by Tan Aik Keong (AK)
For this column, I interviewed Jan, an InsurTech expert originally from the Czech Republic who's now based in Kuala Lumpur. He got his start in digital design at 15, and has since built extensive experience working across multiple countries and continents. Notably, his background spans business, finance and economics too — giving him a real edge in software design and technology.
After travelling extensively around Southeast Asia running his own digital design practice, Jan eventually settled in Malaysia and started a family. After stints at a few smaller startups and a design leadership role at Accenture Song, he now leads a global team of product designers, researchers and engineers across seven countries at a unicorn startup. As Product Design Director at a multinational InsurTech company, he's primarily responsible for digital experience, product strategy and service design — while also exploring claims servicing and innovation, working toward new possibilities for insurance's future.
Empowering more businesses to offer insurance
Jan points out that many businesses — telcos, retailers, car manufacturers — either lack the licences and technology needed to offer insurance themselves, or can only offer a limited range of products. But they still want to offer coverage to customers, both as a new revenue stream and a way to deepen the relationship.
Through InsurTech platforms, these companies can embed a range of insurance and protection products — extended warranties, traditional insurance, even cybersecurity coverage — to meet different customer needs. "That way, insurance isn't confined to insurance companies any more," Jan explains. "It integrates directly into all kinds of business models, and actually reaches the end consumer."
Embedded insurance: closing the protection gap
On embedded insurance, Jan stresses its core value is making insurance more accessible, and helping close the market's "protection gap." A customer might add travel insurance when booking a flight, or get car insurance bundled automatically with a new vehicle purchase; even buying electronics now often comes with the option of extended warranty or accidental-damage cover.
New forms of micro-insurance tailored to specific groups are emerging too — short-term or low-premium policies for crypto wallets, consumer electronics, even hearing aids. It's all making insurance products more flexible and varied.
Southeast Asia's potential: technology and inclusion, together
Jan is optimistic about InsurTech and fintech in Southeast Asia. Some parts of the region haven't yet widely adopted modern financial services — but that gap itself points to real headroom for digitalisation and adoption. Malaysia has a relatively mature digital ecosystem, and government is actively pushing financial and insurance education, which gives Jan confidence about further lifting local insurance penetration.
As AI and generative AI become more widespread, insurers can tailor flexible products — car, health, critical-illness coverage — based on driving habits or individual lifestyle. Combined with IoT for risk monitoring and prevention, and big-data analysis, insurance can shift from pure "after-the-loss" indemnification toward genuine risk management and prevention.
Digital and traditional channels: complementary, not competing
Asked whether digital insurance will replace traditional agents, Jan believes the two should complement each other. Digital channels reach remote areas and younger, mobile-native customers effectively, while agents retain an irreplaceable human touch for more complex insurance conversations.
"In remote areas, or where there's no physical branch, digital can reach more potential policyholders. But for higher-value or more specialised insurance, agents are still essential," Jan explains. He also points to Malaysia's mature super-app ecosystem combined with InsurTech as a strong example of helping more people quickly access simple, transparent insurance products.
BNM's DITO framework: advancing insurance inclusion
Jan sees Bank Negara Malaysia's Digital Insurance and Takaful Operators (DITO) framework as a real boost for InsurTech. He believes it'll help groups not covered by traditional insurance access suitable financial and risk protection more easily, accelerating Malaysia's insurance penetration rate. New digital insurance entrants will need to excel on compliance, data transparency and claims service to genuinely earn market trust — a strong forcing function for innovation, competition and service quality across the industry.
Looking ahead: simple, affordable, high-quality
Looking forward, Jan believes "easy to understand, digital-first, fairly priced, and offering real choice" remains the key to driving insurance adoption. Digital channels can strip out the complexity of traditional insurance processes and lift service efficiency; combined further with AI, big data and IoT, insurers can offer personalised, real-time solutions to different customer segments — turning insurance into a "safety partner" woven seamlessly into everyday life, anticipating risk before it happens.
As Malaysia's digital insurance sector keeps expanding under both regulatory push (BNM's DITO) and market demand, the industry should see real momentum and growth ahead. Jan is convinced that as long as products stay user-friendly, transparent and competitively priced, more people will gradually build insurance awareness — and be willing to buy in.
Part of the AK AI Corner column. Originally published in Oriental Daily (东方日报) on Feb 4, 2025.