HackZone by Allianz Turkey Marks Successful Completion of 5th Term
The HackZone Program, initiated by Allianz Turkey to foster and stimulate innovation in the insurance sector, has triumphantly concluded its fifth edition. As the first open innovation initiative in Turkey’s insurance landscape, HackZone by Allianz offers a platform for start-ups focusing on artificial intelligence, digital health, and climate change to showcase their groundbreaking projects. The participants had the chance to present their innovations at the HackZone by Allianz Demo Day, drawing significant attention from investors. To date, these start-ups have successfully secured external investments exceeding $15.5 million.
Since its inception in 2020, HackZone has been a cornerstone of Allianz Turkey’s efforts to drive innovation through the collaboration with start-ups, developing novel business models. Over the last five years, organized in partnership with Tenity, the program has evaluated more than 590 start-ups. It has included 46 innovative initiatives, accelerating the projects of 34 different start-ups. These efforts have resulted in $15.5 million in investments for the participating start-ups.
Empowering Start-ups with Cutting-edge Insurance Solutions
This year’s cohort included Alon Health, Branchsight, Ingosa, Prowth, Text2Test, and Werover. These start-ups concentrated on insurance solutions involving AI, machine learning, climate crisis mitigation, and digital health—key themes of this year’s program. During the HackZone by Allianz Demo Day, these entrepreneurs mingled with investors, industry innovation leaders, and Allianz Turkey’s executive board members, including Onur Kırcı, Fahri Kaan Toker, and Evren Ayorak, to present their groundbreaking initiatives.
Commitment to Innovation in Insurance
Onur Kırcı, Deputy General Manager of Marketing and Digital Insurance at Allianz Turkey, emphasized the company’s commitment to innovation: “Since 2017, we have placed innovation at the heart of our corporate culture with the establishment of our Innovation Office, a first in the sector. As a company leading the charge in next-generation insurance, we prioritize partnerships with start-ups developing innovative business models. Through the HackZone Program, which has been running continuously for five years, we aim to drive innovation in the insurance industry using technologies like AI and ML. Supported by over 50 expert mentors from Allianz, the program helps start-ups adapt to the insurance sector and develop solutions that address real needs.”
Breaking New Ground in Open Insurance
Kırcı further noted the significance of HackZone: “We are proud to be the first to introduce the concept of open insurance to Turkey’s insurance industry. Through HackZone, 26 start-ups have collaborated with the insurance sector for the first time, delivering innovative solutions in this regulated and complex field. HackZone not only fosters technology development but also enhances customer experience, ensures operational excellence, and accelerates the digital transformation of our business partners. With over 5,000 developers registered in our open APIs, we aim to expand this ecosystem and develop solutions that will differentiate the insurance industry with more initiatives.”
Exploring the Future of Insurtech
At the HackZone by Allianz Demo Day, a panel titled “The Future and Opportunities of the Insurtech Ecosystem” was held. Moderated by Serkan Ünsal, founder of Startups Watch, the panel featured Arın Özkula (e2VC partner), Hasan Emre Özgür (General Manager of Netmera), and Fahri Kaan Toker (Deputy General Manager of Operations at Allianz Turkey). They shared insights into the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the insurance sector, offering valuable knowledge and experiences to the attendees.
Spotlight on Start-ups at HackZone Demo Day
Alon Health: Provides biometric data security and integration through a B2B annual licensing model.
Branchsight: A digital marketing platform for multi-location brands, enhancing physical visitations by boosting regional awareness through targeted digital ads.
Ingosa: An innovative advertising platform revolutionizing digital ads with generative AI and speech-based AI technologies, significantly increasing user interaction while offering first-party data collection opportunities.
Prowth: A customer analytics and marketing strategy recommendation platform that empowers CRM teams to transform data into actionable insights without coding.
Text2Test: Converts natural language scenarios into executable, end-to-end, and self-healing tests covering all QA aspects, with full support for web and mobile applications.
Werover: Delivers an AI-powered 24/7 wind turbine blade health monitoring system, enabling early damage detection. Since its launch in January 2024, its technology has been implemented on over 400 turbines across Turkey, the UK, and Europe, attracting $2.1 million in investment over two years.
