The tide is turning: What ITC 2025 revealed about the future of embedded insurance

Last week at ITC 2025 in Las Vegas, something fundamental became clear: the pendulum is swinging in favor of digital insurance infrastructure, and the market knows it.

The quality of conversations this year was noticeably different. What struck me most wasn't just the substance of individual meetings, but their composition. At previous ITCs, we spent most of our time with new prospects, making introductions and explaining our vision. This year, roughly 40% of our conversations were with partners already working with us in some capacity, while 60% were companies exploring what partnership might look like. That shift tells me something important about where the market is heading.

The alternatives have failed

The clearest theme from ITC was this: everyone now understands that the traditional alternatives simply don't work. Direct carrier partnerships for the biggest brands have disappointed. Aggregator models have underdelivered. And faced with these failed approaches, major brands are increasingly choosing to do nothing rather than waste resources on solutions that won't scale.

But when we show them what's possible with true embedded insurance built on modern infrastructure, the conversation changes entirely. Brands are actively seeking a better way forward, and they're finding it in partnerships that combine brand distribution, carrier capacity, and technology rails that actually work.

A new class of carrier emerges

For carriers, we're witnessing the emergence of scrappy, forward-thinking insurers who recognize that their growth depends on embracing new distribution models. The massive retail insurance companies will come around eventually, but they're not leading this shift. That makes sense given their size and existing distribution advantages.

Instead, we're seeing a new class of carrier that understands the future of their business requires partnering with technology infrastructure providers who can deliver embedded insurance at scale. They're willing to adapt their underwriting and product development to fit modern digital experiences rather than forcing brands to constrain themselves around their existing systems.

Clarity of vision

Our vision has never been clearer. We know exactly what we're building and why it matters. The market is validating that clarity in ways that go beyond polite interest. Brands want what we're offering. Carriers are starting to understand why they need modern infrastructure. And the gap between where the industry is today and where it needs to be tomorrow is closing faster than most people realize, especially in the age of AI.

Meeting customers where they are

The other realization from ITC is that embedded insurance as a distribution channel is more valuable than ever. Brands are starting to understand they shouldn't try to build this themselves. Even some of the most successful referral programs are recognizing they could deliver better outcomes with true embedded insurance.

When we tell them we can handle the entire program, from quote to bind to servicing to claims, deliver more products than just home and auto quotes, and actually convert customers at higher rates, the value proposition is obvious. They get better outcomes without the complexity of trying to coordinate carriers, technology vendors, and regulatory compliance on their own.

Where the puck is going

Today, everything is already online except insurance. Consumers buy almost everything autonomously now, but insurers have been slow to adapt to that preference. With independent players like Sure building the technology rails for digital insurance, and brands emerging as trusted insurance distributors, transactions are finally happening the way consumers want them to: quickly, seamlessly, and without friction.

Based on what I saw this week at ITC, the smart money is on the companies brave enough to embrace partnership, modern technology infrastructure built for AI, and the reality that the future of insurance distribution looks fundamentally different than the past.

The tide is turning. And it's our time to shine.