AIP News RoundUp – EP 54 – Theresa Blissing, Simon Phipps and Hugh Terry – Partnering As Much As You Can to Make Things Happen

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Michael Waitze worked in Global Finance for more than 20 years, employed by firms like Citigroup, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs, primarily in Tokyo.  Michael lived and worked in Tokyo from February 1990 until December 2011.  Michael always maintained a particular focus on how technology could be used to make businesses more efficient and to drive P/L growth. Michael is a leader in the digital media space, building one of the biggest and fastest-growing podcast listener bases in the region.  His AsiaTechPodcast.com show has listeners in more than 170 countries and his company, Michael Waitze Media produces some of Asia’s most popular podcasts.

Theresa is the founder of the Asia InsurTech Podcast and a Thought Leader on innovation in insurance in Asia. She has worked for ten years for leading multinational insurers in Europe and Asia before turning to management consulting and venture building with the goal of transforming the insurance industry and helping shape its future in the region.

Guest
Simon Phipps

Simon Phipps, Founder of The Digital Insurer, has over 30 years experience across Life, GI and Asset Management businesses within insurers, consulting firms and start-ups. He started his career in intermediated distribution. Previously Aviva MD & KPMG lead partner for Insurance Advisory & Digital Innovation in HK. The Digital Insurer is the world’s largest knowledgebase and online community of more than 40,000 professionals who share a common purpose of working together to accelerate the digital transformation of insurance. The TDI Academy, launched in 2020, is dedicated to providing best in class learning and development on digital insurance to help as many people as possible be part of our digital future.

Guest
Hugh Terry

Hugh Terry, the founder of The Digital Insurer, is an experienced insurance professional with more than 30 years’ experience in the insurance industry covering insurance companies, business consulting as well as successful set-up and exit from his own businesses. Hugh is an actuary by profession. The Digital Insurer is the world’s largest knowledgebase and online community of more than 40,000 professionals who share a common purpose of working together to accelerate the digital transformation of insurance. The TDI Academy launched in 2020 is dedicated to providing best in class learning and development on digital insurance to help as many people as possible be part of our digital future.

Wrapping up the month of May with more news from bolttech. The InsurTech partners with Viettel Telecom in Vietnam to launch their insurance exchange on Viettel’s mobile app. Viettel customers will be able to buy car, motorbike, health, travel and home insurance via the MyViettel mobile app. Meanwhile in Hong Kong there are rumors that sister company FWD got approval for a Hong Kong IPO. Let’s see if we can confirm the rumors in our June roundup. 

In Singapore, Insurtech startup Anycover raised US$450k pre-seed round to reinvent product warranties for small and medium-sized online merchants. The round was led by Powerhouse Ventures and with a prominent angel investors – Walter de Oude, Founder & former CEO of Singlife. 

In Indonesia we have seen a number of InsurTech funding as well. Indonesian insurtech startup Aman raises $1.2m pre-seed funding. We had Aman’s co-founder Steven Tannason on the show last year. Listen to the episode here.  In addition, Indonesian Aigis has raised US$1 million in funding from Y Combinator and Init 6, the VC formed by ecommerce major Bukalapak’s co-founders. And the largest funding of the month goes to an Indonesian InsurTech as well. Qoala has raised US$65 million in a series B round. Listen to our episodes with Qoala’s founders here

In India, digital payments and financial services platform Paytm has revealed it will seek regulatory approval for a new general insurance license. The company already operates as a broker and is now considering a hybrid model with its own insurance license. 

And congratulations to the TDI Awards APAC finalists. Bolttech, Cover Genius, dacadoo, flip, Pasar Polis and Surer have been shortlisted for the Insurer Innovation Awards APAC as well as AIA (x2), Chubb, FWD, Singlife and Swiss Re for the Insurer Innovation Awards. Make sure to join the even on June 23rd and vote live for the overall winner in the two categories. 

Find all award applications here and sign up for the event here

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