Insurance is no longer just about protecting what we have - it's about keeping up with how we live. From new mobility models to digital lifestyles and on-demand everything, the old rules of insurance are being rewritten. 

In this panel, founders from some of the most innovative Insurtech startups share how they're breaking away from traditional models to build products that are flexible, embedded, community-driven, and designed for modern risks.

Simon Kaesler and Piero Gancia will delve into the evolution of the insurance industry, uncovering key trends and analyzing where investments are flowing. Additionally, we'll spotlight opportunities driven by AI based on our experience with clients around the world and our research.

 

In this keynote session, two senior executives of leading companies will outline their bold vision for the future of the industry, exploring the transformative forces reshaping insurance and the strategies to thrive in an era of rapid change. This session will serve as a call to action, inspiring attendees to embrace innovation, collaboration, and resilience to navigate the challenges and the opportunities ahead.

1. Pit stops for innovation: Key technologies on the Horizon

2. Risk landscape in an interconnected world

Session Format: 

• Opening panel (20-minutes): A candid conversation with leaders from both established insurers and high-growth startups, exploring what makes partnerships work. We'll discuss common barriers, success stories, and how to align expectations, timelines, and outcomes between corporates and innovators. 

Key themes to cover: 

• What do startups need from incumbents (and vice versa)? 

• Balancing speed, scale, and regulation. 

• Shifting from POCs to scalable, meaningful collaboration. 

Followed by: 

• Open discussion (40 minutes): The floor opens to the audience for an interactive conversation. Expect honest insights, shared challenges, and practical advice from fellow attendees. Everyone is invited to take the mic, ask questions, and share experiences. 

 

This panel will explore how global megatrends are reshaping the risk landscape and driving innovation in the insurance industry. From climate change to demographic shifts and geopolitical disruptions, panellists will discuss how insurers can proactively adapt to systemic challenges while seizing opportunities to innovate and create value.

Insurance's critical role in protecting people, assets, and economies is evolving faster than ever in the face of climate disruptions, regulatory pressures, demographic shifts, cyber-security threats and digital acceleration. While these forces present significant challenges, they also open the door to new opportunities to re-imagine what resilience means not just for the insurance sector but for society overall. 

What if the future of underwriting isn’t about balance, but about bold reinvention? This panel dares to challenge the traditional frameworks of underwriting, exploring how emerging technologies, new data sources, and disruptive strategies can unleash entirely new possibilities for managing risk: 

 

• Can we completely move beyond traditional rating factors and historical data? 

• How could real-time, dynamic underwriting reshape risk assessment and pricing? 

• Should underwriters become strategists, innovators, or even risk futurists? 

• How to boost your Efficiency (What the IT landscape needs to look like for AI to reach its full potential)
• How to make your AI trustworthy (Security and data protection requirements, QA measures to ensure that AI solutions meet regulatory requirements/ are specific to the insurance industry)
• How to develop new Business Models (Outlook on future solutions )

Join us for an exciting session where innovative start-up Insurtech pitch their groundbreaking ideas and solutions to a panel of expert investors. This is a unique opportunity to explore cutting-edge advancements in the Insurtech space and gain valuable perspectives from both entrepreneurs and industry leaders. 

11:15    Insfocus

11:25    Sprout.ai

11:35    Beakwise

11:45    DriveX

11:55    Trust NX

12:05    Xaver AI

12:15    Perfect Doc

12:25    Unitary

12:35    Sonant AI

We are in a pivotal era of innovation, with AI poised to revolutionise industries and redefine the way we live and work—much like the PC, the internet, and smartphones did in their time. The surge in data generation offers enterprises an unparalleled opportunity to unlock its full value, and AI serves as the essential tool to harness this potential. Here, you’ll discover how leading organisations are can leveraging AI to drive transformation, unlock new opportunities, and stay ahead in an ever-evolving digital landscape.

Join us for the presentation Transforming Underwriting: Embracing Technology for a New Era where EY leader, Chris Payne will discuss the evolving underwriting landscape in the insurance industry. We'll address key challenges like talent shortages and inefficiencies, highlighting how technology can provide solutions. Discover the importance of centralized platforms and data-driven decision-making, along with best practices from successful tech transformations. Learn how embracing innovation can attract talent and revolutionize underwriting for a sustainable future.

As major economies and global corporations scale back climate commitments, market-led solutions are more critical than ever. This session explores how innovative insurance models can directly accelerate decarbonisation—by reducing the cost of climate risk and delivering payouts in carbon removals instead of cash. 

In this session we’ll discuss how rethinking risk management can transform insurance from a passive safety net into an active driver of net zero progress, even as global momentum stalls. 

A deep dive into strategies for closing the talent gap in insurance. Hear about Zurich's learnings on attracting, nurturing, and retaining the next wave of leaders to future-proof the workforce.

Join us for an exciting session where innovative start-up Insurtech pitch their groundbreaking ideas and solutions to a panel of expert investors. This is a unique opportunity to explore cutting-edge advancements in the Insurtech space and gain valuable perspectives from both entrepreneurs and industry leaders. 

 

13:40    Vaarhaft 

13:50    DeepOpinion

14:10    7Analytics

14:20    Decision Computing AI

14:30    Fluence World

14:40    Nettle

14:50    Simulytic

15:00    SAP Fioneer

Innovation demands risk-taking, but how do you innovate effectively in an industry built on managing risk? This panel brings together trailblazers who’ve pushed boundaries with emerging tech and lived to tell the tale.

• Lessons from failed experiments: What went wrong, and what went right?
• Adopting a start-up mindset in legacy organisations.
• Fast-tracking innovation while staying compliant in a heavily regulated industry.

This panel brings together industry experts to discuss the impact of AI and GenAI on the insurance sector - Suzanne Akten COO of Allianz, Fabio de Ferrari COO of Revo Insurance and Ian Thompson from IMT Advisory. Led by Christian Irlbeck, the conversation will focus on how these technologies are driving productivity, transforming both personal and commercial lines, and shaping the future of the industry. Insights will be shared on practical applications, challenges, and opportunities for innovation in the evolving insurance landscape.

In a world where customer expectations are outpacing traditional approaches, how can insurers move beyond efficiency to create meaningful relationships? This provocative panel will challenge the status quo, diving into bold ideas that disrupt outdated engagement models and reimagine the claims experience. 

Expect unconventional perspectives as industry disruptors and thought leaders tackle questions like: 

• Can we eliminate claims entirely with predictive technology? 

• How far should insurers go to personalise—without crossing the line into overreach? 

• What does true customer loyalty look like in an era of choice overload? 

As automation and AI redefine the insurance industry, the challenge lies in retaining the human touch. This panel will explore how to integrate empathy, emotional intelligence, and personalisation into increasingly digital customer and claims processes. 

• Can AI truly replicate empathy in customer interactions? 

• Building trust in a world of automated claims decisions. 

• The ethics of balancing efficiency with the need for human connection. 

Spotlight on how the insurance industry can drive social impact through innovative strategies and partnerships. Focusing on the intersection of profitability and purpose, it will explore how insurers can address societal challenges—such as accessibility, affordability, inclusivity, and sustainability—while strengthening their brand and market position.