The BMA recognises the growing importance of innovation in the insurance and wider financial industry and the critical role that innovation plays in promoting efficiency and enhancing competitiveness in the market. It is to this end that the Authority launched two parallel innovation tracks: an Insurance Regulatory Sandbox (“Sandbox”) and an Innovation Hub, both initially targeted at insurance technology (InsurTech) companies.
Regulatory Sandboxes
The regulatory sandbox is an innovation track for companies looking to test new technologies or business models to a limited number of clients in a controlled environment and for a limited period of time. The regulatory sandbox is reserved for companies that will be undertaking licensable activities as defined under the Insurance Act 1978.
Participating Companies:
| Company Name | Sandbox Licence | Project Overview | Sandbox Licence Expiry | Sandbox Status |
| AkinovA (Bermuda) Ltd | Innovative Intermediary - IMP | An electronic marketplace to transfer and trade insurance risks, enabling cedants and intermediaries acting on their behalf to transfer insurance risk to investors | 26 December 2020 |
Graduated Post-sandbox license: Insurance Marketplace Provider effective 1 January 2021 |
| Nayms Ecosystems Limited | Innovative Insurers - IGB |
A smart contract powered platform that allows insurance entities to create fully-collateralised, fully digital, transparent, trustless and tradable reinsurance contracts. Please note this company is also licensed under the Digital Asset Business Act 2018. |
1 May 2022 | Active |
| Kettle Limited | Innovative Intermediary - IA |
An insurance agent underwriting catastrophe coverage on behalf of target capacity providers using proprietary machine learning algorithms technology to create optimal portfolios of risk. The project initial focus is on California wildfire exposures. |
12 March 2022 | Active |
|
Blackbird ILS Marketplace Ltd. |
Innovative Intermediary - IMP |
A closed-end liquid market for structured, syndicated and modelled cyber exposure and other specialty risk as fixed-income products. The market facilitates the trading of Insurance Linked Security Bonds between insurers, reinsurers and sophisticated investors. |
8 September 2022 |
Active |
Innovation Hub
The innovation hub is an alternative track for companies looking to test new technologies or business models, similar to the regulatory sandbox, but is applicable for companies that are either:
- Not currently captured under either the Insurance Act or any other Financial Acts (e.g. innovative product or service vendors)
- Not yet ready for sandbox or are still developing their Proof-of-Concept
Participating Companies:
| Project Name | Project Overview | Company |
| Longitude Exchange |
Longitude Exchange is seeking to be a marketplace for hedging, investing in, and trading longevity risk leveraging quantitative insights, financial and data analytics. |
Longitude Solutions LLC, and VB Risk Advisory B.V. |
| Fixed Risk Contract | Development of a regulated, non-negotiated capital markets product that mitigates the risk of property damage caused by natural disaster, by paying out upon recognition of a set of clearly defined circumstances. | Telluriq Investment Company Limited |
| Avert | Leveraging block-chain technology to build an automated insurance platform for captive insurance management to serve the digitally-native and blockchain-native business community | Mothership Holdings, LLC |
|
RiCap BERMUDA |
A blockchain-driven electronic platform allowing brokers, insurance companies and reinsurers to do business in a single platform to improve business efficiency and cut frictional cost (phase 1), as well as build a private business network to access third party capital (phase 2 and 3) | ChainThat Limited |
IMPORTANT LINKS:
- Guidance Note: Insurance Regulatory Sandbox and Innovation Hub
- Application Checklist for the Sandbox and Innovation Hub
- Schedule a call with our Insurance Innovation team
- Sandbox and Innovation Hub Infographic:
