Sign up

By sector

Find a co-founder for your insurtech startup

Insurtech covers startups that modernise insurance: selling policies more simply, pricing risk better with data, speeding up claims handling, developing prevention or building tools for insurers, brokers and mutual insurers.

Publish my project for freeBrowse talent

In short

To find an insurtech co-founder, pin down the part of the insurance value chain you are targeting (distribution, underwriting, claims, prevention or software for insurers), publish your project for free on EasyCofounder naming the missing profile, often an insurance professional for a technical founder or the other way round, and check the regulatory framework for your activity with a lawyer early on.

The sector is heavily regulated and runs on trust, so a strong founding team usually brings together a technical profile comfortable with data and security, someone who knows insurance products from the inside, such as an actuary, an underwriter or a former broker, and a person able to negotiate with large partners.

On EasyCofounder, describe your segment, your model (your own distribution, a partnership with an insurer or software) and the role on offer, then talk to insurance, finance and software talent looking for a project to join from day one.

In the UK and Ireland, most early insurtechs become an appointed representative of an authorised firm, partner with a managing general agent or carrier that holds the risk, or sell software to insurers, and each route changes which co-founder you need first.

A balanced team usually pairs an engineer who can build secure integrations with policy administration and claims systems, a co-founder who has sat inside an insurer, a broker or Lloyd’s market and knows how products are approved, and someone who can manage distribution partners and the commercial terms of each deal.

Building a Insurtech startup: what matters

  • Regulation shapes the model

    Selling insurance generally requires registration as an intermediary, and carrying risk requires a licence from the insurance supervisor, in France the ORIAS register and the ACPR, so review your model with a specialist lawyer in your country from the start.

  • Partnerships with insurers

    Many insurtechs start as distributors or technology providers for a partner insurer, and a co-founder who knows how these organisations work and how long they take to decide saves precious time.

  • Data and personal protection

    Health, home, mobility or income protection products often involve sensitive data, so GDPR in Europe and your partners’ security requirements must be built into the very first version of the product.

  • Consumer Duty and fair outcomes

    Firms selling to UK consumers must show fair value and good outcomes under the FCA’s Consumer Duty, so design pricing, journeys and claims with that in mind and take specialist advice early.

  • Typical business models

    Commission on policies sold, a share of underwriting profit in an MGA set-up, or licence and usage fees for software sold to carriers and brokers, the right model depends on who carries the risk and who owns the customer relationship.

  • Where insurance people gather

    The Lloyd’s Lab accelerator in London, the FCA Innovation Hub and the Central Bank of Ireland Innovation Hub are good starting points to understand the market and meet people who already work with insurers.

Find your co-founder in 4 steps

  1. 1

    Create your free profile

    Describe your skills, your availability and what you bring to a founding team.

  2. 2

    Publish your project

    Say which role you are looking for (CTO, CEO, CMO…), the commitment expected and the equity on offer, in Insurtech.

  3. 3

    Let the matching work

    Filter talent by skill and location, or get suggestions of compatible profiles from the AI matching.

  4. 4

    Talk, then meet

    Chat through the built-in messaging, test your collaboration on a first project and put your agreement in writing in a shareholders’ agreement.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an insurance background to co-found an insurtech?

Not every co-founder does, but the team needs at least one person who understands the products, the regulation and how insurers make decisions, otherwise the project risks hitting constraints discovered too late.

What technical profile should an insurtech look for?

A developer comfortable with system integrations, security and data processing and, depending on the project, a data profile able to work on pricing or fraud detection.

Does an insurtech have to become an insurer?

Rarely at the start, because a licence requires significant capital and organisation. Most begin as intermediaries or software vendors and rely on a partner insurer to carry the risk.

Where can I find a co-founder for an insurtech startup?

Publish your project for free on EasyCofounder describing your segment and the profile you need, then filter talent by skill and sector to talk with insurance and software professionals.

What is the appointed representative route?

It lets a startup carry out certain regulated activities under the responsibility of an FCA-authorised principal firm instead of seeking its own authorisation at the start, but obligations remain significant, so take professional advice before choosing this route.

How do UK and Irish rules differ for insurtechs?

The UK is regulated by the FCA and the PRA, while Ireland applies EU rules supervised by the Central Bank of Ireland, so check your activity with a lawyer in each country.

Guides to partner well

Find a co-founder in another city

Find a co-founder by sector

Find a co-founder by role