The New York start-up Lemonade, specialist in online home insurance without obligation, is launching this Tuesday, December 8 in France. Individuals can now insure instantly, at any time from the application or the dedicated site. Once insured, the company ensures that they will be able to report claims online and be reimbursed “in seconds”.
Lemonade launched its home insurance for owners and tenants at the end of 2016. It is now present in 27 US states. The start-up was listed on the New York Stock Exchange last July, which enabled it to raise $ 320 million.
Ease of use thanks to an app and a chatbot
The principle underlying its offer is similar to that offered by all insurance companies: speed and ease of use thanks to a mobile application. The start-up has also developed a chatbot, called Maya, to offer an additional mode of interaction to its customers.
Lemonade offers tenant insurance policies starting at $ 4 per month that offer more coverage than traditional policies, the company claims. For example, Lemonade offers an optional warranty that covers theft both at home and away. At the same time, the company offers civil liability insurance and health insurance for pets, products that are not yet available in France.
A united approach
The nugget also wants to break with the traditional approach of insurance companies. It is B-corp certified, a label awarded to companies meeting societal and environmental requirements, governance as well as transparency towards the public.
Thus, it levies fixed costs for its operations and transfers unused funds from contributions to associations chosen by its policyholders. Les Restos du Cœur, En avant tout (s), Surfrider Europe, Le Refuge, the HP-HF foundation, 350.org, La Ligue Contre le Cancer and Médecins sans frontières have been selected to participate in this program.
Already present in Germany and the Netherlands
The Hexagon was not chosen by chance. “Home insurance is compulsory in France, which makes it an essential opportunity for Lemonade“, explains Daniel Schreiber, co-founder and CEO of the American company. To establish itself in this market, the company will have to face competitors such as Leocare or Luko, which has just raised 50 million euros to win in Europe.
France is not the first European country where Lemonade is launching. The start-up is already present in Germany and the Netherlands, whose capital houses its European headquarters. Thanks to its approval issued by the Dutch Central Bank (DNB), it can launch in any European country. The Suisse, Sweden and Spain are the next markets on its list.
–
