EPISODE · Feb 17, 2022 · 34 MIN
Tobias Taupitz: The Lifestyle Bicycle Insurance Platform For The Collective
from Scouting for Growth · host Sabine VdL
On this episode, Sabine VdL interviews Tobias Taupitz, CEO and Co-Founder of Laka, to discuss topics including business model innovation, leadership, culture, and expansion into new markets. KEY TAKEAWAYS Why should you protect future losses when you can look backwards knowing exactly how much you need to charge to cover your costs of claims? We do so retroactively shares Tobi, so as not to incur a credit risk or payment default risk. It is all about balancing the risk, including actuarial risk. This way we know down to the penny how much we need to recover in a month, we can be fully transparent because we’re a high frequency, and a low margin player. Customers get a monthly breakdown from us showing what happened within their risk pool of like-minded people, and we split the costs among them. We have a cost-plus business model in insurance where we add a fee on top of every claim we settle – a success fee almost – so, ironically, the more claims we settle the more money we make. The Laka model, or whatever it will be called eventually – a credit-based insurance proposition – should be the status quo across the industry because it’s the only way in my mind that it’s a fair and appealing to customers. It will change the game. In a world where brand trust is at an all-time low and traditional insurers have commoditised themselves to the point of no return (thanks to the price comparison websites for example,) the next big buzzwords such as ‘embedded insurance' do not help create brand awareness. Such buzzwords become more and more interchangeable. We’re trying to build an insurance brand people can trust, that they want to associate themselves with, which allows us to do cool things like horizontal cross-selling, a ‘colour-in’ health product which is a modern take on personal accident cover and vertical expansion. To all founders: You’re not alone, there are many great people out there willing to help, but it’s up to you to express what you need and how you would like to work together. Be radical and say “no” to advice that doesn’t fit in because you’re the only person that knows your business, the way you do. Nevertheless, highly stimulating viewpoints (as always) are always great to listen to and learn from. BEST MOMENTS ‘Why estimate when you can be accurate?’ ‘Laka is the divine goddess of prosperity and hula dancing – we saw this a very fitting comparison about well-being and having some fun.’ ‘We want to be the lifestyle brand within the mobility insurance.’ ‘With 125 million active cyclists with a high-end or insurable bike in a growing market is a fantastic place to be. In England alone, 47% of people aged 5 and over owned or had access to a bicycle in 2020. If you focus efficiently, you can own the full supply chain from front to end. That’s what we’re building with modes around sustainable mobility in Europe.’ ABOUT THE GUEST Tobias Taupitz’s aim is to turn a century-old insurance operating model on its head. He launched Laka with his two co-founders after spending years in the Corporate Finance teams at Barclays and KPMG, covering financial technology and insurance clients. Rediscovering his passion for insurance, he made it his mission to align customer and insurer interests, moving from premiums upfront to payments in arrears. Tobias graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Insurance and Actuarial Sciences from the Cologne University of Applied Sciences and attended University College Dublin and the National University of Singapore to earn his CEMS Master’s in International Management degree. 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
What if insurance stopped guessing—and started being precise? In this episode of Scouting for Growth, Sabine VanderLinden is joined by Tobias Taupitz, CEO and Co-Founder of Laka, to explore how radical business model innovation, values-led leadership, and cultural clarity can unlock trust—and growth—in a commoditised insurance market. Tobi challenges one of insurance’s oldest assumptions: why charge customers upfront based on estimates, when you can calculate costs accurately after claims occur? Laka’s answer is a retroactive, cost-plus model that removes credit risk, increases transparency, and aligns insurer and customer interests by design. Each month, Laka looks back—not forward—at exactly what claims occurred within a community of like-minded customers. Costs are shared transparently, with a clear breakdown of what happened and why. Laka adds a fixed fee on top of settled claims—meaning the business only succeeds when customers are paid fairly and efficiently. It’s a high-frequency, low-margin model built on trust rather than complexity. And in Tobi’s view, it shouldn’t be the exception—it should be the new status quo. The conversation goes beyond mechanics to tackle brand and relevance. In a world where trust in insurers is at an all-time low—and buzzwords like “embedded insurance” blur into sameness—Laka is deliberately building a brand people want to associate with. One that enables horizontal expansion, vertical growth, and lifestyle-led propositions across sustainable mobility. Cycling is just the starting point. With over 125 million high-end cyclists across Europe, Laka is positioning itself to own the full value chain—from protection to partnerships—within a fast-growing, purpose-driven mobility ecosystem. Tobi also shares candid advice for founders: you’re not alone—but you are responsible for choosing which advice to accept. Be open. Be curious. But be confident enough to say no when guidance doesn’t fit your vision. Culture, he argues, is built as much by what you reject as by what you embrace. You’ll hear: Why “pay after” insurance realigns incentives and restores fairness How transparency can outperform price comparison in building trust Why brand matters more than buzzwords in insurance innovation What founders can learn about leadership, focus, and saying no This episode is a sharp reminder that the future of insurance won’t be built by those who estimate better—but by those who design fairer systems from the ground up. 🎧 Tune in—and ask yourself: are you optimising a legacy model… or brave enough to replace it entirely?
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Tobias Taupitz: The Lifestyle Bicycle Insurance Platform For The Collective
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