Connect with us

Technology

Bowtie: From Startup To Top 10 Life Insurer in Just 5 Years

Published

on

HONG KONG, May 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Bowtie, Hong Kong’s first virtual insurer[1], celebrated its fifth anniversary, staying true to its mission of addressing Hong Kong’s protection gap. Over the past 5 years, Bowtie has focused on providing high value protection for the people of Hong Kong, focusing on “commission-free, pure protection” insurance products.

With the Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme (VHIS) plans as Bowtie’s flagship offering, the product line has also expanded to include  life insurance products such as critical illness insurance (CI) and term life insurance (TL).

Ranked 1 in Direct, Ranked #10 in All Channels[2]

According to public information from the government, the total health expenditure of Hong Kong has exceeded HK$200 billion[3] in 2022, rising at a rate that has far outpaced GDP growth. This has created immense resource pressures for the healthcare system. While healthcare costs continue to rise rapidly, many in Hong Kong still do not have health insurance: according to the Census and Statistics Department, nearly 3.5 million residents, about half of the city’s population, do not have employee medical benefits or personal medical insurance coverage[4].

As the strain on public healthcare resources increases and household out-of-pocket spending on medical expenses continues to climb[5], health insurance products that finance private healthcare are becoming increasingly important and necessary.

In the last fiscal year, the insurance industry sold 175,000 VHIS policies in Hong Kong, bringing the total number of in-force policies to 1.2 million. Bowtie captured approximately 5% of the new VHIS policies, with over 1,000 new VHIS customers signing up every month.

With consumer behaviour shifting from offline to online channels, and attracted by the high value-for-money, customer tend to trust and choose Bowtie’s VHIS plans, particularly among the younger population[6].

Apart from VHIS products, Bowtie’s supplementary insurance products have seen very high growth. 75% of CI customers opt for the newly launched “Term CI Early Stage and Multiple Cover” product; while 30% of TL customers are choosing the highest sum assured of HK$8 million, reflecting the trust built up by the brand and customer demand for Bowtie to offer higher end products. In response, Bowtie increased the maximum sum assured to HK$20 million last year[7].

Furthermore, leveraging on the highly competitive group medical and wellness solutions, Bowtie is currently serving 20,000 employees and 500 companies. Clients include virtual banks, telecommunication companies, airlines, and non-governmental organisations.

Overall, Bowtie’s customer base grew to around 140,000 customers, representing 50% year-over-year growth, and the total protection amount has increased to HK$90 billion. The company’s Annual Recurring Revenue rose to over HK$250 million, making it the highest among virtual insurers. Bowtie also further solidified its market-leading position in the direct insurance channel in terms of the number of policies sold, ranking first for seven consecutive quarters[8].

“We are thrilled that Bowtie joins the top 10 life insurers in just 5 years, in terms of the policies sold among all channels2.” said Fred Ngan, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Bowtie. “We are reaching the $100 billion protection milestone, marking a significant step in addressing Hong Kong’s protection gap. Our success is a testament to the trust and confidence our customers have placed in us and the digital model for pure-protection products.”

Delivering on Service Promises

In the past year, Bowtie continued to upgrade its VHIS product series, introducing new services to meet evolving needs. Also, Bowtie announced a strategic partnership with CUHK Medical Centre and launched the second co-branded VHIS rider, offering a one-stop “Medical Insurance + Wellness” solution.

Since 2019, Bowtie has processed nearly 70,000 claims with an impressive 99.53%[9] approval rate, demonstrating Bowtie’s dedication to delivering on its promises to customers; The company has also handled over 250,000 customer inquiries with a customer satisfaction of more than 90%.

Furthermore, Bowtie invests in customers’ long-term health through preventive care initiatives, contributing to an exceptional retention rate of over 90%.

As a purpose-driven local startup, Bowtie cultivates a company culture and values centered on tackling pressing social issues. Its innovative business model and philosophy has garnered recognition, with case studies featured at the Hong Kong Social Enterprise Forum and covered by Harvard Business Review and Ivey Business Publishing.

Strategic Initiatives to Differentiate

Bowtie’s growth plans received a significant boost with the completion of the HK$272 million Series B2 funding round last September, ranked first globally among insurtech investments in Q3 2023, according to CB Insights[10]. This capital injection fuels investments in its core capabilities in insurtech innovations.

“Bowtie is uniquely positioned with a digital health insurance model,” said Michael Chan, Bowtie’s Co-Founder and Co-CEO. “We’ve stayed true to our purpose of providing health protection. We will continue to invest in technology for the convenience of our customers and to keep improving our own efficiency. We will continue to invest in our service levels to keep up with our growing customer base. And we will increase our investment into healthcare services for our customers. With these investments we’ve set an ambitious aim to become a top three health insurance provider in Hong Kong in three years. This is ambitious but we believe we are also the most focused on this goal.”

Technology innovation has always been Bowtie’s core competitiveness and greatest differentiation. Bowtie is actively incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) in the workflows across all levels, including customer service, software engineering, and marketing.

Over 100 employees within Bowtie are participating in AI innovation projects, such as an fully automatic IT support bot supporting internal team, AI tools helping operations teams improve their workflow efficiency, and AI applications assisting marketing teams for content production, etc.

As a digital insurer, Bowtie places significant emphasis on convenient and friendly service. More services are being added to help customers talk directly to specialists with technical authority in their domains with real decision-making authority, further speeding up service.

“I am very proud of Bowtie’s achievement in just 5 years,” said John Tsang, Bowtie’s Senior Advisor. “Achieving a total protection amount of HK$90 billion through only pure protection is definitely a challenging task. As a home-grown start-up, they have been committed to solving the pain points of Hong Kong society. By unlocking private hospital services for more citizens, Bowtie has relieved the pressure on the public healthcare system; I have full confidence in this team and believe they will inject new energy to the industry.”

[1] Bowtie is the first company authorised by Hong Kong’s Insurance Authority under its Fast Track Pilot Scheme

[2] According to Insurance Authority’s Provisional Statistics for Long Term Business 2023, in the fourth quarter of 2023, Bowtie Life ranked in no.10 in terms of new individual paid policies through all channels in Hong Kong (excluding single premium products)

[3] Data.One: https://data.gov.hk/en-data/dataset/hk-hhb-hhbro-hkdha/resource/ff083869-e2d0-4534-b087-bceccc24ca09 

[4] The Census and Statistics Department: https://www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/press_release_detail.html?id=5515 

[5]The Health Bureau: https://www.healthbureau.gov.hk/statistics/cn/dha/dha_summary_report.htm#:~:text=2019%2F20%E5%B9%B4%E5%BA%A6%E6%9C%AC%E5%9C%B0%E9%86%AB%E7%99%82,%E6%AF%8F%E5%B9%B4%E5%A2%9E%E9%95%B7%EF%BC%883.4%25%EF%BC%89%E3%80%82 

[6] Taking VHIS Standard plan as an example, Bowtie’s price is nearly 30% lower than similar products in the market

[7] Existing customers who have undergone underwriting and a medical examination can have their total sum assured limit increased to a maximum of HK$20,000,000.

[8] According to Insurance Authority’s Provisional Statistics for Long Term Business 2021-2023, Bowtie Life ranked first in number of new individual paid policies through Direct channel in Hong Kong

[9] All insurance products including both individual and group insurance plans

[10] According to the research report of CB Insight , the statistical period is the third quarter of 2023: https://www.cbinsights.com/research/report/insurtech-trends-q3-2023/ 

About Bowtie

The Bowtie Life Insurance Company Limited is an authorised life insurance company and Hong Kong’s first virtual insurer. Its vision is to bridge the medical protection gap and transform the way people access healthcare in Hong Kong. By combining modern technology and medical expertise, Bowtie offers a commission-free and convenient online platform for customers to quote, apply, and claim for medical insurance plans anytime, anywhere. Bowtie is backed by Sun Life Financial, Mitsui & Co, and supported by leading international investors. Currently, Bowtie has raised more than HK$680 million and provided over HK$90 billion of insured value to families. Stay up to date at https://www.bowtie.com.hk/en/.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/bowtie-from-startup-to-top-10-life-insurer-in-just-5-years-302159366.html

SOURCE Bowtie Life Insurance Company Limited

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Technology

CreateAI Announces Results of 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders

Published

on

By

SAN DIEGO, Dec. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — CreateAI Holdings Inc., formerly TuSimple Holdings Inc. (OTCMKTS: TSPH) (“CreateAI” or the “Company”), a global artificial intelligence technology company, today announced shareholder voting results for its annual meeting of stockholders held on December 20, 2024 (the “Annual Meeting”).

As of October 28, 2024, the record date for the Annual Meeting, there were a total of 232,618,399 shares of common stock outstanding and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting, comprised of 208,618,399 shares of Class A Common Stock (each with one vote per share) and 24,000,000 shares of Class B Common Stock (each with ten votes per share). At the Annual Meeting, holders of 207,347,538 shares of common stock, representing 423,347,538 votes, entitled to vote at the meeting were represented in person or by proxy and, therefore, a quorum constituted of the majority of the voting power of the shares of common stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting was present.

The following is a brief description of each matter voted upon at the 2024 Annual Meeting and the numbers of votes cast for, withheld, or against, the number of abstentions, and the number of broker non-votes with respect to each other, as applicable.

1.     Election of six nominees to serve on the Board of Directors (the “Board”) for a term which will expire at the 2025 annual meeting of stockholders, or, if Proposal Two is adopted, to hold office until the annual meeting of stockholders in accordance with the class of director to which each nominee will be assigned. The following six directors were elected by the votes as indicated below.

 
 

For

 

Withheld

 

Broker Non-Votes

Cheng Lu

 

208,949,915

 

164,765,0191

 

49,632,604

Mo Chen

 

208,946,146

 

164,768,7881

 

49,632,604

James Lu

 

209,109,928

 

164,605,0061

 

49,632,604

Zhen Tao

 

209,158,316

 

164,556,6181

 

49,632,604

Albert Schultz

 

348,895,0191

 

24,819,915

 

49,632,604

Jianan Hao

 

209,021,652

 

164,693,2821

 

49,632,604

The totals above include the 240,000,000 votes represented by the Class B shares of Common Stock. 12,000,000 shares of Class B Common Stock (representing 120,000,00 votes) were voted “FOR” and 12,000,000 shares of Class B Common stock (representing 120,000,00 votes) were voted “WITHHELD” for each of the Directors other than Albert Schultz. All shares of Class B Common Stock were voted “FOR” the election of Albert Schultz. Excluding the 240,000,000 votes from the 24,000,000 shares of Class B Common Stock from the totals above, the 183,347,538 shares of Class A Common Stock were voted as indicated below.

 
 

For

 

Withheld

 

Broker Non-Votes

Cheng Lu

 

88,949,915

 

44,765,019

 

49,632,604

Mo Chen

 

88,946,146

 

44,768,788

 

49,632,604

James Lu

 

89,109,928

 

44,605,006

 

49,632,604

Zhen Tao

 

89,158,316

 

44,556,618

 

49,632,604

Albert Schultz

 

108,895,019

 

24,819,915

 

49,632,604

Jianan Hao

 

89,021,652

 

44,693,282

 

49,632,604

2.       Amendment to the Company’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation to classify the Board of Directors into three classes, with directors in each class to serve staggered three-year terms. Pursuant to the Restated Certificate of Incorporation, Proposal Two must receive the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the voting power of all of the then-outstanding shares of the capital stock of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class, since directors representing two-thirds (2/3) of the total number of authorized directors have already approved. The amendment was not approved2 by the votes as indicated below:

For

 

Against1

 

Abstain

 

Broker Non-Votes

208,955,668

 

164,659,652

 

99,614

 

49,632,604

Because Proposal Two was not approved, the six directors elected pursuant to Proposal One will serve on the Board for a term which will expire at the 2025 annual meeting of stockholders.

3.       Ratification of the appointment of UHY LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024. The selection was ratified by the votes as indicated below:

For

 

Against1

 

Abstain

 

Broker Non-Votes

255,504,371

 

155,923,768

 

11,919,399

 

Note 1: Includes 120,000,000 votes of the 12,000,000 shares of Class B Common Stock held by White Marble LLC and White Marble International Limited (together, the “White Marble Entities”) controlled by Dr. Xiaodi Hou.

Note 2: The White Marble Entities have filed an action in the Delaware Court of Chancery seeking a declaratory judgment that the voting agreement between White Marble and Mo Chen is invalid and White Marble, not Mo Chen, controls the vote. White Marble LLC v. Chen, C.A. No. 2024-1208-PAF (Del. Ch.) On December 13, 2024, the Court entered an order that allows the Company to hold the vote on Proposal Two, and ordered that if Proposal Two is not approved at the Annual Meeting but the Court determines in the Action that Mo Chen, not the White Marble Entities, control how the White Marble Entities’ Shares are voted, then the White Marble Entities’ shares shall be deemed to have been voted in favor of Proposal Two at the Annual Meeting and that such vote shall stand. The vote totals above include the votes of the shares held by the White Marble Entities as voted by the White Marble Entities. If the shares held by the White Marble entities reflected in the totals above are deemed to have been voted in favor of Proposal Two, the Proposal will have passed. Accordingly, if the Court rules in Mo Chen’s favor, Proposal Two will be deemed to have passed and the Company would be permitted to amend its Certificate of Incorporation to implement Proposal Two and each of the directors elected pursuant to Proposal One will serve on the Board until the annual meeting of stockholders in accordance with the class of director to which each nominee is assigned.

About CreateAI

CreateAI (formerly TuSimple) is a global artificial intelligence company with offices in US, China, and Japan. The company is pioneering the future of digital entertainment content production, seamlessly blending cutting-edge generative AI technology with the creativity of world-class talent. Our mission is to redefine the boundaries of what’s possible in digital storytelling by developing immersive, captivating, and visually stunning experiences that resonate with audiences on a global scale.

Investor Relations Contact:
ICR for CreateAI
CreateAI.IR@icrinc.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/createai-announces-results-of-2024-annual-meeting-of-stockholders-302338618.html

SOURCE CreateAI Holdings Inc

Continue Reading

Technology

Rosica Communications Releases V2 of Thought Leadership Measurement Matrix™

Published

on

By

Beta Phase Concludes, Formerly Launching Market Influence Platform

FAIR LAWN, N.J., Dec. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Rosica Communications, a national PR agency specializing in education, animal health, nonprofits, and healthcare, has completed beta-testing of its comprehensive tool for assessing thought leadership, now called the Thought Leadership Measurement Matrix™. This innovative tool utilizes a unique, weighted algorithm to measure and analyze 20 marketing, online, and public relations factors or activities that impact thought leadership and influence industry reputation and standing.

“Rosica goes beyond traditional web metrics to deliver a tool that tracks the broader scope of an organization’s thought leadership activities.”

This PR thought leadership measurement system provides both qualitative and quantitative assessments of an organization’s market influence, pinpointing strengths and uncovering opportunities for advancing thought leadership. After nearly two years of development and retaining an analytics specialist and mathematician in 2024 to advance its thought leadership scoring tables, Rosica’s Thought Leadership Measurement Matrix™ is now ready for prime time. Formerly launched by Rosica as the “Thought Leadership Index,” this is the only tool that thoroughly measures 20 distinct variables affecting thought leadership. It allows organizations to gauge their leadership presence through an in-depth analysis of performance indicators, SEO, content marketing (owned media), speaking engagements, website traffic and user experience (UX), and influencer or KOL advocacy.

“Completing the beta phase with our clients created insights that shaped the final PR and thought leadership measurement platform we’re now officially introducing. The Thought Leadership Measurement Matrix™ is the most comprehensive tool available to measure earned, owned, social, and paid media, plus a number of additional online and traditional marketing, PR, and communications activities that move the needle for organizations to impact of their thought leadership,” said Chris Rosica, CEO and president of Rosica Communications.

“Rosica goes beyond traditional web metrics to deliver a tool that tracks the broader scope of an organization’s thought leadership activities. This tool doesn’t just measure visibility, it quantifies influence, helping organizations not only get noticed but also become recognized leaders in their industries,” said Analytics Specialist Dan Scheuermann.

For more information, visit http://www.rosica.com

Media Contact

Micah Carroll, Rosica Communications, 201-843-5600, micah@rosica.com, www.Rosica.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prweb.com/releases/rosica-communications-releases-v2-of-thought-leadership-measurement-matrix-302338568.html

SOURCE Rosica Communications

Continue Reading

Technology

KORE Announces NYSE Acceptance of Plan to Regain Listing Compliance

Published

on

By

ATLANTA, Dec. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — KORE Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: KORE) (“KORE” or the “Company”), the global pure-play Internet of Things (“IoT”) hyperscaler and provider of IoT Connectivity, Solutions, and Analytics, today announced it has received notification (the “Acceptance Letter”) from the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) that the NYSE has accepted the Company’s previously-submitted plan (the “Plan”) to regain compliance with the NYSE’s continued listing standards set forth in Section 802.01B of the NYSE Listed Company Manual relating to minimum market capitalization and stockholders’ equity. In the Acceptance Letter, the NYSE granted the Company an 18-month period from September 12, 2024 (the “Plan Period”) to regain compliance with the continued listing standards. As part of the Plan, the Company is required to provide the NYSE quarterly updates regarding its progress towards the goals and initiatives in the Plan. In the Plan, Kore included details regarding previously reported operational restructuring activities, as well as an outlook on the Company’s business. 

The Company expects its common stock will continue to be listed on the NYSE during the Plan Period, subject to the Company adherence to the Plan and compliance with other applicable NYSE continued listing standards. The Company’s receipt of such notification from the NYSE does not affect the Company’s business, operations or reporting requirements with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes certain statements that are not historical facts but are forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements generally are accompanied by words such as “believe,” “guidance,” “project,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” “should,” “would,” “plan,” “predict,” “potential,” “seem,” “seek,” “future,” “outlook,” and similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding expected progress with the Company’s compliance plan submitted to the NYSE, expected compliance with continued listing standards of the NYSE and expected continued listing of the Company’s common stock on the NYSE. These statements are based on various assumptions and on the current expectations of KORE’s management. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as and must not be relied on by any investor or other person as, a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and will differ from assumptions. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of KORE. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including general economic, financial, legal, political and business conditions and changes in domestic and foreign markets; the potential effects of COVID-19; risks related to the rollout of KORE’s business and the timing of expected business milestones; risks relating to the integration of KORE’s acquired companies, including the acquisition of Twilio’s IoT business, changes in the assumptions underlying KORE’s expectations regarding its future business; our ability to negotiate and sign a definitive contract with a customer in our sales funnel; our ability to realize some or all of estimates relating to customer contracts as revenue, including any contractual options available to customers or contractual periods that are subject to termination for convenience provisions; the effects of competition on KORE’s future business; and the outcome of judicial proceedings to which KORE is, or may become a party. If the risks materialize or assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. There may be additional risks that KORE presently does not know or that KORE currently believes are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements reflect KORE’s expectations, plans or forecasts of future events and views as of the date of this press release. KORE anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause these assessments to change. However, while KORE may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, KORE specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing KORE’s assessments as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed upon the forward-looking statements.

KORE Investor Contact:

Vik Vijayvergiya
Vice President, IR, Corporate Development and Strategy
vvijayvergiya@korewireless.com
(770) 280-0324

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kore-announces-nyse-acceptance-of-plan-to-regain-listing-compliance-302338621.html

SOURCE KORE Group Holdings, Inc.

Continue Reading

Trending