InsTech - insurance & innovation with Matthew Grant & Robin Merttens Berend de Jong, Global Insurance & Finance Lead: Planet Labs: Planet watch — how satellites are changing risk (340)
Satellite imagery is revolutionising the way insurers assess risk, track disasters and provide coverage. In this episode, Matthew Grant speaks with Berend de Jong, Global Insurance & Finance Lead at Planet Labs, about how high-resolution satellite imagery and geospatial data are reshaping the insurance industry.
With a fleet of over 200 satellites capturing daily images of the Earth's surface, Planet Labs enables insurers to enhance flood and wildfire risk modeling, parametric insurance solutions and pre/post-loss assessments.
The conversation explores real-world applications, including how instant satellite imaging played a key role in analysing the Los Angeles wildfires and German floods, and how parametric insurance providers like Floodbase leverage satellite data to develop innovative flood coverage solutions.
Key Talking Points
- From consulting to satellites – Berend’s career journey
- How Planet Labs’ 200+ satellites capture daily Earth imagery
- The power of high-resolution imaging – down to 30-40 cm
- Tasking satellites on demand – costs, speed, and accessibility
- Optical vs. SAR satellites – when to use each technology
- Los Angeles wildfires case study – tracking fire progression in real time
- German floods case study – distinguishing between river and rain-driven floods
- Parametric insurance in action – partnerships with AXA, Swiss Re, and FloodBase
- Underwriting & claims insights – using satellite data for smarter decisions
- The future of satellite data – affordability, accessibility, and evolving use cases
If you like what you’re hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use or contact Matthew Grant on LinkedIn. You can also contact Berend de Jong on LinkedIn to start a conversation!
Sign up to the InsTech newsletter for a fresh view on the world every Wednesday morning.
Continuing Professional Development
This InsTech Podcast Episode is accredited by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). By listening, you can claim up to 0.5 hours towards your CPD scheme.
By the end of this podcast, you should be able to meet the following Learning Objectives:
- Describe how high-resolution satellite imagery supports risk assessment, underwriting, and claims management in insurance.
- List the key differences between optical satellites, SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) and passive microwave technology in data collection.
- Identify the real-world applications of satellite data through case studies, including Los Angeles wildfires and German floods.
If your organisation is a member of InsTech and you would like to receive a quarterly summary of the CPD hours you have earned, visit the Episode 340 page of the InsTech website or email cpd@instech.co to let us know you have listened to this podcast.
To help us measure the impact of the learning, we would be grateful if you would take a minute to complete a quick feedback survey.