Frequently asked questions

Ageas is an international insurance group with 200 years of history. Headquartered in Brussels, it operates in 13 countries across Europe and Asia. It has been active in Portugal since 2005 with the mission of being a leading partner in the insurance sector, supporting its Customers in risk management and protecting their future. Grupo Ageas Portugal currently has 1,399 employees and 2,061 intermediaries serving around 1.9 million Customers through the brands Ageas Seguros, Ageas Pensões, Médis, Ocidental, and Seguro Directo. In addition to insurance, Grupo Ageas Portugal diversifies its offerings with services such as Clínica Médis and Ageas Repara. It has also contributed to the development of the country and society through the Ageas Foundation.

You will have the opportunity to:

• Obtain a contribution for PoC development (up to €15,000 depending on the solution) and access to logistical perks, such as a workspace.
• Benefit from additional technical perks through MAIZE’s partnership with the Global Accelerator Network (MORROW), such as Amazon Web Services, IBM Cloud, InVision, Typeform, and Brain.fm.

• Collaborate with industry experts to receive mentorship, feedback, and valuable insights for your product or service.

• Work alongside a strong and innovative insurance partner with a committed C-level and innovation team.
• Leverage MAIZE’s role in facilitating collaboration between Grupo Ageas Portugal and startups, ensuring hands-on support.

• Leverage Ageas' international presence to scale your project beyond the PoC phase both in Portugal and globally, unlocking new growth opportunities on an international scale.

Startups must have a technologically verified and working product/service that is either already launched or ready for market release. Furthermore, the venture should have a complete team. Solo entrepreneurs, as well as ideas or projects without a working product, will not be considered.

This challenge focuses on solutions that deliver immediate, iterative improvements across key operational areas to boost internal efficiency by automating manual tasks and seamlessly integrating data.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR:

• Workflow automation and task management tools for underwriting, claims, and back-office
• Systems for document extraction, processing, validation, and summarization
• Communication tools that improve team coordination
• Solutions to consolidate data collection from diverse sources and departments, and enhance its quality
• Advanced analytics and tracking systems to optimize claim steering, repair processes, and detect fraud patterns

This challenge focuses on integrating modern digital solutions to enhance clarity, engagement, and efficiency in customer interactions to create seamless, personalized, and proactive customer experiences that drive measurable engagement by leveraging AI-driven insights and digital self-service tools.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR:

• AI-powered analytics for customer segmentation and needs / health risks prediction
• Self-service tools (e.g., virtual assistants)
• Solutions for enhancing customer understanding of health insurance
• Automated follow-up and recommendation systems for personalized engagement
• Emerging technologies to enhance and redefine customer interactions
• Integrated digital tools for agent task management, reporting, and realtime customer journey monitoring

This challenge focuses on iterative product development to address the unique needs of specific market segments, such as Silver and SMEs. We are searching solutions that develop innovative, data-driven insurance products for emerging segments by integrating preventive health and dynamic pricing strategies.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR:

• AI-driven dynamic pricing and risk analysis tools to optimize pricing and risk strategies
• Monitoring and predictive solutions that integrate telematics, sensor data, and predictive discount recommendations
• Preventive health and wellness solutions
• Solutions for refining service frameworks and product offerings for the Silver demographic
• Data-driven tools for cross-selling and support targeted product development
• Solutions for creating new products for untapped market segments (e.g. immigrants)

When evaluating your venture, we will consider: fit to the challenge and the affinity with Grupo Ageas Portugal products and digital projects, the solidity of the business model, the level of differentiation and novelty of the solution and its traction.

A jury formed by Grupo Ageas Portugal innovation team, a C-level jury, and MAIZE.

Grupo Ageas Portugal and MAIZE will conduct a comprehensive analysis of each startup applying to the program, resulting in a shortlist of the most promising candidates.

Following this, the shortlisted startups will participate in a deep-dive meeting to explore potential synergies with Grupo Ageas Portugal.

Finally, a jury composed of Grupo Ageas Portugal C-level executives will make the final decision, selecting 7 startups to attend an in-person collaboration exploration workshop. During this workshop, the feasibility of the PoC will be assessed, leading to the final selection of startups for the next phase (dates to be confirmed).

The business accelerator is a structured path that will guide selected startups and Grupo Ageas Portugal to validate the solution and build a partnership.

After the assessment phase, we will contact you to start thinking about possible areas of collaboration and start discussions with Grupo Ageas Portugal and MAIZE

• Collaboration exploration meeting: before the official start of the program there will be a one-day in-person workshop in Lisbon where the core team - including startups, Grupo Ageas Portugal's, business unit, Innovation Team and MAIZE - will get to know each other and evaluate the feasibility of the collaboration. Startups will receive feedback and will be asked to deep dive the startup's nature, such as data availability. The meetings aim at asses the PoC Statements of Work and the details of the PoC in order to validate the output and transform it into a real roadmap.


• Kick Off: a remote kick off will introduce the Ageas Insure program and will define in detail the activities that will be carried out among specific business units and the startups in the PoC phase.


• PoC Execution: eventually the program will entail a number of project design meetings that will bring the working group to validate assumptions made at the beginning of the project through a test.


• Halfway meeting: a mid-term check will be organized for each startup after the first half of the PoC, to decide whether something has to be changed to reach the expected results.


• Final meeting: the program will end with a final meeting and a celebration meeting where companies will present their POC results to the jury and define next steps for the partnership development.

Each startup will progress at its own pace in the development of the PoC.

The program will start from Autumn 2025 and last approximately 6-9 months, depending on your specific PoC. The entire program will take place digitally, except for the Collaboration exploration meeting and closing meeting which will require of the startup team to be present in Lisbon.

Depending on the PoC, you can decide how many members of your team need to be present and when. However, we advise at least two team members — one business-oriented and another more tech-oriented.

You are required to be in Lisbon for the Collaboration exploration meeting and closing meeting of the program.

A closing event may be organized to showcase the participating startups and provide them with visibility within the Grupo Ageas Portugal network.

All communications and materials will be in English.

Ageas Insure is a PoC-focused program, therefore no equity is taken.

The program is not investment-focused but given that the startups are selected to develop pilots with the partners, investment opportunities might arise thanks to the possibility of entering into contacs with the corporate venture fund.

We can send you an Invitation Letter for you to use with your visa application.

During selection day, we will require startups to present a proposal of collaboration with a PoC budget that will be defined and agreed on by MAIZE and Grupo Ageas Portugal based on the PoC specs and details.

You can apply here

Contact us and let’s chat!