This article caught my eye during my weekend trawl of the InsurTech press. I found it insightful and uplifting  in equal measure because: 

- it shows the power of a good brand.  JRW Group sounds very last millennium, Ripe resonates cool and innovative.

- it shows that there are innovative brokers out there especially in the SMB space which will be the main Insurtech battle ground in the next few years. Those with an existing customer base to innovate with have a natural advantage over StartUps. 

- for those who think the world begins and ends a few miles from Old Street, there is some very cool stuff going on in Manchester and the other regional hubs. London has no monopoly on Insurtech. Time for InsTech London to go on tour!

- you don't need to be a Startup to innovate. Ripe is 18 years old, has middle aged management (they were young when they started!) who have been innovating all that time improving engagement (six clicks), their product set and the levels of personalisation. You can do that it you're not stuck on legacy kit.

- you can't be cool and innovative in a suit and tie - we need more branded polo shirts.

- these guys came up with the best quote of 2018 so far by miles - "We want our pricing model to be driven by data, not anecdote." I just love it

That should be the new mantra for all brokers - BIBA and LIIBA, you heard it here first.