episode of Profiles in Risk we spoke with Rick McCathron, the head of insurance at Hippo Insurance. Hippo is a digitally native homeowner insurer currently writing out of California. Rick spoke about Hippo's mission to provide a modern insurance product, that covers assets that the modern homeowners need covered today (yeah, they don't really focus on stock certificates or gold bullion)...all with the modern conveniences of digital technology. Most customers can get a quote in less than 60 seconds and can bind coverage in less than 3 minutes. In the podcast, Rick referred to Hippo's business model as consisting of a 3-legged stool. Leg 1. superior customer experience via the UI, phone, and other technologies; Leg 2. Superior product that matches coverages to modern exposures and Leg 3. taking advantage of big data and other 3rd party data sources to quantify the exposure for underwriting (thereby improving stool leg 1!). BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Linkedin Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-l-mccathron-514a4a4/ Hippo Insurance homepage: https://myhippo.com/ Hippo YouTube video (via Milliman): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJmvinO9Pes AS MENTIONED IN THE PODCAST: Loss Pick: https://www.irmi.com/online/insurance-glossary/terms/l/loss-pick.aspx RANK THE RISK: https://www.valuepenguin.com/average-cost-of-homeowners-insurance