Point-counterpoint

The question posed here is whether or not these startups are collectively maturing and moving beyond the initial stages of a startup effort.

To answer that question, I will conduct my own point-counterpoint before drawing a conclusion. There are arguments to be made that InsurTech is maturing, but a case can also be made that it is still nascent and, dare I say, immature?

Yes, InsurTech is maturing

A strong case can be made that InsurTech is maturing. For starters, we are almost five years into the activities related to InsurTech, and much experience has been gained by entrepreneurs, investors, insurers and others.

In the early days, there were a small number of new ventures and limited involvement by incumbent insurance industry players. Now there are over 1,200 InsurTech startups that SMA tracks, approximately 50 (re)insurers with InsurTech investment arms, and many more insurers engaging in partnerships, pilots, and InsurTech strategies.

Although there are still new InsurTechs being regularly announced, the total number has stabilized in the range of 1,200 due to exits of various kinds. This stabilization, in itself, is an indication that the movement is maturing.

Another important development is that winners are beginning to emerge. SMA expects many of the startups to ultimately fail or be absorbed by another entity — perhaps as many as 80-90% of the total. But there are currently around 50 that are gaining traction and have the funding to support growth and success in the industry.

Eventually, there may be 100-200 prominent firms started in the last five years that become more permanent players in the industry.

No, InsurTech is still in early stages

The counter-argument is also strong — and supports the reasoning that InsurTech is still not maturing. Exhibit A for this stance is that there are still only a small number of visible use cases that have made a difference in the industry.

True, there are many interesting companies and projects, but there are few case studies that make you say: "Wow!" The impact on individual insurers or overall financial metrics is tiny. Another indicator of the relative immaturity is the lack of industry experience at many of the newest startups.

Related: InsurTech to 2020 and beyond

InsurTechs that have been around for a few years have often gained more insights into the complexity of the industry and have brought industry veterans onto the team. And, of course, they have gained their own experience through engaging with insurers over this time. But many of the newer InsurTechs still have a negative view of the industry and believe they will disrupt an industry that they see as a dinosaur.

A final point in the counter-argument is that there are still vast sums of money set aside in funds to invest in InsurTech. Insurers have billions set aside that is not yet invested. New venture funds are being formed even now. Certainly, much of these funds will be allocated to the firms that are emerging as winners, but there will be just as much going into new ventures, resulting in continued momentum over the next few years.

New phase?

I don't want to cop out on the conclusion, but I see elements of both maturity and immaturity present in the InsurTech startup movement. What we may see is a bifurcation, with a subset of firms producing results, gaining significant funding and making a measurable impact on the industry.

In the meantime, there will be a second (larger) group of startups still looking for that big win, that big funding round, and the momentum to move them into the winner's circle.

Mark Breading is a partner at Boston-based SMA. Email him at mbreading@strategymeetsaction.com. This article first appeared on StrategyMeetsAction.com, and is reprinted here with their permission. Opinions expressed in this article are the author's own.

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Is the InsurTech movement maturing?

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