InsurTechNZ Event Recap | 23 April 2026 | Deloitte, Auckland
Setting the Scene
On 23 April, InsurTechNZ brought together insurance professionals, technologists, and innovators at Deloitte’s Auckland offices to explore a question that is becoming increasingly important for our sector: what could open insurance mean in New Zealand, and who gets to shape it?
The evening was anchored by a panel featuring Bryce Redgwell, GM, Customer Product & Enablement at Partners Life; David Leach, CEO of JAVLN; Carol Brown, New Zealand Country Manager at Databricks; and Kylie Bryant, Partner at Deloitte and co-chair of InsurTechNZ. Hamish Borowczyk, a director at Deloitte, moderated the conversation.
What Is Open Insurance?
Open insurance is the insurance-specific application of open data. In simple terms, it means a customer can instruct their insurer to share their data with a trusted, accredited third party. The fundamental shift is that data moves from being owned by the insurer to being directed by the customer.
That shift carries real implications — for how policies are priced, how claims are processed, how new products are designed, and how the industry builds (or erodes) trust with the people it serves.
Key Themes from the Discussion
Use cases are closer than they appear. The panel identified several practical entry points: reducing friction in onboarding and underwriting, improving claims processing through real-time data, and helping customers better understand their own insurance needs and gaps. The opportunity isn’t abstract — it’s embedded in everyday insurance workflows.
Data foundations come first. A recurring theme was the importance of getting the underlying data infrastructure right before layering innovation on top. Security, governance, and data lineage enable everything else — including AI. Organisations that invest in this now are building the capability to move quickly later.
The legacy technology gap is real. Some parts of the industry are still operating on systems that predate cloud computing. Open insurance requires data to move between organisations; that’s difficult when systems don’t talk to each other. Modernisation is a prerequisite.
Standards are the missing piece. Unlike banking, where Payments New Zealand has driven standardisation, insurance has no equivalent body setting data exchange standards. The panel pointed to open banking — and industries like healthcare, with its HL7 standard — as models worth learning from. The lesson: standards take time and require competitors to sit in the same room. Starting that process now matters. As a group, last year we heard some of the experiences of Open Banking.
The customer is the point. Across the conversation, one idea kept surfacing: the system only works if customers trust it and see value in sharing their data. Respecting customer consent, using data to fill coverage gaps and improve outcomes, and being transparent about how data is used — are the foundations of the whole proposition.
Spotlight on Innovation
The evening also featured brief introductions from three early-stage companies present in the room — a reminder that the solutions to some of these challenges are already being built right here in New Zealand. From verified media for claims integrity (Vusense), to real-time intelligence tools for brokers and underwriters (Miint) to software simplifying mid-market commercial property insurance (CIX), the insurtech community is active, and looking for partners.
If you’re an insurer or intermediary grappling with data, workflow, or customer experience challenges, the companies in this ecosystem are worth talking to.
What’s Next
The accompanying white paper, Open Insurance: Exploring the Opportunities for New Zealand maps the strategic choices the industry will need to navigate — from proactive leadership versus reactive regulation, to getting foundations right versus chasing early value.
Read the paper; it’s a practical starting point for any organisation thinking about where to begin.
And then get involved. Share your perspective. To be involved in future roundtables – let us know.