Having taught innovation at schools in Belgium and across Europe, Jean-Jacques Degroof is a technology investor with strong ties to his alma mater, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). One of the firms that Jean-Jacques Degroof finds representative of entrepreneurial advancement is Surround Insurance.
As featured in the MIT Technology Review in early 2023, the company was launched by Jonathon Grayson, with the aim of “making the world more fair.” Combining data and design, its insurance platform reflects the lifestyle of an emerging generation that includes many younger adults who don’t drive their own cars, who share housing, and who work remotely or close to where they live.
One of Surround’s core offerings is non-owner auto insurance for those behind the wheel of a rented or borrowed car. Biking insurance covers lost wages and injury associated with accidents with vehicles, as well as damaged or stolen bikes. Renter’s insurance covers accidents and loss of personal property, while freelancing insurance covers “failure to provide service” and “errors in service.”
Underpinning these next-generation offerings is an online questionnaire that generates an algorithmically determined package that is personalized and cost competitive. The end result is that those with new types of risk in their lives are adequately covered for unexpected situations.
