Clients – we love you and we’re working through the list, opening things up slowly and steadily.
And if you’re not a client, do join the waiting list. There are currently 466 people ahead of you, but it will be worth it. I promise.
On that note, more broadly, we’re spending a fair bit of time thinking about how Sønr shows up to the market. I really would value conversations with clients/peers on how we can better bring our research, trend work, and client outcomes to life. If you can spare 5 minutes to explore, let me know 🙏
Let’s get into what’s going on out there.
Smarter Pricing, Fewer Blind Spots
Akur8 has acquired Matrisk, adding AI-driven analysis of unstructured regulatory filings into its pricing and reserving platform. It’s a nice one, this.
The move strengthens Akur8’s ability to give pricing teams real market and regulatory context alongside their models – a growing requirement as insurers look to move faster without drifting into black-box territory.
Rewriting Commercial Vehicle Underwriting
AI-native commercial insurer Nirvana Insurance has secured a $100m extension to its Series D, pushing its valuation to $1.5bn.
The raise reflects growing confidence in data-led underwriting for complex fleet risks, where traditional rating factors continue to fall short.
At the same time, closer to home, InsureVision has launched two video-based risk intelligence products: TeslaStick, aimed at embedded personal auto, and FleetVision™ for commercial fleets. Both use real-world driving footage to assess risk more accurately at the point of underwriting.
Different business models, same underlying thesis: loss-making vehicle portfolios won’t be fixed with pricing tweaks alone – they need fundamentally better risk signals.
Scaling Property Technology
German startup Enzo has raised a further €4m in a Seed extension, taking total funding to €6.2m.
The capital will support continued development of Enzo’s tech-led approach to property risk, where prevention, climate exposure and real-time insight are becoming central to underwriting. And customer engagement.
A space that’s quietly but steadily heating up. Excuse the pun.
Broker Stack Tech
Xceedance has acquired Marble Box, a move that brings it directly into the agent and broker operating layer of the market.
This pulls them closer to day-to-day broker workflows where automation, data flow and operating efficiency can have the biggest commercial impact. Smart.
Upcoming Events
A few London based events for those more local.
The biggie is ITC London of course. That’s 26/27th January.
There’s a few particularly interesting themes/initiatives jumping out:
● A spotlight on the London market and specialty lines
● A Generali “Challenge Lab” focused on a sustainable, low-carbon future
● Folks from the Nordics sharing what they’re up to on the innovation front
If you’re heading down, let me know – maybe we can get a big table organised and a dinner planned 🤷🏻
And finally, one for Feb that I’m speaking at is with the Systems iO folk – part of their round-table event series – “Cutting through the noise: what really matters in insurance innovation”.
Em and Nadine chatted through the Beyond Boundaries report, the selection process of the Signal50 and Scale50, and the key trends it revealed. A great watch.
That’s it from me. It’s a weekend of family time + gym time (…for those I haven’t bored to tears with this one yet, I qualified for the Hyrox World Champs in Sweden with my Pro Doubles partner Oliver Conger of British Rototherm Group).
2026 is going to be a B-I-G year.
Have a good weekend. Enjoy.
Matt
Make smarter decisions with AI-driven market intelligence.
Sønr helps (re)insurers around the world explore market trends, track competitor activity, and scout and assess best-in-class tech companies.
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