At a time when the insurance and assistance sectors are undergoing rapid transformation towards more digital and customer-centered models, Iris Global has emerged as a key player within the Grupo Santalucía, with more than 1,500 employees and a significant presence in Spain.
With services provided to 17 million customers linked to policies from the Group and third parties, Iris Global now reinforces its commitment to the Valencian ecosystem by joining as a new supporter of Startup Valencia. The company is committed to advancing open innovation, collaborating with startups, and accelerating the creation of solutions that more effectively address the emerging challenges of the sector.
We spoke with their team to explore how they plan to bring this ambition to life, which areas of their business are open to co-creation with startups, and which technological trends they see as the most transformative for their industry.
Could you briefly explain what Iris Global is and what its value proposition in the market is?
Iris Global is a brand specialized in insurance and comprehensive assistance solutions for companies and individuals. It is part of the Grupo Santalucía and has more than 1,500 employees.
On the insurance side, we offer travel assistance products (including for pets), legal protection, and pecuniary losses. As for services, our portfolio includes travel assistance, legal protection, health, home, BPO contact center, and funeral services.
Our value proposition is built on three pillars:
– Quality, because we strive for excellence.
– Innovation, because we like to seek creative solutions that make us better.
– Sustainability, because we think long-term.
And all with a clear objective: to improve our clients’ experience, accompanying them in the most important and delicate moments of their lives.
What motivated Iris Global to join Startup Valencia as supporters?
Innovation is part of our identity as a brand, and in addition, our Valencia office is one of our main innovation hubs. From the beginning, it has been a key driver of transformation and growth in the company. In fact, at Iris Global we have a specific Innovation area that works transversally with all business units.
One of our main strategies when working on Innovation is collaboration. We are always open to exploring potential synergies with entities, institutions, and other reference players within the entrepreneurial and technological ecosystem.
For this reason, being supporters of Startup Valencia represents a great opportunity for us to connect with startups and identify new opportunities. We believe it is an excellent way to drive the development of new products and services, optimize processes, and co-create innovative experiences that generate value for our customers.
Do you currently have any specific open innovation lines or programs for collaboration with startups?
At Iris Global we have an internal program called “The Engine of Innovation,” which is now in its sixth edition. It consists of forming multidisciplinary teams with company employees, who are assigned challenges aligned with the business’s strategic objectives in order to find creative solutions.
During the program, participants receive mentoring and training in agile methodologies to develop viable value proposals. In the acceleration phase, we collaborate with startups that help us validate these proposals and turn them into real projects with impact on the company.
Also within the Grupo Santalucía, cross-cutting initiatives are promoted to foster innovation, both internally and through collaboration with external agents.
In which areas or sectors do you see the most opportunities for collaboration with startups (home, travel, legal, etc.)? Could you give an example?
From Innovation, we are constantly seeking new spaces for collaboration with startups that can add value in all areas of the company. In fact, we have already established alliances for five of the six business areas, highlighting the health area where last year we received the SEAL Award for Best Partnership for our collaboration in the integration of telemedicine.
In addition, in the latest edition of “The Engine of Innovation,” we identified an opportunity to collaborate with a startup specialized in the search, application, and management of public subsidies aimed at improving energy efficiency in homes. This alliance allowed us to enrich the proposal: we provided the technical energy efficiency service and the startup facilitated access to subsidies, thus generating a more complete and attractive solution for the end customer.
What technological or social trends are you observing at Iris Global that could transform your sector or that of startups?
In addition to the already evident impact of new technologies such as AI, which are transforming the insurance and assistance sector by enabling process streamlining, fraud detection, and product personalization, there are three major trends that are also shaping the direction of the sector:
– Climate change: The increasing frequency and intensity of natural phenomena are especially affecting areas such as home and automobile. Insurers are forced to adapt their subscription models, incorporate sustainability criteria, and design more resilient and flexible coverages.
– New family models and the role of pets: The evolution of family structures and the growing role of pets within households, to the point of being considered a family member, are also generating new demands.
– Population aging and the silver economy: Growing longevity presents major challenges, but also huge opportunities. From innovative health solutions, such as monitoring systems using IoT technology, to new living models such as senior coliving, which combines housing, assistance, and socialization for older adults.
