Photo: Dudley Council from England / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Jubilee Group has partnered with FSD Africa and seven technology-led insurance firms in a push to make cover more affordable and accessible for people often left outside Kenya’s formal insurance market.
Pilots planned for November
The companies will spend eight weeks co-creating products before beginning joint pilots in Kenya in November 2026. The initiative will focus on low-cost bundled and embedded insurance, protection for small and medium-sized enterprises, and services connecting policyholders with health and wellness support.
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The selected firms are Dukatech Solutions, Aura Insure Technologies, Inclusivity Solutions, DPE, Fiinovate, Agrails and Ibisa Network. They were chosen from the BimaLab Africa Insurtech Accelerator alumni network.
Jubilee’s J-Hub innovation and technology arm will lead the work inside the group. FSD Africa said successful products could later be introduced in other East African markets.
Technology aimed at real-life risks
The partnership brings together models designed for distinct groups. Dukatech will test bundled cover through its Shopokoa network, which serves informal workers, refugees and waste pickers. Aura Insure Technologies and Inclusivity Solutions will contribute digital underwriting, distribution and embedded-insurance systems.
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DPE will support health engagement through SMS, WhatsApp and voice channels. Fiinovate is examining credit-linked protection for SMEs and borrowers, while Agrails will use climate intelligence in potential insurance models.
Ibisa Network will explore parametric insurance for farmers and renewable-energy operators, using satellite data and AI-led analysis to trigger payouts after defined extreme-weather events.
Why this matters
For Black communities across Kenya and the wider region, the programme addresses a long-running financial vulnerability: many workers and business owners earn outside formal payroll systems but face the same risks from illness, accidents, drought and disrupted income.
FSD Africa estimates East Africa has more than 10 million SMEs, accounting for over 70% of jobs, while insurance penetration in the segment averages about 1%. That gap can leave a market trader, farmer or small enterprise exposed to a single shock that damages stock, stops work or undermines a household’s income.
The test for Jubilee and its partners will be whether technology can reduce costs while improving trust, claims handling and everyday access. Products must be clear, affordable and available through channels people already use, rather than simply adding another policy to a market where insurance has often felt out of reach.
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The pilots are not yet a guarantee of wider rollout. But they give African-founded and Africa-focused technology firms a route to work with an established insurer’s licences, capital and customer base — potentially turning digital insurance ideas into protection that reaches communities at scale.