

InsTech - insurance & innovation with Matthew Grant & Robin Merttens
InsTech
Bringing together the best technology and innovation for insurance and risk management together from around the world. Podcast hosted by Matthew Grant.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 28, 2025 • 31min
Matthew Eagle, Head of Global Model Solutions and Advisory: Guy Carpenter: Modelling the future of reinsurance (374)
In this episode, Matthew Grant sits down with Matthew Eagle, Head of Global Model Solutions and Advisory at Guy Carpenter, to explore how one of the industry's most respected voices sees the future of modelling, capital management and advisory in reinsurance.
With three decades of experience, Matthew reflects on what’s changed — and what hasn’t — in how reinsurers view risk. From the early days of catastrophe models to today’s generative AI agents and open modelling platforms, he shares how his team is helping insurers manage volatility, optimise capital and drive profitable growth.
In this episode, Matthew shares:
Why flood, wildfire and severe convective storm are the perils to watch — and model — more closely
How generative AI is already reshaping pricing, underwriting and actuarial workflows
What insurers need to know about build vs buy when it comes to new analytics tools
How Guy Carpenter is scaling open-source tech through Oasis and data standardisation
What skills are now essential for new analysts entering the industry
How AI agents are being used to replicate complex actuarial decisions in seconds
Why “good enough” modelling still matters, and where precision can be a false economy
The link between terrorism modelling and gaming engines — and what it signals for future innovation
If you like what you’re hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use or contact Richard Hartley or Matthew Grant on LinkedIn.
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:
Define the evolving skill sets required for analysts working in catastrophe risk and capital modelling.
Identify the trade-offs in choosing between ‘build’ and ‘buy’ approaches when adopting new analytical technologies.
Produce a framework for helping clients achieve profitable growth, manage volatility and optimise capital.
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 374 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.

Sep 21, 2025 • 33min
Richard Hartley, CEO: Cytora: Transforming risk in insurance: lessons from Cytora’s journey (373)
In this episode, Matthew is joined once again by Richard Hartley to reflect on a major milestone in Cytora’s journey: its acquisition by US-based Applied Systems.
But as Richard makes clear, this isn’t the end of the road. It’s a platform for scale. Listeners will hear how Cytora evolved from tackling political risk to transforming how risk flows through commercial insurance. Richard shares practical lessons from scaling into the US, explains why they rebuilt their platform around large language models and outlines why being agnostic to input but opinionated on risk output is a game changer.
They also explore the cultural and technical alignment with Applied, the value of blending insurance expertise with external product thinking and what it really takes to make hard pivots, including knowing when to throw away what you’ve built.
In this episode, Richard shares:
Why Cytora rebuilt its platform around large language models — and what they threw away to make it work
How “decision-ready risk” became a guiding principle for digitising insurance workflows
What it really takes to expand into the US and earn client credibility market by market
Why the idea of industry-wide standardisation is flawed — and how to work around it
How to lead through uncertainty, scale a team and make tough product decisions
Why insurance needs both deep domain knowledge and external perspective to innovate
The underrated role of resilience in entrepreneurship — and what ballet and rugby taught him about pushing through
If you like what you’re hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use or contact Richard Hartley or Matthew Grant on LinkedIn.
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 unstructured data enters the insurance value chain and the implications for underwriting workflows.
Define the concept of “decision-ready risk” and its role in modernising commercial insurance operations.
List the key factors that enabled Cytora’s successful expansion into the US market.
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 373 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.

Sep 14, 2025 • 31min
Jonathan Spry, Co-founder & CEO: Envelop Risk: How portfolio thinking and data science are rewiring cyber reinsurance (372)
Jonathan Spry, CEO and co-founder of Envelop Risk, joins Robin Merttens for a deep dive into how data science, AI and portfolio-level modelling are transforming cyber reinsurance. As one of the earliest voices in the industry championing machine learning and systemic risk analysis, Jonathan shares what he's learned over nine years of building Envelop into a leading hybrid underwriter operating across London and Bermuda.
In his own words, this episode is about building smarter ways to understand, underwrite and capitalise on emerging risk — with cyber as just the starting point.
What you'll learn:
Why Jonathan and his team focused on cyber risk and portfolio-level underwriting from day one
The rationale behind favouring systemic insights over individual vulnerabilities
How causal inference provides a leap forward in predicting tail events
Why AI liability is already creating new market opportunities
The need for creative, multi-source data strategies beyond traditional claims
Why Envelop steers clear of SaaS and keeps underwriters embedded in the modelling process
How algorithmic underwriting fits into the next chapter of insurance innovation
Candid thoughts on the AI hype cycle — and what matters more than the buzz
Jonathan also talks through Envelop's shift from MGA to reinsurer, how to think long-term in a volatile market and what kind of partnerships are needed to unlock new forms of risk.
Book recommendation from Jonathan: The Book of Why by Judea Pearl and Dana Mackenzie.
If you like what you’re hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use or contact Robin Merttens on LinkedIn. You can also contact Jonathan Spry 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:
Identify the structural and economic drivers pushing insurers toward algorithmic and portfolio underwriting.
Produce a strategy for aligning capital, analytics and data science in cyber reinsurance underwriting.
Summarise how Envelop Risk evolved from an MGA to a hybrid reinsurer and the rationale behind its capital partnerships.
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 372 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.

Sep 7, 2025 • 24min
Christopher Quirk, VP & General Manager, MGA Markets: Insurity: The global push: Why US insurance tech is eyeing Europe (371)
Chris Quirk, VP and General Manager at Insurity, shares insights on the company's expansion efforts into the European market. He discusses the push for modernization in US insurance tech and the importance of interoperability in legacy systems. Quirk highlights insights into the role of private equity in mergers, potential pitfalls of exporting US tech to the UK, and the vital importance of structured data in the era of AI. He also explains where Insurity is directing its investments in the next year and envisions a distributed insurance ecosystem.

Aug 31, 2025 • 29min
Chris Eberly, Insurance Practice Lead: Datos Insights: From ratios to risk ops: what the next chapter means for insurers (370)
In this special edition of the InsTech podcast, Robin introduces listeners to new colleague Chris Eberly, Insurance Practice Lead at Datos Insights, following Datos’ recent acquisition of InsTech. Chris brings more than 30 years of carrier experience and a unique practitioner’s perspective on the forces shaping insurance today.
Together they explore what this new chapter means for InsTech members, the wider insurance ecosystem, and why Datos’ blend of advisory, research and community makes a timely fit. Along the way, Chris shares why operational efficiency is top of the agenda, how underinsurance is being tackled, and why AI is no longer just hype but a genuine driver of transformation.
This conversation is part industry briefing, part fireside chat. Listeners will come away with a clearer view of the challenges and opportunities ahead — from regulatory pressure to CIO priorities — and hear how InsTech and Datos plan to deliver value together.
Robin also uncovers Chris’s surprising background outside insurance, including his lifelong passion for the carillon (a rare bell-tower instrument) and what raising six children and seventeen grandchildren has taught him about navigating complexity.
Key themes discussed include:
What Datos Insights does and how it complements InsTech’s mission
Why carriers are focusing on risk operations and decision speed
The scale of underinsurance and how data and property insights can help
What’s really happening with AI adoption inside carriers
The evolving role and pressure of the CIO
Why combining advisory, research and community is so powerful
Chris’s personal story: carillons, family and a passion for making insurance better
If you like what you’re hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use or contact Robin Merttens on LinkedIn. You can also contact Chris Eberly 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:
Measure the significance of operational efficiency (“risk ops”) in improving underwriting performance and decision speed.
Specify the ways AI is being applied pragmatically in insurance operations, beyond the hype.
Explain why CIOs face increasing pressure to balance legacy systems with rapid technology adoption.
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 370 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.

Aug 24, 2025 • 33min
Where is specialty insurance headed in 10 years? (369)
Tracie Thompson, Global Head of Strategic Clients at Cytora, brings her boardroom expertise; Andy Yeoman, CEO and Co-founder of Concirrus, shares tech insights; and Paul Carroll, Editor-in-Chief at Insurance Thought Leadership, offers industry wisdom. Together, they discuss the potential evolution of specialty insurance over the next decade. Topics include the impact of AI on legacy systems, the shifting roles of brokers, and how economic realities could reshape distribution and underwriting. They also explore whether the protection gap will close or widen.

Aug 17, 2025 • 26min
Partners’ Chat - What the future holds for InsTech and beyond (368)
In this milestone edition of Partners Chat, Robin and Matthew sit down for their first episode since InsTech's transition to new ownership. With nearly 11 years of leadership behind them, they reflect candidly on founding and growing the business, navigating a sales process and what lies ahead under Datos Insights.
Listeners will get rare insights into what it actually takes to sell a company: what they learned, what caught them off guard and how it’s changed their understanding of fundraising and Private Equity partnerships. This episode offers honest takeaways for any founders or leaders thinking ahead to their own exit.
Robin and Matthew also tackle one of the most polarising trends in insurance tech today: Agentic AI. Is it a game-changer or just another label? They unpack how it's being adopted (quietly or loudly) across insurers, and why some businesses are embracing it at full throttle while others remain unconvinced.
They also share what they’ve seen in the climate and catastrophe modelling space, where collaboration, innovation and data openness continue to drive real value and how this might foreshadow the future of AI in insurance.
Key themes discussed include:
Life after founding: reflections on stepping back and what comes next
Lessons from selling a company and choosing the right buyer
Demystifying Private Equity: stereotypes vs reality
The bifurcation of AI adoption in insurance
The rise of Agentic AI and the risk of “AI washing”
How the climate modelling community sets a precedent for AI maturity
Why demos are finally worth seeing again and how events are evolving
If you like what you’re hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use or contact Robin Merttens or Matthew Grant on LinkedIn.
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:
Measure the potential impact of agentic AI adoption on underwriting efficiency and competitive advantage.
Explain the strategic benefits of new ownership for expanding into US markets and enhancing research and advisory capabilities.
Define “AI washing” and how it parallels other historical tech hype cycles in insurance.
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 365 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.

Aug 10, 2025 • 50min
Bob Frady, CEO & Co-founder: PropertyLens: What startups get wrong about risk, data and dilution – and how to get it right (367)
If you want a masterclass in how to build a business, sell it well and stay hungry for the next idea, listen to Bob Frady.
In this episode, Matthew Grant catches up with Bob, CEO and Co-founder of PropertyLens and former CEO and founder of Hazard Hub, to hear what he’s learned across three startups, why he’s building again post-exit and how he’s turning deep domain expertise into tools that actually help people.
From fire hydrants to flood risk, Bob has spent years translating messy, hyperlocal data into decisions insurers and now homebuyers can use. But this conversation goes far beyond data: it's about strategy, equity, product‑market fit and the value of knowing when to walk away from the wrong deal.
In this episode Bob shares:
Why Hazard Hub’s founding thesis was wrong, and what he got right instead
How PropertyLens is helping US homebuyers make more informed decisions before they buy
What UK listeners may not realise about US property disclosures, and why risk is so often hidden
How Bob and his co-founder rebuilt their data stack from scratch and landed early B2B traction
Why he still believes in the London Market and how UK insurers are often faster adopters
What it really takes to scale a direct-to-consumer model in property intelligence
Why bootstrapping helped him retain value at exit and how other founders can avoid over-dilution
The four startup lessons he shares with anyone thinking of launching their own venture
This one’s for founders, data practitioners and anyone who enjoys a candid, experience-rich look at what it takes to build a business that lasts.
If you like what you’re hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use or contact Bob Frady or Matthew Grant on LinkedIn.
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:
Define the challenges of scaling a startup with limited capital and how bootstrapping influences long-term outcomes.
List the key differences between US and UK property risk disclosure practices.
Explain why Hazard Hub’s original thesis did not hold and how that insight shaped the foundation of PropertyLens.
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 367 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.

Aug 3, 2025 • 25min
Dani Katz, Co-founder & Director: Optalitix: Adapting underwriting systems for a softening market (366)
Insurers have had fair warning: the hard market is softening, and those still relying on legacy tech may soon feel the chill. So what does it take to stay competitive as conditions turn?
In this episode, Robin Merttens is joined once again by Dani Katz, Co-founder and Director of Optalitix, for a sharp analysis of what’s changed since their last conversation and why now really is the time to fix the roof.
Dani brings a clear message: the winners in this market cycle will be those with disciplined pricing, strong data infrastructure and the ability to move fast. And while AI is starting to play a role, it's the fundamentals (clean data, integrated platforms, empowered underwriters) that remain essential.
In this conversation, Dani shares insights on:
Why too many firms delayed digital upgrades during the boom
The signs of market softening and what that means for pricing teams
What “minimum viable tech” looks like in 2025
How underwriters can be brought on the journey, not left behind
The difference between automating and augmenting decisions
Why data pipelines matter more than AI hype
How Optalitix is responding to demand from both UK and global insurers
They also touch on industry psychology: the lingering suspicion of new tech, the cultural lag behind modern tooling and why many firms still struggle to turn innovation into impact.
If you like what you’re hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use or contact Robin Merttens on LinkedIn. You can also contact Dani Katz 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:
Define the role of AI in underwriting workflows, distinguishing between automation and augmentation.
Identify common cultural and structural barriers to technology adoption across insurance organisations.
Summarise how insurers can use data-first strategies to gain a competitive edge during market transitions.
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 366 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.

Jul 27, 2025 • 22min
Matt Coleman, Chief Risk Officer: The Demex Group: Underwriting weather: reducing uncertainty with claims-driven models (365)
At its best, parametric insurance delivers clarity when volatility strikes. But scaling that promise takes more than models: it takes real claims data, market feedback and the ability to solve for both reinsurers’ confidence and cedents’ earnings risk.
In this episode, Matthew Grant speaks with Matt Coleman, Chief Risk Officer at The Demex Group, a reinsurance MGA using a new modelled loss index to reshape how the market covers severe convective storms, one of the fastest-growing sources of weather-driven loss.
Our conversation picks up where our previous webinar left off, and explores how Demex has grown distribution, secured broker support and validated its approach in a live risk environment.
In this conversation Matt touches on:
Why 2025 has already seen above-average tornado, wind and hail activity and how recoveries are already flowing
How Demex’s RCR Re cover mimics indemnity but pays out on a modelled index
Why omitting sensors and relying on robust weather and claims data reduces basis risk
The advantages of training models on cedents’ actual ground-up claims, not diluted industry averages
What reinsurers want in secondary peril covers and how Demex packages risk to match that appetite
Why broker engagement has been critical to growth, and what their clients are asking for
What it means to build in response to a genuine market problem not just to push a technology
Along the way, Matthew and Matt talk about why carriers are willing to share granular claims data when the product is strong enough and why early validation matters in parametric.
If you like what you’re hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use or contact Matt Coleman or Matthew Grant on LinkedIn.
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:
Specify the role of brokers in distributing innovative reinsurance solutions and educating cedents
Identify the challenges and advantages of building a reinsurance product in direct response to market demand
Explain why reinsurers prefer weather-driven indices over indemnity-based uncertainty
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 365 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.