How does ERGO drive digitalisation and innovation in collaboration with startups?

In June, ERGO had the pleasure of hosting an inspiring and high-energy event at our headquarters in Düsseldorf: the latest edition of Venture Client Roundtable – a programme dedicated to fostering stronger connections, sharing valuable insights and good practices among corporate venture client teams. Don't miss the video at the end of this post for visual impressions of this high-energy gathering!

For the 11^th edition of Venture Client Roundtable, ERGO welcomed more than 100 venture clienting enthusiasts across industry borders to exchange insights on venture clienting and startup collaborations. Inspiring keynotes and interactive sessions provided an ideal platform for sharing impactful solutions.

In addition to a keynote by ERGO CDO Mark Klein and Bessem Ayari, Global Head of Innovation Strategy & Scouting and host of this event, another highlight was the reverse pitch from our business departments and members of our ERGO ScaleHub accelerator programme. Both sides pitched their respective projects – requirements and solutions – within 180 seconds. An inspirational and agile presentation of how ERGO drives digitalisation and innovation in collaboration with startups! 

“During the event, we proudly shared how we’ve already delivered 80+ startup collaborations across the globe – but what inspired us even more were the stories of our guests,” says Bessem: How they navigate uncertainty and still execute with clarity, how they stay committed to real strategic challenges – and how they build environments where innovation is not a buzzword, but a performance mindset.

ERGO aims to be a digital leader in the insurance industry by 2025. Venture clienting is a key factor in our innovation strategy. 

But does the name "ERGO ScaleHub" mean that ERGO will be focussing more on collaborating with such established companies in future – and less on very young startups? “The transition between these classifications is of course fluid,” Bessem explains in an interview here on //radar: “Our strategic direction remains focussed on integrating innovative solutions and technologies into our business – regardless of whether they come from start-ups or scale-ups.”

While startups often contribute fresh ideas and agile approaches, scaleups already offer proven products and a certain degree of market maturity. An important aspect is that scale-ups are often better able to fulfil the high regulatory standards that are necessary in the insurance industry. Insurance is a business that thrives on trust and security, and we must ensure this in all technological solutions. “Our aim is to support both phases of the company's growth in order to strengthen our innovative power and offer our customers the best solutions,” Bessem concludes.

Text: Ingo Schenk