The Zebra secures $38.5m funding
Who's involved: Austin, Texas-based insurance comparison site The Zebra; and venture capital investors Accel, Silverton Partners, Ballast Point Ventures, Floodgate and Weatherford Capital.
What's happening: The Zebra has completed a $38.5m series C funding round.
Significance of development: Zebra claims to have over 1.3m visitors per month with revenue growing to nearly $37m in 2019. Revenue is expected to grow by "well over 100%" in 2020.
HDI Group buys Perseus Technology
Who's involved: German corporate and retail insurer HDI Group, part of the Talanx Group; and Berlin-based Perseus Technologies, a developer of cybersecurity systems and provider of cybersecurity support.
What's happening: HDI Group has acquired Perseus Technologies for an undisclosed sum. The previous shareholders were Hannover Re – also part of the Talanx Group – and fintech incubator Finleap.
Significance of development: HDI Group said it can now offer cyber insurance and cyber security concepts from a single source.
Boost plans expansion with $14m funding
Who's involved: New York-based Boost Insurance, a managing general agency and provider of infrastructure-as-a-service for digital insurance programmes; and investors Coatue, Greycroft, Tusk Venture Partners, Conversion Capital and MetLife chairman Glenn Hubbard.
What's happening: Boost has announced a $14m series A round of financing bringing its total investment to $17m.
Significance of development: Boost said the financing will be used to expand its infrastructure-as-a service platform as well as launch new business lines.
Blink launches parametric insurance platform
Who's involved: Irish insurtech Blink, which specialises in travel insurance.
What's happening: Blink has launched Blink Parametric, designed to provide insurers with parametric travel policies.
Significance of development: Blink's parametric offerings span the travel, climate, energy and Internet of Things sectors.
"By using parametrics, we are simplifying that which people might ordinarily deem convoluted – by simply offering a pre-agreed amount of cover, based on the probability of a pre-defined triggering event," said Paul Prendergast, CEO of Blink.
"We are already using it widely with our travel partners in North America, Singapore, Australia, Turkey and the UK and with great success.
Policygenius completes $100m funding round
Who's involved: Online insurance marketplace Policygenius; and global investment firm KKR.
What's happening: Policygenius has secured $100m in a series D funding round led by KKR.
Significance of development: Policygenius claimed it has grown annual revenues to $60m since its first funding round in early 2017. The latest funding round will be used for hiring and for development of consumer financial protection products to be unveiled in 2020.
