Aviva Canada, a property and casualty insurance group that services three million customers, has announced a partnership with the Toronto-based DMZ incubator, ranked #3 in the world by UBI.
“We are extremely excited on behalf of all Aviva policy holders to partner with the DMZ at Ryerson and to show our support for the technology ecosystem by providing mentorship, connections, and many other things that a startup needs to succeed,” said Ben Isotta-Riches, chief information officer of Aviva Canada. “With insurance becoming an increasingly digital industry, I can’t wait to see what kind of fresh, innovative thinking these startups bring to the table for our customers.”
Aviva Canada team members and entrepreneurs from the DMZ will participate in innovation exchanges, where a committee from Aviva will evaluate new businesses ideas that solve gaps in the current insurance marketplace. Aviva is also looking at possible insurance solutions tailored to the needs of startups.
“Technology has become a persuasive and a transformational element in many industries and verticals, including insurance. Collaborations between small and large businesses allow companies to grow, adopt new ideas, and explore new challenges while exchanging invaluable experience,” said Abdullah Snobar, executive director at the DMZ. “Partnering with Aviva gives us the opportunity to support our entrepreneurs and help them grow. In return, they will help Aviva succeed by bringing some creative ideas and solutions to the insurance industry.”
Aviva Canada will also provide mentorship through the shared space of the DMZ. DMZ-based startup ClientDesk is already working with the company as it develops a platform digitizing the insurance process by focusing on client engagement, self-service, and claims support.
