EPISODE · Jan 11, 2024 · 33 MIN
Antony Elliott: The Zurich Innovation Championship
from Scouting for Growth · host Sabine VdL
On this episode of the Scouting For Growth podcast, Sabine VdL talks to Antony Elliott, Global Lead for Digital R&D at Zurich Insurance, who is pivotal in driving the exploration, exploitation, analysis, & early-stage adoption of disruptive technologies, shaping Zurich's digital transformation journey. In this episode, they talk about his role at Zurich, the company’s strategic themes for 2024, the future of InsurTech, the challenges of adopting disruptive technologies, & his advice for young ventures looking to collaborate with Zurich or break into the InsurTech space. KEY TAKEAWAYS I fell into the insurance industry in 1999 & I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I saw a stat that around 80% of British CEOs were former accountants, so I thought that seemed like a good qualification to have and applied to the Big 5 & ended up getting a job at PwC, thinking I was going to be rich. But when I got there, they told me I’d be working in insurance. I realised there were lots of things in insurance that needed fixing & could be improved, which is why I ended up staying in it & why I’m still trying to do so. We’re using computer vision to monitor and assess the 5 million commercial buildings we insure worldwide to reduce our carbon footprint. We also use it in physiotherapy to make sure people are doing it correctly & to help them be physically well, either with posture & core strength or to recover from injury quickly. We start by identifying either the problem or the opportunity & we involve a lot of stakeholders, from the most senior down so we can see a consolidated view across the group that this will solve challenges that they care about. We then use our network to find the best startups in those spaces & that they know about out Innovation Championship to apply for it. We select the top 10-12 and put them through a validation phase to demonstrate how they can create business value for Zurich & the startup. I see huge potential in the Internet of Things for insurance; we haven’t quite reached the tipping point for its value yet. I’d like to see startups working in that space, whether it’s in commercial insurance or more personalised insurance. Taking sensor data to understand the thing we’re insuring & to offer risk insights to the customer & to us as underwriters to prevent a claim or detect it early is an area with huge potential. BEST MOMENTS ‘I like insurance because I think it plays a really important role in society.’ ‘I focus on innovation, how new technologies & ideas can create value for Zurich.’ ‘I expect we’ll see generative AI native startups coming through this year which will create amazing value.’ ‘Be very clear& concise on what your value proposition is and that it’s a major part of your elevator pitch. You can have the best technology in the world, but if you can’t articulate it in a short period of time, it’s very difficult for people to understand that.’ ABOUT THE GUEST Antony Elliott, a seasoned professional with over two decades of experience in the insurance industry, currently serves as the Global Head for Digital R&D at Zurich Insurance. His role is pivotal in driving the exploration, analysis, & early-stage adoption of disruptive technologies, with a focus on their desirability, feasibility, & viability. ZIC - Zurich Innovation Championship ABOUT THE HOST Sabine VanderLinden is a corporate strategist turned entrepreneur and the CEO of Alchemy Crew Ventures. She leads venture-client labs that help Fortune 500 companies adopt and scale cutting-edge technologies from global tech ventures. A builder of accelerators, investor, and co-editor of the bestseller The INSURTECH Book, Sabine is known for asking the uncomfortable questions—about AI governance, risk, and trust. On Scouting for Growth, she decodes how real growth happens—where capital, collaboration, and courage meet. If this episode sparked your thinking, follow Sabine VanderLinden on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram for more insights. And if you’re interested in sponsoring the podcast, reach out to the team at [email protected]
What this episode covers
Insurance doesn’t change because technology exists. It changes because someone is brave enough to apply it where it truly matters. In this episode of Scouting for Growth, Sabine VanderLinden sits down with Antony Elliott, Global Lead for Digital R&D at Zurich Insurance, one of the quiet architects behind Zurich’s digital transformation and early adoption of disruptive technologies at scale. Antony didn’t set out to work in insurance. Like many, he “fell into it.” But what made him stay—and ultimately shape the future of the industry—was simple: too many things were broken, inefficient, or could be done better. Fast forward to today, and Antony sits at the intersection of strategy, experimentation, and execution, helping Zurich identify which emerging technologies are not just exciting—but desirable, feasible, and commercially viable. This conversation is a masterclass in how large insurers actually innovate. Zurich doesn’t start with technology. It starts with a problem or opportunity that matters—to customers, underwriters, claims teams, sustainability leaders, and the board. From there, Antony and his team mobilise stakeholders across the organisation, align on outcomes, and only then scout the ecosystem for the right startups to solve real challenges. One striking example: Zurich now uses computer vision to monitor and assess millions of commercial buildings globally, not just to manage risk—but to actively reduce carbon footprint and support sustainability goals. The same technology is applied in physiotherapy and recovery, ensuring people perform exercises correctly, recover faster, and stay healthier. This is innovation with purpose, not theatre. Antony also pulls back the curtain on Zurich’s Innovation Championship—a rigorous funnel where hundreds of startups are narrowed down to a select few, put through a validation phase, and challenged to prove tangible business value for both Zurich and themselves. No pilots for the sake of pilots. No vanity partnerships. Looking ahead to 2024, Antony sees several inflection points: The rise of generative-AI-native startups built from the ground up Untapped potential in the Internet of Things, especially sensor-driven risk insights A shift from reactive insurance to prevention-led, data-driven propositions Imagine insurers and customers sharing real-time insight into the thing being insured—buildings, equipment, people—so claims are prevented, not just paid. That tipping point, Antony believes, is closer than many think. For founders, his advice is refreshingly blunt: You can have the best technology in the world—but if you cannot explain your value clearly, concisely, and in plain language, you will not get traction inside a global insurer. This episode is essential listening if you are: Building or running innovation or R&D inside an insurer Leading CVC, partnerships, or venture scouting A founder trying to collaborate with Zurich or break into InsurTech An executive balancing experimentation with real business outcomes Because the future of insurance won’t be won by those chasing disruption for disruption’s sake. It will be shaped by those who know how to connect technology, trust, and tangible value—at scale. And that is exactly what this conversation delivers.
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Antony Elliott: The Zurich Innovation Championship
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