Chris Kenning: ‘We built technology so people can spend more time with people’

Seven candidates have been shortlisted to pick up the prestigious accolade of Technology Champion of the Year at Insurance Times’  Tech and Innovation Awards 2023.

Fourth on the shortlist is Chris Kenning, chief executive and co-founder of Insurtech 50 firm Stubben Edge.

Kenning has led the firm more than five years and has overseen many projects that have helped the insurtech expand.

For example, earlier this year (13 June 2023), the business launched a new capital arm to foster innovation while providing financial tools and services that support established and emerging UK enterprises.

The insurtech also received fresh capital in February thanks to a £5.6m investment from Dowgate Capital, which followed an initial investment from the capital market company in September 2022.

Meanwhile, Stubben Edge has made several acquisitions – for example, it snapped up insurance risk appetite directory Insurercore in December 2022 as well as the business solutions and governance division of B2B media company Bonhill Group earlier that year in August.

After being shortlisted for the Technology Champion of the Year award, Kenning said: ”This award would mean a huge amount to me and us, but also our partners who are using the tech to change how insurance is distributed, perceived and valued.

”They remain the most efficient form of distributing financial services in the UK and are under-recognised for what they do.”

Career background

Stubben Edge first came to fruition after Kenning got to know Jason Bingham, the insurtech’s chief technology officer.

Bingham established web application company Lucid UX in 1999, however he teamed up with Kenning to officially buy the business in 2016 – this purchase formed the foundation of Stubben Edge.

”We built technology so people could spend more time with people,” Kenning said.

”We believe that this can help those that don’t get access to financial services and insurance expertise.”

Prior to Stubben Edge, Kenning was a director at web solutions firm Lucid UX and also served as the UK managing director of Ioma Group, which works with private clients, independent financial advisors and professional firms.

Being an avid Boxing fan, Kenning also launched Duffy Boxing, an app that aims to engage the younger generation with insurance through their interest of the sport.

The Technology Champion of the Year will be revealed at an awards ceremony at the Royal Lancaster London hotel later this year (21 September 2023).

And this year there will no voting – instead the final decision will be in the hands of the Insurance Times editorial team.

For table bookings for this event, contact account manager Serena Giampieri: Serena.giampieri@insurancetimes.co.uk

Meanwhile, for sponsorship opportunities, contact head of commercial Aisha Roberts: Aisha.roberts@insurancetimes.co.uk