Wertti, the end result of the cooperation between HUNT AI and Kodan, is a user-friendly online service that makes it easy for consumers to communicate with insurance companies. It helps consumers submit insurance quote requests effortlessly through a simple and adaptive process, matching their needs with multiple offers from various companies.

On the other hand, the service benefits insurers by providing them with high-quality leads and enabling them to focus on delivering optimal solutions for clients. Insurers no longer have to rely on cold calls, which may also be prohibited soon due to EU regulations.

In the future, the vision is for consumers to have the ability to directly manage all their insurance tasks through Wertti’s platform.

The service is running at wertti.fi.

Design sprint sets the foundation for long-term development

During his economics studies, Aleksi Kukkonen, CEO of HUNT AI and one of the founders of Wertti, financed his education by making numerous insurance booking calls. During this time, he had a realization: there had to be a smarter way to approach it.

Wertti was founded with the goal of finding a new and effective way to connect consumers with the ideal insurer. This type of service did not yet exist in Finland, and is the first of its kind in the market, aiming to revolutionize the insurance industry and digitize customer acquisition. Insurance can be complex and seen as a hassle, so Wertti strives to find a solution to simplify the process.

"Wertti is a two-sided service, catering to both users and representatives from insurance companies. It offers a unique approach to acquiring customers who are seeking insurance before they even realize their need. Compared to cold calls, these leads are much more promising. It's a transformation from a lead to a significant opportunity. Two different things," explains Anne Pasanen, Kodan's designer.

The collaboration between Wertti and Kodan started with a design sprint, where the team utilized various tools and concepts to guide the development of the project.

"We started from scratch and worked together to build everything. It took us about a week to plan the service process, exchange knowledge, and generate ideas for creating such a service. During this time, we also came up with the name. With these considerations in mind, we are confidently moving forward. The design sprint laid a strong foundation for our long-term development work," says Aleksi.

After the design sprint, the goals of the collaboration were set:

• Reach the desired target group effectively

• Simplify the insurance selection process for consumers

• Provide insurance companies and brokers with better-qualified leads

• Ensure a user-friendly experience throughout the execution

Succeeding where others have failed

The journey with Wertti started in 2020, with a strong focus on designing and developing the MVP of the service, and at the same time, persuading the insurance industry to embrace change.

Clear divisions of work and roles were established from the beginning. Aleksi Kukkonen and Jukka Sonninen from HUNT AI provided extensive domain knowledge, while Anne, Herkko, and other professionals from Kodan brought their broad design and technological expertise. The combination has worked well from the very beginning.

Kodan's team designed the architecture, implementation, visual identity and user interfaces from scratch, paying close attention to every detail. Throughout the software and business development process, project leads Anne Pasanen and Herkko Virolainen have dedicated time to comprehending laws and collaborating closely with stakeholders to ensure not to miss any important details.

"Insurance companies have witnessed numerous attempts to develop similar services nearly every month. Wertti stands out by successfully accomplishing what many others have failed to achieve. This success can be attributed to our team's deep domain expertise, design-led approach, comprehensive understanding of various stakeholders, customer needs, and strong business skills, particularly from Herkko," describes Anne.

"Initially, I served as a technical architect, responsible for strategizing and guiding the project and the development team. My main focus was assisting our developers and the Kodan team, providing clear direction on project goals. Over time, my role transitioned into that of a product owner, taking on additional responsibilities. As the project progressed, my role further expanded to include that of a business advisor, actively participating in decision-making and strategic considerations," explains Herkko Virolainen, Kodan’s developer and product owner.

"Our roles have continuously evolved and adapted throughout this journey. It's been a typical startup growth experience, which is to be expected when starting a business," Anne finishes.

Built with Clojure and React

A straightforward approach has been taken for the technologies used to build Wertti. Clojure has been utilized for the back-end and API development, while the front-end has been built with React, a widely-used JavaScript library for user interfaces.

A significant change was made in the choice of cloud service provider. Amazon Web Services (AWS) was selected first, but later a decision was made to switch to Upcloud, a Finnish cloud service provider known for its reliability and high performance. By this transition, several benefits were achieved, including improved data control, compliance with local regulations, scalability, and cost-effectiveness.

Thousands of leads, received and processed

Despite the relatively early stage of the service, the development work for both Wertti platform and the business around it has made significant progress. The pace and growth have remained steady, resulting in the successful processing of thousands of leads, with over two thousand leads already completed.

Wertti's platform has already attracted a considerable number of users, and notable insurers such as Pohjantähti and Lähitapiola have joined in collaboration.

Kodan is genuinely committed to our service and development. While we may not always see eye to eye, they consistently push us to improve and challenge our ideas. This service would not be possible without Kodan.”

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