Innovation intelligence brief
Innovation intelligence brief
Added by the 2026 Swiss InsurTech research (issue #41) from public sources, not by the original academic study (Stoeckli, Dremel & Uebernickel). Its 2016 and 2017 classifications apply the original taxonomy definitions but were not validated by that study. All innovations in this cohort · Methodology ↗
Term life (death benefit) insurance from CHF 50,000 up to CHF 500,000 that customers can buy fully online, 24/7, in about 15 minutes, with automated medical underwriting via an online health questionnaire, credit-card payment and immediate policy issuance.
Research profile · Swiss Innovation · 2021–2026
Classification notes · Maturity 'established': the product has been sold continuously since March 2023 and Zurich's 2026 term-life page still routes online purchases to lifeprotect.zurich.ch. Whether iptiQ still operates the underwriting platform after Swiss Re's withdrawal from iptiQ is not verified; the product page no longer names iptiQ. Strategic evolution 'retained' because the offer (sum range, online purchase, automated underwriting) is unchanged from launch.
What became of it
Completed · High confidence · Last verified 2026-10-18
At launch
According to Zurich, the first fully digital instant purchase of death-benefit insurance up to CHF 500,000 in Switzerland, with automated medical underwriting and no medical examination (Zurich cites a Synpulse market comparison).
2026 reality
Still sold in 2026: Zurich's term-life page offers online calculation and purchase via lifeprotect.zurich.ch (CHF 50,000-500,000, annually renewable, annual credit-card payment, cover from the next day), with a voucher promotion for online purchases running until 9 November 2026. The page no longer mentions iptiQ.
The original model remains substantially intact.
an incumbent using a reinsurer-built automated-underwriting engine to sell high-sum life cover online in a market where life risk products are mostly adviser-sold; its significance is mainly as a reference for direct digital life sales.
Third taxonomy
REVIEW · Confirmed still sold in 2026 (product page and lifeprotect.zurich.ch). Merged the seg4 alternative: replaced the finews advertorial with the iptiQ newsroom item, added the product page and the purchase site; set maturity established (was unclear), currentUrl, swissConnection type headquarters; added distinctFrom for iptiQ (229) and the other Zurich records.
Research interpretation
Classified by the Swiss Innovation · 2021–2026 research, applying the original models' definitions. Not a classification by the original study.