IB

IB Inc., founded on October 29, 2018, by Kenta Ito, operates as a fintech entity focused on resolving the issue of unclaimed insurance benefits in Japan. The company's inception was influenced by its founder's experiences as a volunteer after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, where he witnessed the difficulties people faced in claiming insurance payouts during a crisis. This firsthand observation of a significant social problem, combined with his subsequent experience in both life and non-life insurance sales and as a systems engineer, drove him to establish IB Inc. The firm's core mission is to eliminate the circumstances where policyholders or their families are unaware of eligible insurance claims.

The company's principal offering is 'Hokenbo', a free mobile application that allows consumers to digitize and manage all their insurance policies in one place. Users can register their policies simply by photographing the paper documents or uploading PDF files. The platform supports policies from over 300 different providers, including life insurance, non-life insurance, mutual aids (kyosai), and short-term insurance. A key feature is the diagnostic tool that allows users to select an event, such as an accident or illness, and the app then identifies which of their registered policies may offer coverage, thus simplifying the claims discovery process. The application also facilitates sharing policy information with family members via a QR code or secure link, ensuring accessibility in emergencies.

IB Inc. operates on a B2B2C model, positioning itself as a neutral third-party platform. Its revenue is generated not from the end-users, but from insurance companies who pay a platform fee. This model allows IB Inc. to collaborate with insurance providers to enhance policyholder convenience and support claims filing, thereby helping the insurers fulfill their obligation to deliver value to their customers. The company deliberately avoids selling insurance products to maintain its impartiality and focus on its core mission. Through partnerships with insurance companies like JIAI傷害火災, IB Inc. aims to improve the post-enrollment experience for policyholders, increasing customer satisfaction and encouraging the utilization of rightful benefits. The company has successfully raised a cumulative total of 430 million JPY in funding to accelerate its growth.

Keywords: Insurtech, policy management, claims assistance, insurance platform, fintech Japan, Kenta Ito, policy digitization, insurance aggregation, claims discovery, policyholder support, B2B2C, insurance data management, Hokenbo, unclaimed benefits, policy sharing, insurance administration, digital insurance, claims notification, policy analysis, family insurance management