Latest Tech Headlines
All the headlines from our Tech Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Microsoft’s Home State’s Facial Recognition Privacy Bill Could Be Model for Others
Feb 8 2019 // Two months after calling for laws to regulate facial-recognition software, Microsoft Corp. is lobbying on behalf of a first-of-its-kind bill in its home state of Washington. The question is whether cross-town rival...
Artificial Intelligence Startups Win Zurich’s 1st Global Insurtech Competition
Feb 8 2019 // Zurich Insurance Group announced that the gold and silver winners for its first global insurtech competition were startups that have developed artificial intelligence-based solutions. Toronto-based Chisel AI was the gold...
Former Top AIG Executive Sankaran Joins Health Insurtech Oscar as CFO
Feb 6 2019 // Technology-driven health plan Oscar has named former American International Group executive Sid Sankaran as its new chief financial officer. Sankaran, who will join Oscar on March 1, was named chief financial officer at...
UK Online Grocer Ocado Warns of Sales Hit from Fire at Robotic Distribution Center
Feb 6 2019 // A huge fire at Ocado’s flagship robotic distribution center will hit sales growth, the British online supermarket pioneer warned on Wednesday, sending its shares sharply lower. Around 20 fire engines and 200...
Insurtech CoverHound Raises $58 Million to Drive Cyber Unit, Open North Carolina Office
Feb 5 2019 // Digital property/casualty insurance platform CoverHound announced it has raised a $58 million Series D funding round. Global specialist insurer Hiscox led the round, along with additional investors including Chubb, Aflac...
Swiss Re Partners with Insurtech Firm OZON, Offering Cyber Risk Solution in France
Feb 5 2019 // Swiss Re Corporate Solutions is expanding its cyber offering by launching CyberSolution 360°, a risk management solution that combines insurance with cyber attack protection services. Developed in the exclusive...
Businesses View Cyber, Business Interruption as Bigger Risks Than Catastrophes
Feb 4 2019 // Cyber incidents join business interruption as the top risks facing global businesses, according to a survey conducted by Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS). The impact of business interruption (which includes...
A Regulatory Sandbox for Insurtechs?
Feb 4 2019 // A Regulatory Sandbox is the title given to the concept that regular regulations should not apply to insurtech companies. The reasoning is that technology can provide a better consumer experience than traditional carriers...
Taking a Page from the Insurtech Playbook
Feb 4 2019 // How Insurtechs Can Help Attract Millennial Talent to Agencies, Carriers The rules of the game are changing for companies wishing to attract top, young, qualified talent. Millennials, Generation Y, Gen Next, Boomerang...
Wishes & Predictions… in their own words
Feb 4 2019 // Ely Kaplansky, President, Kaplansky Agency, MA Increased market share. Rate increases. Continued profitable growth. Crag Shink, Managing Partner, C.H. Shink & Associates, NY A harder market in some segments. Increasing...
The Claims Talent Evolution
Feb 4 2019 // It should not be a surprise that drones fly over disaster areas for property inspection, and some insurers use chatbots to answer policyholders’ claims questions. Claims applications and supporting documents are...
Assembly Workers in Michigan Using Wearable Technology to Support Arms
Feb 1 2019 // Ford Motor Co. and other manufacturers want to help their workers take a load off. Or at least make it easier to lift a load up. Ford is among several companies providing wearable technology to elevate and support their...
Global Atlantic Financial Invests in Iowa-based Insurtech Accelerator
Jan 31 2019 // Des Moines, Iowa-based The Global Insurance Accelerator announced a recent investment by Global Atlantic Financial Group Ltd. GIA is a business accelerator focused solely on innovation and technology for the insurance...
Georgia’s InsuranceHub Taps LeBaigue as VP of Technology
Jan 31 2019 // Metro Atlanta-based InsuranceHub’s Lee LeBaigue has transitioned from vice president of Sales to the role of vice president of Technology. LeBaigue originally joined InsuranceHub in 2011 with a background in SEO and...
Insurtech Geared to Autonomous Vehicle Coverage Grabs $5 Million in Funding
Jan 30 2019 // A startup focused on rewarding drivers and fleet owners that use autonomous vehicles and semi-autonomous car safety features has raised $5 million in seed funding. California-based Avinew’s technology uses artificial...
French Engineering Consultancy Altran Tech Hit by Cyber Attack
Jan 28 2019 // French engineering consultancy Altran Technologies was the target of a cyber attack last Thursday that hit operations in some European countries, it said on Monday. Altran said it had shut down its IT network and...
Workers’ Compensation Insurtech Pie Insurance Enters 5 Additional States
Jan 25 2019 // Online seller Pie Insurance has started offering its workers compensation insurance in five more states, bringing the total to 14. The Washington, D.C.-based managing general agent disclosed it has begun marketing its...
Ohio Insurtech Root Plans to Expand Further, Grow Workforce
Jan 25 2019 // Columbus, Ohio-based Root Insurance, says it plans to expand into additional states in 2019 and increase its workforce by 150 percent. The insurtech in 2018 added 12 states — Louisiana, Montana, New Mexico, Arkansas,...
U.S. Privacy Regulation Tested by Facebook Scandals
Jan 24 2019 // Facebook Inc.’s repeated privacy scandals have infuriated users, lawmakers and data-security advocates who are clamoring for a forceful government response. That job mainly falls to Joe Simons, who is under pressure...
Businesses View Cyber, Business Interruption as Bigger Risks Than Catastrophes
Jan 24 2019 // Cyber incidents join business interruption as the top risks facing global businesses, according to a survey conducted by Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS). The impact of business interruption (which includes...
