A 2020 ICTA nomination Toronto, ON (Jan.27, 2020) – In 2018, an average of 128,000 Airbnb listings were active each day in Canada.[1] Despite the popularity of short-term rentals, many homeowner’s insurance policies do not cover the losses or damages that could occur.Recognizing the need to provide protection for homeowners participating in the short-term rental market, The Co-Operators launched Duuo, Canada’s first on-demand insurance solution for short-term rental hosts, in 2018.

To create a user-friendly platform that meets the expectations of consumers and businesses participating in the short-term rental market, Duuo teamed up with Slice Insurance Cloud Services.Through Slice, the brand hosted a hackathon, packed full of brainstorming, design sprints and deep problem solving, to build an effective on-demand insurance product.On-Demand Quotes and Claim Processing Through Slice’s machine learning technology, Duuo’s platform allows users to source a quote on-demand by providing their property location, type and contents limit.

Once a quote is given, users have the choice to create an account and purchase coverage for the nights needed, avoiding broker fees and an unnecessary annual policy.Customer Interaction Understanding the importance of customer interaction and support, Duuo’s platform includes a chat bot, allowing users to ask questions or share feedback.Once a message is sent through the chat bot, a bot prompts the user to share their email address for a Duuo representative to reply.

The Duuo team then receives the inquiry through Intercom and responds within moments to assist the user.Canada’s First On-Demand Insurance Solution for Short-Term Rental Hosts This technical innovation allowed Duuo to be first to the market with on-demand episodic short-term rental insurance in Canada.Short-term rental hosts who rent their properties using popular platforms like Airbnb, HomeAway, VRBO and others, now have access to pay-per-use insurance, providing greater flexibility and an innovative protection plan that their existing policy may not cover.

Duuo protects hosts for the full replacement cost of their home, vandalism, infestation, liquor liability, loss of income and more.Since launching with Short-Term Rental Insurance, Duuo has expanded its portfolio of products to include Rent-my-Stuff Insurance, Canada’s first on-demand digital insurance for peer-to-peer sharing platforms, and Event Insurance.This continued development reflects Duuo’s commitment to leveraging technology and creating innovative insurance products that fit the needs of Canadians participating in a fast-paced and ever-changing digital economy.

Business Impact Through its partnership with Slice and implementation of machine learning technology, Duuo created a product that meets the expectations of individuals and businesses participating in the short-term rental market, by: Delivering on-demand quotes, eliminating the need for an underwriter; Providing an easy-to-use platform that allows users to sign-up within 3 minutes.Once an account is made, returning users can purchase nightly policies in seconds.Collecting and organizing pertinent information on claims, reducing time spent by claim adjusters Providing clients with support through live chat, which has received a 96% CS rating of “Great/Amazing” Since launching, Duuo has achieved a Google customer rating of 4.9 stars, attracting more potential users.

Video Notes 1.UPGo-McGill: Short-term rentals in Canada: The first comprehensive overview, by David Wachsmuth (Jun 20, 2019).About Duuo Created by The Co-operators in 2018, Duuo is a digital insurance brand that provides on-demand solutions to meet the needs of Canadians participating in an innovative and fast-paced digital economy.

With a portfolio of accessible products, including Short-Term Renal Insurance, Event Insurance and Rent-my-Stuff Insurance, Duuo offers innovative protection plans that can be purchased online in minutes.Powered by Slice Insurance Cloud Services, Duuo’s digital platform uses AI technology to process claims and provides comprehensive cyber security protection of client and insurer information.About The Co-operators The Co-operators Group Limited is a Canadian co-operative with more than $41.7 billion in assets under administration.

Through its group of companies, it offers home, auto, life, group, travel, commercial and farm insurance, as well as investment products.The Co-operators is well known for its community involvement and its commitment to sustainability.The Co-operators is listed among the Best Employers in Canada by Aon Hewitt and Corporate Knights’ Best 50 Corporate Citizens in Canada.

For more information, visit www.cooperators.ca.duuo and duuo by co-operators are trademarks of The Co-operators Group Limited.Insurance products and services branded duuo by co-operators are offered by Co-operators General Insurance Company (CGIC).

About Slice Slice Labs Inc.is the insurance engine leading tomorrow’s cloud-based, on-demand digital services ecosystems for the new economy.Through the Slice’s Insurance Cloud Services (ICS) platform, Slice is enabling insurers, technology companies, and other service providers to build truly intelligent and intuitive pay-as-you-go digital insurance products protecting the insured anytime and anywhere.

To stay up to date with Slice, visit www.slice.is.Learn more about Slice in the InsurTech Spotlight.Tags: Airbnb, Cloud, duuo, ICTA nomination, on-demand, platform, Slice, The Co-operators, Usage-Based Insurance (UBI)