Innovation at Cincinnati

The insurance industry is constantly changing. Customers’ expectations and needs evolve, and new risks emerge, inspiring us to innovate.

It’s an exciting time – with change comes opportunities to deliver improved service, explore new ideas to ensure we’re offering the agencies we support and the policyholders we protect the best options to meet their needs and exceed their expectations.

Our Focus

We’re focused on being the best company serving independent agents. All our innovation efforts – from our teams of forward-thinking associates to our carefully curated external networks – are guided by that mission. We recognize the value of startups and look to facilitate continued growth by collaborating with startups that: 

  • Use big data to improve underwriting
  • Identify and prevent or mitigate risk
  • Harness digital marketing and analytics to help agents grow their business
  • Make it easier for our agents and their customers to do business with us

Our Innovation Ecosystem

As members of BrokerTech Ventures, based in Des Moines, Iowa, and Plug and Play Tech Center, in Silicon Valley, we get a first-hand view of emerging insurtech, brokertech and fintech startups. We are also members of the RiskStream Collaborative, actively participating in two blockchain use cases.

We’ve partnered with the University of Cincinnati to lease space at their 1819 Innovation Hub, which includes innovation teams from Cincinnati’s leading companies. We opened an Innovation Studio at our headquarters in Fairfield, Ohio, to foster new ideas. Associates who are working on innovation ventures spend time in both venues.

PNP Insurance logo

The Institutes RiskStream Collaborative logo

 

Our Success Stories

Collaborating with startups is important to us. We want to solve challenges facing our company and the industry to better fulfill our mission to be the best company serving independent agents.

Equix’ core solution improves the accuracy and speed of adjusting commercial contents claims. We discovered Equix as a member Brokertech Ventures, but we were more interested in using their solution to improve accuracy of pre-loss business personal property valuations. Together, we are exploring how to apply their capabilities to this related use case.

Broker Buddha is a commercial policyholder submission tool that was introduced to us by one of our independent agents. We are testing Broker Buddha in our Cincinnati Customer Care Center to streamline the process of quoting renewal business using its smart form technology.

Hosta a.i. uses artificial intelligence to automate remote indoor property assessments from just a few photos taken by the homeowner. Their AI solution automatically creates 1, 2 and 3-dimensional measurements, floor plans and itemized lists of materials of the homeowner's space. We met the team at Hosta a.i. early in their startup journey and have carefully followed their progress. In 2019, Cincinnati Insurance partnered with the company and has been involved in the development of their product.

Our Process

We established a Strategic Innovation Group that partners with our business units and startups to work on opportunities that are best pursued using an innovation framework and process.

Forward-thinking associates across the organization learn how to use innovation tools and techniques to work on our ventures. They also participate in pilots, collaborating with cutting edge startups. In these ways, we continue to improve the Cincinnati experience for our associates, our agents and the customers they serve.

Connect With Us

Email innovation@cinfin.com.