London, 12 January 2023 – Further to the announcement in October 2022, Innovation Group is pleased to confirm that its acquisition by Allianz X has now completed.
Ends.
Partnership will support Innovation Group’s growth plans as an independent business under its existing management team
London/Munich, 10 October 2022 – Innovation Group, a leading global provider of claims and technology solutions to the insurance and automotive industries, today announces that Allianz X has entered into binding agreements with the shareholders of the Innovation Group to acquire the company.
Innovation Group provides comprehensive operational support and expert services to the world’s leading insurers, fleet managers and automotive manufacturers, with over 1,200 clients across Australia, Germany, Poland, South Africa, Spain, the UK, and the USA.
Innovation Group is transforming the insurance market with its pioneering digital claims management platform, Gateway, which is being successfully launched in Germany. This enables largely automated claims management through a sophisticated, independent software platform. Gateway features a simple, intuitive user interface masking a complex ecosystem which connects all relevant participants, including data providers, in the claims process. With Gateway, Innovation Group has developed a comprehensive solution for claims managers that provides the key to digital transformation for insurance claims.
Partnering with Allianz X will provide Innovation Group with the support to accelerate the investment in its technology and global services capabilities, benefiting both clients and employees. Importantly, following the transaction, Innovation Group will maintain its operating independence, management team, brand and culture.
Allianz X is the digital investments arm of the Allianz Group, which specialises in supporting digital growth companies in ecosystems relevant to insurance and asset management. Over the past few years, it has grown to a portfolio of more than 25 companies, with assets under management of over 2 billion euros. It has counted 11 unicorns among its portfolio so far and has a proven track record of helping exciting businesses like Innovation Group accelerate their growth and development.
The transaction is subject to the approval of the relevant competition and regulatory authorities.
“Allianz X’s support will accelerate the roll-out of our industry-leading platform, Gateway, open up new opportunities for growth and enable us to deliver market-leading services for our clients,” said Tim Griffiths, CEO of Innovation Group. “We are delighted to have the backing of Allianz X as we enter the next phase of our development.”
“Innovation Group’s digital solutions bring together all the relevant parties and data to facilitate smooth, efficient and transparent claims management, from first notification of loss to repair and settlement, which is what the market is increasingly demanding,” said Dr. Nazim Cetin, CEO of Allianz X. “It’s a future-ready business with lots of potential and we want to help unleash it.”
Ends
For more information, please contact:
| Innovation Group (via Instinctif Partners) | |
| Tim McCall / Victoria Hayns +44 20 7457 2020 | Hurbert Becker / Christiane Zimmer +49 22 1420 7524 |
| innnovationgroup@instinctif.com |
| Allianz X |
| Gregor Wills +49 89 3800 61313 gregor.wills@Allianz.com |
About Innovation Group
Innovation Group delivers transformational expertise to the world’s leading insurers, brokers, fleet managers and automotive manufacturers, helping them to open new growth frontiers with revolutionary solutions. Clients trust us to transform their claim management processes, manage critical vehicle and property incidents and generate more revenue through value-added services. Innovation Group connects more than 1,200 global clients in the insurance and automotive sectors with an ecosystem of thousands of integrated regional network repairers and suppliers.
About Allianz X
Allianz X invests in digital frontrunners in ecosystems relevant to insurance and asset management. In just a few years, it has grown to a portfolio of more than 25 companies and AuM of over 2 billion euros. Allianz X has counted 11 unicorns among its portfolio so far. The heart and brains behind it all is a talented team of around 40 people. As one of the pillars of the Allianz Group’s digital transformation strategy, Allianz X provides an interface between Allianz Operating Entities and the broader digital ecosystem, enabling collaborative partnerships in insurtech, fintech, and beyond. As an investor, Allianz X supports mature digital growth companies to take the next bold leap and reach their full potential.
Thirty kind-hearted volunteers have joined forces to complete their very own DIY SOS project at a Brownhills home for children with complex needs.
Loss adjusters from leading insurer Aviva swapped their day jobs for paint brushes, trowels and shovels as they pitched in to help drainage, geotechnical and subsidence specialists from Innovation Group plc to transform an outside space at one of Progress Care’s ten homes.
It is the first time the two specialists in the insurance world have come together on a challenge and in just six hours they successfully managed to fix block paving, build planters and raised beds, improve wheelchair access and install a number of sensory boards and new swings.
The biggest task of the day was also completed in style, with over 200 wheelbarrows of soil removed to create a new, safer ground floor home for the trampoline.
More than 180 hours of time went into the garden makeover, which will now allow the eight children who live in the home to enjoy a great outdoor space and lots of fun activities that will stimulate their senses.
Claire Rogers, Managing Director of Progress Care, is keen to see the future impact of the project: “Austerity and funding cuts have caused our sector a lot of issues and we are always looking to partner with kind-hearted businesses that can help us deliver the best possible facilities and living experiences for the children we look after.
“All of them have complex needs and physical disabilities and the garden is such an important place for them to relax, play and, in some cases, learn. The outside space at our Brownhills home needed some ‘TLC’, so we were delighted when a chance conversation with Aviva employees turned into this fantastic DIY SOS.”
She went on to add: “I can’t believe the difference and how quickly it was achieved with the volunteers all working together to bring the garden to life. Our children are already enjoying spending more time outside, as this has become so important after we spent a lot of the last two years isolating due to Covid-19.”
Aviva, a leading general insurer in the UK, is committed to supporting the local communities it operates in and offers all employees up to three ‘volunteering days’ every year.
When the project at Progress Care was raised, a team of seventeen loss adjustors put themselves forward, travelling the length and breadth of the country to take part.
Due to the complex nature of the DIY SOS challenge, the company reached out to Innovation Group, one of its leading supply chain specialists, to help it with drainage, block paving and subsidence work in the garden.
Tanya Bellamy, Commercial Field and Major Loss Leader at Aviva, commented: “The response to the Progress Care project was fantastic, with many of our volunteers travelling hundreds of miles to take part.
“They really threw themselves into it, working closely with the more experienced Innovation Group staff to paint, dig, plant and repair. It’s a bit different to their day job but judging by all the smiles during the day and the reaction we saw from the children, it was six hours well spent.”
Tony Kilgannon, Regional Manager Northern Division at Innovation Group, added his support: “As soon as I visited the home and met some of the children we’d be helping, I had an emotional attachment to making the outside space as good as it could be, the same attachment that I know the rest of our staff had during the day.
“Working with our good friends at Aviva, we have created a sensory garden in just six hours, making it an accessible, safe and fun space with lots of things to do, whether that is trampolining, playing on the swings, enjoying the 3D spinner or touching the different textures of the flowers we’ve put in.
“The children have very challenging lives, so this project was all about giving them something to smile about and a place where they can experience new things.”
Progress has evolved from offering a small residential and fostering service in 2000 into one of the leading independent providers of specialist social care services in the Midlands.
The company, which employs over 220 people, is committed to preventing family breakdowns by increasing resilience and reducing dependency, by blending a range of community-based services designed to support semi-independent and independent living.
This includes creating ten ‘home from home’ residential properties in Brownhills, Coventry, Derby, Rowley Regis, Walsall, Wednesbury and Wolverhampton.
Claire concluded: “A big thank you to Aviva and Innovation Group for what they have given the children.
“Employees from the two businesses have already agreed to help us with more challenges on our properties and we’d also appeal to other companies – looking for ‘feel good’ transformational projects for their staff – to come and talk to us.”
For further information, please visit www.progresscare.co.uk
By: Iris de Jager, General Manager: Claims, Innovation Group South Africa
With over 460 000 new vehicle sales concluded in 2021, no one can contest the fact that South African’s love cars! It’s only logical, seeing that we have access to the top vehicle manufacturers on local soil, a large variety of models to choose from and access to some of the most scenic routes to enjoy them on.
Whether we use them for basic transportation needs, conducting the daily school run or even just exploring our beautiful country, there’s just no getting away from the fact that we are a nation of car lovers!
But, as much as we love our cars for the beautiful machines that they are, how many of us return that love through regular and thorough maintenance checks? So often we spend most of our time focusing on the exterior of the vehicle – regular power washes, the quick windscreen clean or checking the tyre pressure now and then – that we often forget to focus on the basics of what keeps our cars running.
Conducting regular maintenance checks on the basic or key components of your car will not only keep it in good running condition, but it can also save you from costly repairs down the line. It gives you an opportunity to check whether there are any signs of minor problems, like cracks, leaks, as well as excessive wear and tear due to friction.
Some of the most important maintenance items on your vehicle includes:
Whilst service plans are designed to cover the annual servicing of your car, focusing on specific serviceable components at specified intervals, maintenance plans are more comprehensive and focuses on covering the labour and expenses of specified parts, whilst also focusing on specified non-serviceable components that are subject to regular wear and tear like batteries, wiper blades and brake pads. A maintenance plan might be more costly than a service plan, but if you enjoy the open road and like to travel regularly, you may experience more frequent wear and tear.
Beyond keeping you safe, regular car maintenance improves your car’s reliability and performance, minimizes the chances of roadside emergencies and prevents surprise repairs that can be very expensive! Let’s keep loving our cars through regular maintenance!
Every Little Bit Extra Helps (ELBEH) is a campaign to support foodbanks lead by Carpenters Group, S&G Response, Innovation Group, Morelli Group and Onyx PDA supporting The Trussell Trust.
After launching the ELBEH initiative in November 2021, there are an incredible number of businesses who have committed to supporting this initiative from all sectors of the motor and insurance industry.
Friday 17 December 2021 is ‘Donation Day’ for industry foodbank contributions.
In the UK, more than 14 million people are living in poverty including 4.5 million children. This ELBEH campaign wants to help and support foodbanks so they are as fully stocked as possible for Christmas.
Donations have and can been be made online via the Just Giving page EveryLittleBitExtraHelps
Anyone and everyone can also donate food and goods to their local Trussell Trust foodbanks should they want to.
In addition to the donation day, the ELBEH initiative is also holding a ‘Wear anything Christmassey to work (or home) day’ on the 10 December 2021. We are asking as many people as possible to wear Christmas hats, headbands and/or jumpers for the day and make a donation of £1 to take part.
We have had lots of wonderful businesses commit to take part. Support so far has been pledged by the following businesses:
Andrew Lucia, Chief Operating Officer, Prosure Solutions “ We are proud to support such a great cause which will hopefully get some people back on their feet when it is most needed. Please keep up the fantastic work”
Richard Steer, “The Steer Group are delighted to support the Every Little Bit Extra Helps campaign. It is great to see so many organisations from across the insurance sector coming together to provide much needed support at this time of year”
Mark Leeming, LKQ, “It was heart-warming to read of the #ELBEH initiative launched last week and LKQ wanted to get involved to support our industry colleagues. We look forward to working with our colleagues to do some good this Christmas”
“We’re very honoured to be able to support such a worthy cause; one which we know will make a real difference to people’s lives over the festive period.” Tom Noble, UK Market Manager, Sherwin Williams.
Richard Ketley, Head of Network, Innovation Group, “When I learned about the #ELBEH campaign I was immediately onboard. It just really resonated with me, and I have been delighted to play a part.”
A group of five companies working in various divisions within the insurance industry are joining forces this Christmas to raise awareness and provide support for local foodbanks across the UK.
The group consists of industry leaders from across the sector, Donna Scully from leading providers of insurance and legal services Carpenters Group, Kate Goodwin from the global insuretech business Innovation Group, Ruth Moring-Beale from independent distributor company Morelli Group, Dan Chesney from the industry leading marketing agency Onyx PDA and Andy Whatmough from automotive solutions providers S&G Response.
Donna Scully said “In the run up to Christmas we know demand for food will escalate and people face the impossible decision of whether to heat or eat. A decision nobody should have to make. We hope, as a group, we can make a difference and if you want to get involved, please contact us. The more who help, the more we can help”.
In the UK, more than 14 million people are living in poverty, this includes 4.5 million children. The group want to ensure that foodbanks are stocked full this Christmas ready to support local communities and families in need.
Kate Goodwin said “This is an initiative forged through friendships made via our wonderful industry, but one that recognises that we speak from a fortunate position in comparison to so many other people within our local communities.
We would LOVE for others in the industry to join us to help support the thousands of people that will need the help of a foodbank over the next weeks and months. A couple of bags of food, to a full blown collection of goods – every single donation will help someone, somewhere. In turn, we can support efforts by collecting and delivering goods, a service kindly offered by the Morelli Group”.
Supporting The Trussell Trust, the name of their campaign is Every Little ‘Bit Extra’ Helps, and they are asking for businesses and individuals from across the insurance sector to come together in the build-up for their ‘donations day’ on Friday 17th December and deliver their contributions to their local foodbanks.
Dan Chesney, Managing Director of OnyxPDA said “We’re so thrilled to be involved with this wonderful campaign. When life is so busy, particularly at Christmas it’s really easy to get lost in it all and forget what matters most, helping those in our communities. That’s why we want to not only raise awareness of the amazing work The Trussell Trust do, but also support the foodbanks that provide for so many within our communities not only during the winter, but all year-round.”
Those getting involved can share photos of donations to one of the group members or on social media with the hashtag #ELBEH.
Whiteley, United Kingdom – September 20, 2022 -The Automotive 30% Club, founded in 2016, is a voluntary network of Managing Directors and Chief Executive Officers from UK based automotive manufacturers, retailers, and suppliers. The network was founded by Julia Muir, CEO of Gaia Innovation Ltd, with the purpose of achieving a better gender balance within the automotive industry, and with the aim of filling at least 30% of key leadership positions in the member organisations with diverse women by 2030 through a “30 by 30” strategy. The membership is growing at a considerable pace which is great, with more and more automotive leaders joining.
John Watson, Managing Director of UK Insurance Claims at Innovation Group says,
“I am delighted to have become a member of the Automotive 30% club. Gender balance is a subject that’s close to my heart and working with Julia and the team on the “30 by 30” strategy to create opportunities for women across our business fits perfectly with our aspirations for a truly diverse and inclusive workspace. 50% of our current Senior Leadership Team are female, supporting a gender diverse workforce from the top and a dual approach to driving change. Our strategy leader will be Kate Goodwin, Network and Engineering Director here at Innovation Group, who has a 25-year career within our industry and is ideally placed to help us achieve our ambitions in this critical area.”
Julia Muir, CEO of Gaia Innovation says,
“I’m very pleased to welcome John Watson, MD of Innovation Group to the Automotive 30% Club. Innovation Group is a global leading insurtech business, providing solutions for the automotive sector such as warranty and service plans, and fleet accident claim management services. I shall look forward to assisting John and his progressive team with their 30 by 30 strategy and including them in our Club activities.”
STUTTGART, Germany, April 28, 2021 (Newswire) – Last Thursday at the German Digital Awards 2021 organised by Bundesverband Digitale Wirtschaft (BVDW), Gateway, the AI workflow engine, received 2 awards: a bronze for Digital Transformation and a bronze for Digital Commerce, User experience. The German Digital Award is given every year for creative and innovative achievements in 10 categories and 31 sub-categories. Gateway was recognised alongside the innovations from Hamburg Port Authority, H&M, Mercedes Benz and Zalando. The expert jury commended Gateway for its innovation and user experiences, a digital revolution to the current process for insurance claims and repairs.
“I’m truly grateful for the award Gateway received, especially among so many other top-class applicants. It’s a great reassurance that our software is future-proof,” says Markus Stumpp, Managing Director, Innovation Group Fleet & Mobility GmbH.
“We’re delighted to have Gateway recognised for the disruptive nature so soon after its launch. The claim and repair processes are lengthy and overly complicated, we focused on simplifying and bringing them to the 21st century. Gateway provides real-time data and transparency so that there’s no more back and forth emails and calls between the claimant, insurer and the repairer.” says Matthew Whittall, CEO Germany, Innovation Group.
Gateway enables mobile self-service to policyholders and drivers, and integrates with insurer, fleet owner, car manufacturer and repair shop processes to provide a real-time single source of truth. Artificial Intelligence at the core of Gateway drives the claim and repair workflows and notifies all parties involved of the changes and progression. It enables insurance companies to handle the entire claims process end-to-end via a simple online platform. Workshops can simplify calculation, ordering and billing processes that significantly reduce the administrative costs and times. It also presents the never seen levels of transparency, security and data insights in the insurance and repair industries.
Gateway launched in February 2021 in Germany and proved to reduce the average time between the damage report and repair booking from 2-3 days to less than 24 hours. The current pilot phase consists of 2 insurers and over 1100 workshops. “In May we want to activate more partners and gradually drive the digital transformation forward,” said Stumpp. By autumn, more than 40 participating insurers should be able to process their claims via Gateway.
Learn more about Gateway: www.innovation.group/gateway-technology
About Innovation Group
Innovation Group resolves car or home damage and claims on behalf of insurers, fleet companies and carmakers. Through AI workflow engine Gateway, white-label claim specialist teams and integrated repairer network, Innovation Group provides efficiency and cost savings to over 1,200 clients in the US, UK, Germany, Spain, Australia and South Africa. For over the 20 years, Innovation Group has helped its clients deliver on their promise to the policyholders and drivers by processing claims and damage repairs with exceptional customer service and disruptive tech, that can automate the process end-to-end.
To watch the award submission go to: gewinner.deutscherdigitalaward.de/gewinner/digital-commerce-user-experience-usability-conversational-commerce-bronze/gateway-digitale-schadensteuerung
Melbourne, Australia – 24th February, 2021 – Innovation Group has announced a new partnership with eDrivingSM, a leading global provider of digital driver* risk management programs, to manage the sale, distribution and support of its MentorSM offering to Australian and New Zealand fleet owners and operators.
Through the partnership, fleet operators and owners will have access to eDriving’s award-winning driver risk management solutions that help reduce collisions, injuries, license violations and total cost of fleet ownership (TCO).
The Mentor by eDrivingSM smartphone application helps at-work drivers understand their risky behaviours like Acceleration, Braking, Cornering, Speeding, and Phone Distraction, one of the biggest threats to road safety today. The app uses the telematic sensors in iOS and Android smartphones to collect and analyze data on the driving behaviours most predictive of risk. Driver on-road performance is converted into an individual FICO® Safe Driving Score, which has been validated to predict the likelihood of a driver being involved in a collision. Personalised insights are provided to drivers after each trip, showing both positive and negative driving events, and, for the driver’s review only, exactly where they occurred. Additionally, engaging, interactive micro-training modules are delivered directly to the driver ‘in-app’ to help drivers* address and reduce identified risky behaviours.
Drew Schnehage, Managing Director at Innovation Group Australia says, “Our main aim is to minimize the impact of on-road incidents and reduce vehicle down-time. But, more than that, we are committed to pre-empting accidents and reducing driver risk. The partnership will allow us to offer value-added solutions to the fleet industry that enables improved driver behaviour and risk management.”
Lori Williams, Chief Revenue Officer at eDriving says, “We are thrilled that Innovation Group will be offering Mentor within eDriving’s 5-stage comprehensive program that starts with embracing safety as a strategic imperative and building out a crash-free culture accordingly, to the Australian and New Zealand market.. Our mission is to help our clients reduce collisions, injuries, license violations and Total Cost of Ownership, ensuring that all drivers return home safely at the end of each day.”
* References to ‘driver(s)’ or ‘drives’ includes drivers of cars, trucks and vans, and riders of motorcycles and two-wheelers
About Innovation Group
Innovation Group delivers transformational expertise to the world’s leading insurers, brokers, fleet managers and automotive manufacturers, helping them to open new growth frontiers with revolutionary solutions. Clients trust us to transform their claim management processes, manage critical vehicle and property incidents and generate more revenue through value-added services.
Media Contact
Malcolm Noyle
About eDriving
eDrivingSM helps organizations to reduce collisions, injuries, license violations and total cost of fleet ownership through a patented digital driver risk management program.
eDriving is the digital driver risk management partner of choice for many of the world’s largest organizations, supporting over 1,000,000 drivers in 96 countries. Over the past 25 years, eDriving’s research-validated programs have been recognized with over 100 awards around the world.
Media Contact
Julie Farmer
As we ease out of the 2020 lockdowns, and our minds turn to the celebrations over the festive and holiday period, we must remember that these are also high-risk times on the roads. The holiday periods are a particularly dangerous time for drivers and we often see more incidents, injuries and deaths on the road over this time compared to other periods.
Having a holiday is supposed to be about relaxing and having fun but it often ends up being a time when everyone rushes around. This frantic pace can lead to speeding, impatience, distraction and carelessness behind the wheel.
With more people out and about, there’s usually more congestion, fatigue and an increase in road users travelling longer distances and often driving in new environments which are largely unfamiliar compared to local neighbourhoods. The holiday season also brings about an increase in the number of travellers towing trailers as well, which can make life on the roads even more interesting!
At Innovation Group we want everyone to stay safe and come through the holiday period without incident. Here we share a couple of helpful hints and tips to get you safely through the holiday season.
Vehicle health check
2020 may well have been the year of reduced travel, so it is important to check your vehicle before embarking on your holiday.
Check your vehicle for tyre tread, damage and air pressure, engine oil, lights, brakes, coolant, battery and overall condition. Getting your car properly serviced before you head off is a sensible idea.
Being prepared is what it is all about. Think about your vehicle maintenance, load capacity when packing and being prepared for any eventuality. Having an emergency kit in your vehicle might well be a saving grace for an unexpected event. Also consider the essentials if you are driving to or through areas that are prone to bush fires –woollen blankets and water may come in handy!
Checking the spare tyre is easily overlooked. Make sure that it is in the right condition and that you have the necessary tools on hand should it be necessary to change a tyre along the way.
Plan your route
As much as you’d like to try out a new or more scenic route, remember that sometimes the road less travelled is less travelled for a reason (Jerry Seinfeld). Journey planning is a must for a safe and hassle-free travel this holiday season. Bear in mind that the most direct route is not necessarily the safest –and with road works or traffic jams causing delays, it may not be all that quick either!
Spend time researching your route, so you have some idea of the hazards you might encounter along the way. Considering the road types, proximity to busy tourist areas and cities and travel timings are just the start of the process. It is also wise to take the risks for weather condition impacts, bush fire warnings and environmental conditions into consideration.
Finally making sure that you plan for delays, expect that your journey may take longer, and if luck is on your side and you arrive ahead of schedule, then that will be a cause for celebration!
Monitor driving conditions
When we think about driving conditions, our mind naturally turns to the weather and how that impacts our drive. Whilst the weather plays an important part in planning your trip, there are more factors to consider.
Driving conditions also involves driving while exhausted, have animals and children in the car – “are we there yet?” – using unfamiliar roads or changing road rules as you travel state to state. Tightly winding roads will reduce the time you have to react to traffic around a hidden bend, so you’ll need to be cautious. An unexpected traffic jam or road incident, will also entail some quick thinking and careful driving.
The open road is not the only place to take driving conditions into consideration. A crowded festive season car park is no less dangerous–frustrated drivers looking for those elusive and limited parking spaces can make for some interesting driving!
The key is to be alert, be vigilant and keep an eye on those ever-changing driving conditions.
Avoid driver fatigue
We all want to avoid the rush, beat the traffic and be the first on the road. So, we get up extra early to start our journey and completely forget the fatigue that will set in later! It’s no wonder that driver fatigue is one of the biggest causes of road incidents over the festive season.
If you’ve researched and planned your route, then you will have avoided peak traffic times for both departure and arrival. Remember to also work in stop and rest breaks, at least every 2 hours.
Cat-naps, fresh air and copious amounts of coffee will not cure fatigue! Leaving the window open for fresh air, coffee and loud music are ‘band-aid solutions’ at best –they don’t address the fact that you need to stop and have a decent sleep before you can safely go any further.
Curb driver fatigue by following these simple and easy tips:
Take care and be responsible
The festive and holiday season is all about celebration. And this may include celebrating with your favourite beer or an ice-cold G&T. Celebrating and relaxing is good for the soul… if it is done responsibly.
Keep in mind that:
Be responsible andconsider the alternatives:
