Reverse-auction car insurance app launches
Who's involved: Honcho, a UK online reverse-auction marketplace for financial services.
What's happening: Honcho is now live and aimed at drivers, especially young motorists aged 17-24.
Significance of development: Unlike price comparison websites, which typically charge insurers commissions of up to £60 ($73) per policy, Honcho charges insurers and brokers £1 to compete for consumers' custom. Honcho says this will encourage more competitive policy prices for motorists.
Timeline: With immediate effect.
Hedvig raises $10.3m in series A funding
Who's involved: Hedvig, a Stockholm-based digital insurer; US-based investor Obvious Ventures; and D-Ax, the early stage investment arm of the Axel Johnson Group.
What's happening: Hedvig has raised SEK100m ($10.3m) in series A funding. The investment round was led by Obvious Ventures.
Significance of development: The money will be dedicated to developing new services and products, growing Hedvig's customer base in its home insurance market and expanding the startup's footprint in Sweden and beyond.
Timeline: With immediate effect.
Ethos raises $60m backed by GV
Who's involved: US-based insurtech Ethos, Goldman Sachs and investors Sequoia Capital and Accel.
What's happening: Ethos has secured a $60m in series C financing led by GV (formerly Google Ventures). In addition to GV, Goldman Sachs is a new participant alongside existing investors Sequoia Capital and Accel, bringing the total funding to-date to more than $100m.
Significance of development: Ethos said the series C funding will fuel continued momentum and support product refinement and technical team hires.
The CareVoice closes eight-figure funding round
Who's involved: The CareVoice, an international health insurtech company based in China; global investment group, LUN Partners Group; DNA Capital, a global healthcare fund; and investors SOSV and Artesian Capital.
What's happening: The CareVoice has raised an eight-figure USD series A funding round. The precise amount of funding was not specified.
Significance of development: The CareVoice said the funding will accelerate its vision to become the leading health insurtech platform in Asia.
Timeline: With immediate effect.
