FS Brew- Insurtech and insurance in the Middle East

About FS Brew- Insurtech and insurance in the Middle East

Welcome to FS Brew! FS Brew is the region’s first podcast focussing on insurance and insurtech in the UAE and the broader Middle East. We are based in the startup magnet, a city of dreamers and visionaries- Dubai! In every episode, the hosts, Vidya Veerapandian and Renjit Philip, have in-depth conversations with industry experts on insurtech, insurance, venture capital, digital transformation, actuarial science, and many other topics. Renjit Philip: www.linkedin.com/in/renjit-philip⁠ www.onemorethinginai.com Vidya Veerapandian: www.linkedin.com/in/vidya-veerapandian/⁠

Publisher

Renjit Philip and Vidya Veerapandian

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

11 Apr 2021

Latest episode

26 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

74 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   26 Sept 2026

   Inside Markel's Decade in the Middle East — Max Robbie on Risk, Regulation and the Road to 2030

   FS Brew is the region's first podcast dedicated to insurance and insurtech across the UAE and the broader Middle East.In this episode, hosts Renjit Philip, Managing Partner at Futureu Strategy Group, and Vidya, Founder of FWD, sit down with Max Robbie, CEO of Markel International Dubai, to mark ten years of Markel's presence in the region and unpack where specialty insurance is headed next.Topics covered:Markel's ten years in the Middle East and how the market has evolvedDIFC's premium growth to 4.2 billion dollars in 2025, and how much reflects genuinely new risk versus relocated businessSaudi Arabia's RHQ mandates and local retention rules, and their effect on Dubai-brokered businessLessons from the April 2024 UAE and Oman floods and whether underwriting terms have structurally changedMarine and political risk across the Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz, and how Ports & Terminals and War & Terrorism are assessed togetherCyber insurance demand across MENA and whether it is broadening beyond financial institutions and data centresUnderwriting exposure at GCC data centre megaprojects, spanning construction, cyber and business interruption riskWhether current conflict-driven demand is a genuine tailwind for specialty insurers or an understated riskMarkel's Q2 combined ratio and the effect of Middle East conflict events on loss ratiosWhat makes a risk unacceptable, even with a strong broker relationshipEarly-stage collaboration between underwriters, brokers and engineering teams on MENA energy transition megaprojectsCompetition from Liberty, Zurich, Chubb and AIG in energy and construction, and what sets Markel apartMarkel's outlook for the GCC by 2030The episode closes with rapid fire questions on career lessons, leadership style and the innovations shaping the future of insurance in the region.00:00 – Introduction & Welcome01:10 – Max Robbie's Journey: Moving from London to Dubai04:11 – DIFC’s Premium Surge: New Risk vs. Market Relocation05:35 – Expanding Beyond Monoline: Cyber, Trade Credit & Growth06:15 – NatCAT & Flood Exposures: Rethinking Regional Risk & BI09:54 – Marine War Risk, Geopolitics & Supply Chain Disruption13:06 – How Markel Integrates AI & Data in Underwriting16:28 – The Data Center Boom: Multi-Line Risks & Sovereign AI18:19 – Energy Transition & Mega Projects in MENA20:10 – Financial Discipline: Balancing Growth, Reserves & Pricing23:34 – Specialty Capacity Influx: Acumen vs. Price Wars24:55 – Vision 2030: Why Talent is the Key Differentiator26:40 – Rapid Fire Round: Lessons, Leadership & Personal RisksSubscribe to FS Brew for more conversations with CEOs and experts shaping insurance and insurtech in the Middle East.Renjit Philip:work: https://www.futureu.coNewsletter: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.onemorethinginai.com⁠⁠⁠Socials:Twitter / X: @renjitphilipLinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/renjit-philip⁠⁠⁠Vidya Veerapandian:⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/vidya-veerapandian/⁠ #FSBrew #Insurtech #Insurance #Markel #DIFC #Dubai #MENA #Reinsurance #CyberInsurance #RiskManagement

2. 

   15 Aug 2026

   From AI Regulations to Insurtech Investments: Latest Industry Buzz

   FS Brews News + Analysis (H1 2026): Airline-Embedded Travel Insurance, MAS AI Governance, Insurtech Funding Rebound, Data Center Risk & Cover Genius M&AIn this episode of FS Brews News with Analysis, the hosts cover key insurance and Insurtech developments across regions: UAE airlines Etihad and Emirates are embedding travel insurance to encourage travel, with Etihad auto-enrolling up to 15 days of medical cover in the UAE and Emirates offering worldwide and evacuation cover plus war-related disruption support and extensions. They discuss new AI and agentic AI risk management guidelines from Singapore’s MAS—emphasizing board oversight, lifecycle controls, and human-in-the-loop authorization—alongside emerging UAE central bank guidance, and debate the burden on smaller firms. They highlight a strong H1 2026 rebound in global Insurtech funding ($1.6B in Q1 and $2.4B in Q2) and Europe’s nearly €900M raised with fewer but larger deals, plus regional raises from SOTA Insure, Decisive, Yasmina, and Bahrain’s Sur Insurance. They also note Zurich’s $1B quota-share reinsurance capacity for a growing global data center portfolio and Cover Genius’ acquisition of Berlin-based Friendsurance to accelerate regulated market entry. 00:00 News with Analysis- AUG 13th 00:33 Travel Insurance02:18 AI Regulation 05:11 Insurtech Funding 09:47 Data Center Insurance 11:52 Cover Genius Acquires Friendsurance Spotify show link: https://open.spotify.com/show/6GpKULINjPT895Gmx6wifV?si=f56d59375cf246a4 Renjit Philip: work: https://www.futureu.co Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.onemorethinginai.com⁠⁠⁠ Socials: Twitter / X: @renjitphilip LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/renjit-philip⁠⁠⁠ Vidya Veerapandian :⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/vidya-veerapandian/⁠

3. 

   16 Jun 2026

   Corgi raises back to back funding and becomes a $2.6 Billion company

   Marsh Launches Coverpro.ae for UAE SMEs + Global Insurtech Funding Surges on AIIn this episode of FS Brew: News with Analysis, the hosts discuss Marsh UAE’s launch of CoverPro.ae, a new retail website aimed at small and medium enterprises, marking a shift toward digital-first distribution and raising questions about how Marsh will market to SMEs. They then review the Global Insurtech Funding Report (Be Insure), noting insurtech funding rose 19.5% year-on-year to $5.1B, driven largely by AI-focused startups, with an average deal size of $26M and AI liability/cyber deals highlighted. Examples include Paci’s $46M Series B and Corgi’s rapid back-to-back raises and valuation jump, plus a discussion on whether the Middle East could support an AI-native full-stack insurer. The episode also covers GCC insurance growth projections to 2030 and local product launches: Orient Insurance and Allianz Partners’ Sphera global health plan for expats, and Orient’s new war-risk solutions including political violence coverage.00:00 Welcome and Agenda00:11 Marsh UAE SME Portal01:33 How Marsh Will Market01:53 Insurtech Funding Rebounds03:07 Paci and Corgi Mega Rounds04:45 Corgi Growth and Culture05:58 Can GCC Build AI Insurers08:59 GCC Market Growth Outlook10:04 Orient Sphera Health Plan10:41 War Risk Add On Covers12:37 Wrap Up and Subscribe Renjit Philip: Consulting: https://linktr.ee/futureustrategygroup/ Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.onemorethinginai.com⁠⁠⁠ Work: https://www.futureu.co⁠⁠⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/renjit-philip ⁠⁠⁠Vidya Veerapandian:⁠⁠⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/vidya-veerapandian/⁠ I’ve got a favour to ask! If you enjoy this conversation, please double check that you’ve liked the video and subscribed to the channel! That's a small way you can help us carry on doing this, really appreciate you!

Podcast Authority Score: 37 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

61

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

30

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