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Lighthouse

Lighthouse builds on learnings from years of running pilots and design partnerships, and transitioning these into scaled opportunities.
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Powering game changing innovation at QBE

QBE Ventures has launched Lighthouse, a new program that streamlines how QBE partners with the start-up ecosystem globally to apply emerging technologies and AI to transformative insurance opportunities.  

With direct access to execs and founders, teams can rapidly move from idea to proof, iterating in close collaboration and with line of sight to a pathway to scale. The key benefit is collapsing the time to shape offerings to meet the needs of QBE and the broader insurance sector. 

“Lighthouse is the product of several iterations of driving experimentation in close collaboration with the QBE business and the InsurTech ecosystem, and we are incredibly excited about how bringing together all the right ingredients into one formalised program will accelerate QBE’s innovation journey”, James Orchard, Chief Executive Officer, QBE Ventures. 

Key components

  • Explore

    Best practice venturing approach

    QBE Ventures Lighthouse provides right-sized processes and support model to supercharge QBE’s ability to innovate with pioneering start-ups focusing on next generation opportunities.
  • Build and scale

    Technical infrastructure

    The technical infrastructure required, including secure and auditable data sharing Sandbox for AI and data enabled experimentation.
  • New venture development

    Business-led focus

    Accelerating value establishment through close collaboration between start-up and QBE, for a commercial pathway beyond a pilot.
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Getting involved

QBE Ventures is always in the search of game-changing start-ups that are keen to partner closely with QBE to transform insurance. Through the QBE Ventures Lighthouse Program, we are accelerating innovation across some of the industry’s most pressing challenges.

“Agents are the first line for our business. Through the Lighthouse program we will be giving them better tools to inform the community, make meaningful decisions and provide insights back”, says Dale Gleeson, GM Elders and a Lighthouse exec ambassador at QBE.

The first Lighthouse initiatives are underway. The focus areas are cyber, AI transforming the insurance value chain, programmatic underwriting and innovative risk services.

Stay tuned for how to get involved as we later open up the program for new applications. 

How to get involved

  • Explore

    Register interest 

    Let us know about your proposition and how it aligns to our focus areas (stay tuned as we later open up the program for new applications). 
  • Network

    Get matched with a business-sponsored opportunity

    We conduct ongoing reviews and if your company is a match, will be in touch to explore potential collaboration opportunities, pathways and timeframes.
  • Strategic partnerships

    Define success together

    Scoping, experiment design and set up will be done in collaboration with QBE teams and QBE Ventures, ensuring key stakeholders are engaged from the start.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Lighthouse Program is run by QBE Ventures, together with divisional innovation leads and risk domain representatives, across QBE globally. Specific initiatives are led by the sponsoring QBE business area with engagement support from QBE Ventures. 

The Lighthouse program has kicked off its first initiatives and we will be opening up the program for applications later in the year. Stay tuned as we will be looking for best-in-class, early-stage, emerging technology start-ups operating within our Lighthouse focus areas. 

Program participation will not necessarily result in a QBE Ventures investment, but may be explored if in alignment with the QBE Ventures investment thesis.

Lighthouse spans a range of design partnership and experimentation types, from light discovery sprints and proof of values to structured 8 to 24-week programs focused on validating the opportunity, technical feasibility, pathway to scale and iteration of the technology/capability. For any engagement type, the expectation is close collaboration and dedicated effort from the start-up, QBE and QBE Ventures to efficiently establish value.

Once the program is open for applications, we will be reviewing Lighthouse experimentation opportunities on an ongoing basis and will get in touch for an initial meeting if your company and proposition is a match. 

i.e. What happens if the design partnership results are not something my organisation or QBE want to scale into market? 

A key goal of the program is to establish proof of value and accelerate product-market-fit. If the program is not successful, we will together review if a different approach and iteration is worth exploring, or alternatively explore how lessons learned within this program can help your company achieve its targets in a different and more suited context. 

QBE and/or QBE Ventures will fund the Lighthouse experimentation phase where applicable, e.g. data consumption, licensing. Program participation will not necessarily result in a QBE Ventures investment, but may be explored if in alignment with the QBE Ventures investment thesis.   

Lighthouse spans a range of design partnership and experimentation types. Some engagement models are light touch and do not require a commercial contract, while others are more extensive and may include a commercial contract. If the program participation is successful, a commercial contract may be an outcome as we look to scale into market.