Biggest Joint-Venture in InsurTech History Between ONE and MunichRE

BERLIN, June 28, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

ONE Insurance launches location- and movement-based pre-emptive protection

Encountering risks before they arise: ONE Coach is the latest feature of digital insurance company ONE. Using encryption technology, factors such as working time, sleep, movements or location can be analyzed anonymously. Thus, customers can benefit from bonus points at year end. In the next step, ONE will provide modular short-term insurances based on the individual lifestyle and location of a given customer. This project will be realized in a unique joint venture with the world's largest reinsurance company Munich RE, as well as Axon Vibe, the venture of Google Maps Founder Stefan Muff. 

After successfully launching in February 2018, ONE managed to become the fastest-growing digital insurance company in Europe. The new joint venture with Suisse geo-location-expert Axon Vibe as well as Munich Re, the world's largest reinsurer, allows ONE to use utterly novel technology within the insurance domain. "Thus far, insurance rates for customers were comprised of statistical calculations. This is how individual risk was calculated. However, this is far away from a customer's living conditions," says Alexander Huber, CMO, and Co-Founder of ONE. Using ONE Coach, customers are for the first time able to monitor in real time how their individual lifestyle choices affect their risk assessment score. Motion sensors and the mobile phone's GPS-module are used as data source. The advantage for the client: Having a low-risk score provides bonus points which can be converted into insurance rate reductions. In the mid-term, ONE plans to offer ‚real-time' short-term insurances based on customer's individual lifestyle.

"ONE has an insurance product architecture under construction, which will push experiences ahead of the entire market regarding features like adjustable short-term coverage, micro modularization of risks and real-time utilization of IoT-data. The Joint Venture with Axon Vibe and Munich Re-enables us to put a remarkable footprint into this entirely new territory of geo-triggered insurance, also known as "UBI" (usage-based insurance). Clients will have seamless opportunities of proactive risk advisory instead of only being paid after unfortunate claim events," says Stephan Ommerborn, CEO, and Co-Founder of ONE.

ONE is the first non-life insurer with cashback in case of no-claims. The ONE Coach is supposed to add to this, but won't be implemented as a pure bonus system. An overview-window within the app anonymously shows the evaluated points, e.g., points for lunches, vacations, risk areas the customers are frequenting or idle periods. The overview is further used for comprehensive data transparency. Also, ONE will offer tailor-made insurance packages for business or leisure trips soon. Taking the trip's duration into account, a fully automatized offer reaches the customer via push-notification.

"Data collected from people needs to be in the ownership of people. The collaboration with Munich Re and Axon Vibe allows us to reinvent insurance from the ground up and at the same time enter into a new paradigm of data privacy. Munich Re provides the metadata about risk and Axon Vibe acts as the required independent data intermediary that only sends us pre-authorised trigger information about consumer behavior to utilize the metadata of Munich Re in a contextual setting in real time," says Julian Teicke, Founder und CEO of WeFox Group. 

Data protection: The customer is always right  

ONE builds upon customer's complete data ownership. Especially in times of the European debate concerning data protection, ONE empowers education of customers and has created full transparency regarding the processing of personal data. While launching ONECoaches, the WeFox Group is also working on an online platform that - similar to an NGO - seeks to provide awareness vis-à-vis customers. Furthermore, platform users can receive an overview of the data that has been used, and are able to delete everything collected - free of residues.

"Creating tailor-made insurance products by using anonymized IoT-data is an absolute novelty in the insurance industry. These products can be activated or deactivated at any time. Nothing else suits the lifestyle of our target group that well. With ONE Coach, we build the technical fundament for a fair pricing, based on our customer's lifestyle," says Alexander Huber, Co-Founder, and CMO of ONE.

Book and cancel insurances - just like a video streaming account 

In February 2018, ONE pulled insurances into the digital world, seeking to make insurance products more customer-friendly. Today, the startup provides flexible policies that can be canceled on a monthly base or edited any time via web and mobile apps (e.g., amount insured). Claims are reported via the ONE app and will be assessed within two hours max. Partnering in a joint venture with geo-location-pioneer Axon Vibe as well as Munich Re is supposed to maximize individualization of the service, and turn location-based short-term-insurances respectable.

"Our strategic alliance allows for usage of data entirely unknown to the insurance industry as yet. Combine this with the power of an independent, fully-digital insurer, and you understand the impact our joint venture will have in changing the insurance business as a whole," says Tobias Sonndorfer, Executive Director Munich RE.

"We are pleased to join forces with world market leader Munich RE and ONE, one of the most ambitious Insurtechs globally, to enter the field of UBI (Usage-based Insurance) thereby laying the foundation for further products of its kind within the insurance industry," says Roman Oberli, CEO Axon Vibe

About ONE 

ONE is the first digital all-round insurer in Europe. Users can take out monthly, cancellable insurance policies via smartphone within a few minutes - initially for household and liability insurance. Damage is reported directly via the app and paid on the same day in 60 percent of cases. With no claims, the customer receives money back - or the opportunity to donate for a good cause.

ONE was created by CEO Stephan Ommerborn in November 2016 and has offices in Liechtenstein and Berlin. Its partners include the leading reinsurer, Munich RE, and the US software group Salesforce. Through its parent company and investor WeFox Group, global investors such as the Japanese SBI Investment, Target Global, Mountain Partners, Speedinvest, Horizons and iD Ventures from Silicon Valley have invested a high, double-digit million amount.

Also, Actors such as Ashton Kutcher (Sound Ventures) and other German celebrities invested together with other business angels via a vehicle. Since 2017, ONE has been part of the WeFox Group founded by Julian Teicke.

About Munich Re 

Munich Re stands for exceptional solution-based expertise, consistent risk management, financial stability and client proximity. In the financial year 2016, Munich Re (Group) achieved a profit of €2.6bn on premium income of €48.9bn. It operates in all lines of insurance, with more than 43,000 employees throughout the world. With premium income of €27.8bn from reinsurance alone, Munich Re is one of the world's leading reinsurers. Especially when clients require solutions for complex risks, Munich Re is a much sought-after business partner. Roughly 12,000 staff in reinsurance possess unique global and local knowledge. Munich Re attaches great importance to its client service, which regularly receives top ratings.