LONDON, May 10, 2019 – RGAX, the transformation engine of Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated, a leading global life reinsurer, today announced SkinVision and PatchAI as the two winners of the RGAX Big Ideas Competition. This is the first time in the three years of the competition that two ideas were chosen.
The projects SkinVision, from the Netherlands, and PatchAI, from Italy, were among the five finalists representing entrepreneurs focused on identifying possible solutions to challenges currently affecting the life and health markets. The winners will receive a cash prize of 10.000€ from RGAX.
According to the president of the jury, Olav Cuiper, Executive Vice President & Head RGA EMEA, "The level of the exhibitions was so exceptional, and the concepts presented were so strong, that in the end two ideas were recognized as winners, and each will receive the grand prize.”
“SkinVision is a service that promotes the early recognition of skin cancer by transforming the smartphone into a medical device as precise as a dermatologist," explained its founder, Bob Moens. So far it has more than 1.2 million downloads, and has helped recognize more than 27,000 skin cancers worldwide.
For its part, PatchAI is the first AI-driven cognitive platform for the collection and predictive analysis of data reported by patients in clinical trials. It is a virtual assistant for patients enrolled in clinics. "It’s a mobile app that monitors and improves patient engagement and well-being through a virtual assistant that mimics human and empathetic conversations. The technology is based on machine learning, natural language processing and a wide range of IBM Watson, Cognos and Cloud services," said CEO and founder, Alessandro Monterosso.
The final pitch competition took place on April 25th at the Paris Stock Exchange Palace, with the winners selected from five finalists, each representing a participating country (Spain, Italy, Germany, France and the Netherlands).
RGAX, the transformation arm and innovation accelerator of RGA, launched the Big Ideas Competition in 2017 to recognize and promote approaches that solve challenges in the life, health and retirement insurance market. The 2019 jury was made up of industry experts from various countries: Olav Cuiper; Richard Verdin, Managing Director of RGAX EMEA; David Dubois, General Manager of RGA France, Yasser Echoukry, Director of Digital Collaboration and Distribution for AG2R La MONDIALE; Valerie Bompard, Chief Innovation and Digital Transformation Officer for Société Generale Insurance; Pasquale Tuosto, Chief Innovation Officer, of GENERALI in France; and Alexandre Velut, CEO & Founder of INVYO.
For more information about the Big Ideas Competition, visit www.bigideas.rgax.com.
About RGAX
RGAX is a wholly owned subsidiary of Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated. RGAX was formed in 2015 as the transformation engine of RGA, leveraging the talent, resources, and insight of RGA’s 40+ years of innovation. As a global company with offices in the Americas, EMEA, and Asia, RGAX partners with carriers and entrepreneurs to incubate and accelerate new products and services to advance and expand the life insurance ecosystem. With a mission to help people live longer, healthier, more financially secure lives, RGAX is powering the next generation of data analytics, digital distribution, customer engagement, and insurance service solutions. For more information, please visit www.rgax.com.
About RGA
Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated (RGA), a Fortune 500 company, is among the leading global providers of life reinsurance and financial solutions, with approximately $3.4 trillion of life reinsurance in force and assets of $66.7 billion as of March 31, 2019. Founded in 1973, RGA is recognized for its deep technical expertise in risk and capital management, innovative solutions, and commitment to serving its clients. With headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri and operations around the world, RGA delivers expert solutions in individual life reinsurance, individual living benefits reinsurance, group reinsurance, health reinsurance, facultative underwriting, product development, and financial solutions. To learn more about RGA and its businesses, visit the company’s website at www.rgare.com.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Lizzie Curry
Public Relations Manager
636-736-8521
lizzie.curry@rgare.com
