Insurtech

Eatontown – November 05, 2026 -- Crum & Forster's Accident & Health Division has entered the employee benefits market with annual travel protection sold as a voluntary, payroll-deducted benefit, launched through a partnership with insurance program administrator ViaSafely.

bswift platform and brokers carry the first distribution

The product is first available through bswift's benefits administration platform for employers that choose to offer it. It is also distributed through participating employee benefits brokers. Employees can elect coverage for themselves and their families at a fixed cost deducted from payroll. Marketplace offerings can keep the product available outside the traditional annual open enrollment window.

SAN FRANCISCO – October 28, 2026 -- Corgi Insurance, an AI-native, full-stack commercial insurance carrier, has appointed Josh LaRiccia as Head of Distribution, a hire who previously onboarded 15,000 users and 13,000 agencies onto a platform at his own firm.

LaRiccia built distribution at First Insurance & Risk Management over four years

LaRiccia co-founded First Insurance & Risk Management and spent four years building its distribution operations from scratch. He developed relationships with agents, wholesalers and industry partners that formed the firm's distribution network and market presence.

San Francisco – October 17, 2026 -- Corgi Insurance placed No. 16 among the 50 top startups in the United States and No. 6 in San Francisco on LinkedIn's 2026 Top Startups lists.

LinkedIn ranks startups on hiring and talent signals

LinkedIn's annual rankings draw on platform data, including employee growth, jobseeker interest and a company's ability to attract talent from leading companies. This year's list spans multiple industries and includes Mercor, Anthropic and Perplexity.

Corgi is building an AI-native commercial carrier

Corgi describes itself as an AI-native, full-stack commercial insurance carrier serving startups and small businesses. It applies technology and automation across the insurance lifecycle, with the aim of making coverage faster and more accessible. The company also plans to expand its offerings across industries and emerging risks.

San Francisco – October 15, 2026 -- ZestyAI's risk models have surpassed 500 regulatory approvals across 317 carrier rate and rule filings, with the company's regulatory footprint now spanning 44 U.S. states.

The approvals cover perils responsible for the vast majority of U.S. property losses: wildfire, severe storm, hail, non-weather fire, and non-weather water. They span personal and commercial property lines.

State insurance departments accepted ZestyAI models in rating and underwriting

Each approval reflects a state Department of Insurance reviewing a ZestyAI model within a carrier filing and accepting its use in rating or underwriting. The total includes new adopters as well as carriers extending ZestyAI models into additional states, perils, and programs.

Norwich – October 12, 2026 -- Pikl, the insurance-backed revenue growth partner for the travel market, grew 7x between 2024 and 2025 and now covers about 20% of the UK short-term rental market, as its founder and CEO Louise Birritteri was named One to Watch in The LDC Top 50 Most Ambitious Business Leaders for 2026.

Pikl reports 2,024% premium growth from property managers in two years

Pikl reports gross written premium growth from property management companies (PMCs) of 2,024% from 2023 to 2025. The company says it has partnered with some of the largest enterprise PMCs globally. It also says partners have achieved revenue growth of up to 2.1x.

Atlanta – September 25, 2026 -- LexisNexis Risk Solutions and IMS have integrated the LexisNexis Drive Metrics scoring model into IMS's EdgeSDK, enabling U.S. auto insurers to cut usage-based insurance (UBI) operational costs by up to 50% to 80% through on-device processing that eliminates cloud storage fees.

On-device computing eliminates cloud costs for insurers

The integration moves driving behavior data processing directly onto consumers' smartphones rather than through cloud infrastructure, addressing a cost barrier that has historically limited UBI program growth. LexisNexis states the approach can generate savings of 50% or more by removing cloud processing and storage fees tied to traditional telematics programs.

Calgary, AB – September 20, 2026 -- Instappraise has integrated its cloud-based jewelry appraisal platform directly with Jewelers Mutual Group's insurance system, enabling real-time personal jewelry insurance quotes at the point of appraisal.

Integration eliminates separate steps for appraisal and insurance coverage

When an appraiser or retailer finalizes an appraisal document within Instappraise, the user can now request an instant insurance quote directly from Jewelers Mutual using the valuation data already entered. The platform emails the personalized quote from Jewelers Mutual to the client, who can then purchase a policy in a few steps.

Early-access rollout begins this month ahead of full-scale launch

The integration is currently available through an exclusive early-access program to select Instappraise users starting in September 2026, with a broader release planned later this year.