Explore Incredible Opportunities Within the Insurance Technology

Insurance Technology Program for Carriers and Corporations

Plug and Play Insurtech is our insurance technology program for carriers, reinsurers, and brokers. We connect them with vetted startups to run real pilots. Since we launched in Silicon Valley in 2016, we've accelerated 1K+ insurtech startups, completed 19 batch cohorts, and made 160+ direct investments. Our partners use it to identify, test, and deploy new technology faster than their internal teams can alone.

Insurance carriers face a specific problem: the pace of technology change now outstrips what most internal innovation teams can source and evaluate on their own. Carriers that run structured pilots with vetted startups move faster on digital innovation in the insurance industry than those waiting on internal builds.

Why are Insurance Carriers Investing in Innovation?

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Rising Catastrophe Risk

Natural disasters drove $368 billion in economic losses in 2024, including 218 billion-dollar events in the U.S. alone. Carriers that shift from passive risk acceptors to active risk orchestrators protect their margins while competitors lose ground.

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The AI Execution Gap

Despite $30-40 billion invested in enterprise AI, 95% of organizations report no measurable impact on their P&L, and only 5% of initiatives reach production. The teams that partner externally instead of building alone reach deployment 67% of the time against 33% for internal builds.

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The Data & Trust Gap

91% of executives believe AI will reshape insurance, yet only 38% feel their data is ready. More than half (52%) now rank data quality as their top operational risk for 2026, and just 11% say their databases are accessible for AI.

2016

Insurtech Program Launch

30

Industry Partners

1K+

Startups Accelerated

5

Offices Worldwide

160+

Investments Deployed

Our Measurable Results

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Gain access to a network of 90+ Industry Mentors

 Startups that participate in our Insurtech program gain access to a global network of more than 90+ industry mentors who offer strategic advice and industry insights.

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450+ startups accelerated through the program

More than 450 startups have been accelerated through our Insurtech Program over the last decade, driving innovation across the insurance ecosystem.

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10% of program startups become portfolio companies

Approximately 10% of accelerated startups went on to become Plug and Play Portfolio Companies, demonstrating the strength and long-term impact of the program.

Our Focus Areas

Insurtech Innovation for General Insurance

General insurance includes areas like fraud detection, process automation, and data enrichment and analytics. Leveraging technology in these domains enhances operational efficiency and accuracy, leading to better risk management. Improved customer experience & distribution further elevate the industry's ability to provide tailored and efficient insurance services.
Insurtech Innovation for General Insurance

Life & Health Insurance

Life and health insurance focus on safeguarding healthcare, wellness, and financial stability. Life and annuity solutions in this sector are crucial in enhancing financial well-being and ensuring customer-centric services. Through robust risk and fraud assessment, insurtech companies contribute to a secure and reliable insurance ecosystem.
Life & Health Insurance

Property & Casualty Insurance

Property and casualty insurance includes underwriting products being revolutionized by utilizing new property data sources to enhance risk assessment accuracy. Auto insurance tech, home and property policies, and the integration of the internet of things and drones are reshaping the industry landscape, optimizing processes and operations for improved efficiency.
Property & Casualty Insurance

Our Global Insurtech Innovation Platform

Insurtech Innovation Programs

Accelerate the next era of insurtech innovation.
What our Insurance Technology Program Offers

 

Two things set us apart from alternatives:

First, the startup pipeline is active and pre-screened. We source startups across life and health, property and casualty, and general insurance. The team evaluates every company for technology readiness, market fit, and alignment with current partner priorities. Carriers do not sift through cold applications.

Second, carriers get pilots that actually finish. Each engagement has a defined scope, a fixed timeline, and clear success criteria agreed upon upfront. Internal stakeholders, procurement, and leadership all know what’s being tested and when to expect a decision.


 

 

Vetted Startups & Structured Pilots

  • A curated shortlist of vetted insurtech startups matched to your priorities over life and health, property and casualty, and general insurance.
  • A peer network of 20+ insurance partners across five global locations, affording valuable opportunities for benchmarking, joint problem-solving, and sharing implementation lessons.
  • Visibility into our portfolio of 160+ insurtech investments. Early signal on which technologies are gaining traction with other carriers.

Program Structure

  • Batch-based cohorts: 19 complete as of 2025, Batch 20 underway in 2026.
  • Locations: Silicon Valley, Munich, Tokyo, and additional global hubs.
  • Each batch runs structured sessions, startup-to-corporate matching, and pilot scoping.

What our Insurance Technology Program Offers

Alignment on a Strategic Agenda

We identify high-priority opportunities across the life sciences landscape, including adopting new platforms, optimizing processes, or integrating advanced diagnostic tools.

Curated Startup Introductions

Using our database of 100K+ startups, we match partners with startups aligned with their strategic goals, technical requirements, and use cases in insurance innovation.

Rapid Pilots & Technology Validation

We enable structured startup pilots that accelerate proof-of-concept for specific use cases and technologies, helping validate technology in weeks, not quarters.

Commercial Scaling & Integration

After a successful pilot, we continue supporting our partners in converting initial startup engagement into long-term commercial partnerships & investment opportunities.  

Industry Events & Global Knowledge Exchange

Our partners gain exclusive access to industry-specific events and high-level collaboration opportunities curated for their interests throughout the program.

Life Science Innovation Expos & Summits

Our programs conclude with an Expo or Summit, where selected startups present validated technologies to a broader audience of executives, investors, and industry leaders.

What our partners have achieved

 

Corporate Partner Success Stories

 

Unum & Skan AI: Unum deployed Skan AI’s productivity analytics platform through the program. In six to seven months: 25% productivity improvement, $60 million in annualized cost savings.

Aflac & Lazarus AI: Aflac PLADS used Lazarus AI’s document intake engine to automate 23 use cases and process 10,000 forms weekly. Accuracy reached 99%. Deployment time dropped by eight weeks compared to standard IT procurement cycles.

Irish Life: A member of both the Silicon Valley and Munich programs, Irish Life’s Head of Research noted the program’s flexibility and corporate-partner-driven structure as the primary differentiator from other accelerators.

 

Discover more ->

Insurtech Innovation Program Testimonial

Irish Life
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Ready to run pilots with vetted insurtech startups?

Frequently Asked Questions

What does insurance technology mean for carriers and reinsurers?

Insurance technology, or insurtech, covers the software, AI tools, and data platforms that modernize underwriting, claims, fraud detection, and distribution. For carriers, it means tools that cut claims processing times, sharpen underwriting with live data, and automate back-office work that ties up large manual teams.

What does Plug and Play offer insurance companies specifically?

Plug and Play runs a structured corporate innovation program for insurance carriers, reinsurers, and brokers. Corporate partners access a curated pipeline of vetted insurtech startups, participate in batch cohort programs, and run facilitated pilots with defined timelines and verified outcomes. The program has completed 19 batch cohorts since 2016 across five global locations, with 20+ active insurance partners.

How can an insurance company run pilots with startups?

An insurance company joins the program, defines its priorities, and we match it with pre-screened startups. We structure each pilot around a clear scope, timeline, and success metrics, then track outcomes against them. We run an active startup pipeline, so the pilots we schedule lead to real decisions.

How can an insurance company join the Plug and Play Insurtech program?

Insurance carriers and partners may apply through the Plug and Play contact page. Once engaged, partners define innovation priorities and are matched with relevant startups from current and upcoming batches. Pilot scoping begins according to the program’s timeline.

Which types of insurance technology does the program focus on?

The program covers three insurance lines: life and health, property and casualty, and general insurance. Within those lines, active scouting focuses on AI-based claims automation, fraud detection, IoT-enabled underwriting, embedded insurance platforms, workforce productivity tools, and next-generation distribution models.

What makes Plug and Play different from other insurance innovation programs?

The combination of scale, track record, and an active investment pipeline sets the program apart from regional accelerators and corporate-only innovation labs. Plug and Play has operated continuously in insurtech since 2016, longer than most comparable programs. It has made 160+ direct investments in insurtech startups, which aligns the sourcing team with startup quality. And with 20+ active insurance partners across five global locations, the network effect is real: a startup accepted into the Munich program may simultaneously access partners in Tokyo and Silicon Valley.

Plug and Play Around the World

Discover our global locations

We have a community of experts all over the world. We work as a bridge between Silicon Valley and the rest of the world, making innovation open to anyone, anywhere.

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