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Partnership call: applications open

Building the next generation of inclusive insurance, together.

BimaLab Africa and Jubilee Group are pairing validated insurtech products with a major insurer's distribution muscle, balance sheet, and regulatory standing, so good ideas actually reach the millions of Africans who remain uninsured.

Submit your application ↗ See the three pillars
Two entrepreneurs reviewing their business on a phone inside a retail shop, part of BimaLab Africa's call for applications with Jubilee Group.
Deadline
31 Jul 2026, 23:59 EAT
Cohort size
6 to 8 startups
Markets
Kenya, expanding regionally
Cost
Free and equity-free

Why this partnership, and why now

Africa's protection gap isn't a product problem. It's a distribution one.

Insurtechs have built the tools to close the gap; insurers have the customers, capital, and licenses to deploy them at scale. This initiative brings the two together to co-create solutions, test them with real customers, and commercialize what works, opening a direct route from pilot to scale with a committed insurer beside you from day one.

BimaLab Africa

THE VALIDATED PIPELINE

Led by FSD Africa, the continent's leading insurance-innovation accelerator has supported 135+ startups across 28 countries, reaching over 6 million customers. It runs co-creation and mentorship, provides regulatory and inclusion expertise, and links startups to its network and the Inclusive Insurtech Investment Fund (3iF).

Jubilee Group

THE DISTRIBUTION MUSCLE

East Africa's largest insurer, participating through its innovation lab, Jhub. Jubilee brings enterprise distribution infrastructure, underwriting capacity, product and actuarial teams, the Maisha Fiti wellness platform, and the sandbox and API environments where pilots are built and tested.

The exchange

What's on the table, on both sides

A BimaLab Africa alumna entrepreneur at her workspace, representing the founders this partnership is built for.

What selected insurtechs gain

  • Co-design with Jubilee's product, actuarial, technology and distribution teams
  • Sandbox & API access to build live integrations
  • A funded, structured pilot to real customers through Jubilee's channels
  • Go-to-market support and active sales channels for solutions that prove out
  • A platform at the Insurtech Summit & Demo Day (February 2027)
  • Regulatory-viability guidance from BimaLab and Jubilee throughout

What we expect from you

  • A BimaLab Africa alumnus or current-cohort startup, any cohort
  • A validated product that is live or pilot-tested, not a concept
  • Technical readiness to integrate via APIs within the timeline
  • A team you can dedicate to co-creation workshops and the pilot
  • Willingness to co-design commercial and data-sharing terms transparently
  • Compliance with data protection and Treating Customers Fairly principles
Across all pillars, we look for the same building blocks: API-enabled integration, digital onboarding and eKYC, mobile money and payment integrations, data analytics, scalable infrastructure, and customer retention capabilities. Pillar-specific capabilities are listed below, and you don't need all of them.

Co-creation pillars

Three priority areas, apply to one or more

Be specific about which pillar and why your product fits, since we're prioritizing a small number of startups with the strongest capabilities in each area.

01

Bundled & Embedded Distribution Ecosystems

Drive mass-market acquisition by embedding protection inside ecosystems customers already use, sold as part of an existing experience rather than as standalone insurance.

Opportunity areas
Telco-led bundled cover SACCO / bank / wallet-embedded insurance Telemedicine & pharmacy integrations Credit-linked & asset-financing protection
Capabilities that stand out

Embedded-finance infrastructure, flexible collections, wallet and payment-ecosystem integrations, and the ability to plug into high-volume transaction ecosystems.

02

SME Ecosystem Solutions

Win group-based, scalable acquisition by solving real SME operational, financial and employee-wellbeing problems, with protection embedded inside.

Opportunity areas
Group health & life for employees Cashflow & business-continuity protection Payroll-integrated insurance Rewards-driven loyalty ecosystems
Capabilities that stand out

SME operations infrastructure, payroll and HR integrations, merchant-ecosystem capabilities, SME analytics, and business-productivity enablement.

03

Wellness & Engagement Ecosystems (Maisha Fiti 3.0)

Grow active users and engagement on Jubilee's Maisha Fiti platform through gamification, loyalty rewards, and integrated wellness services that increase retention.

Opportunity areas
Gamification, streaks & badges Fitness & partner-merchant ecosystems Financial-wellness & savings tools Telemedicine & preventive healthcare
Capabilities that stand out

Engagement infrastructure (gamification, habit-building, community), healthcare enablement, ecosystem and marketplace expansion, and behavioral, AI-driven personalization.

Selection criteria

How applications will be assessed

Five weighted criteria decide the shortlist.

25%
Strategic fit

Clear, specific fit with one or more pillars and Jubilee's underserved-segment goals.

25%
Product validation & traction

Evidence the product works: usage, customers, integrations, results to date.

20%
Technical & integration readiness

API-readiness, security, and the ability to integrate and pilot within the timeline.

15%
Scale & distribution potential

A realistic path to high-volume reach and lower acquisition cost through Jubilee's channels.

15%
Team capacity & commitment

A team that can dedicate people to co-creation, the pilot and execution.

Application checklist

What your application must include

  1. Company snapshot: name, year founded, BimaLab cohort/year, country, team size, website.
  2. Product overview: what it does, the problem it solves, and its current stage (live / piloting / metrics).
  3. Pillar(s) you're applying to and a short statement of fit for each.
  4. Traction & validation: customers, lives covered, integrations, partners, usage or pilot results.
  5. Technical readiness: integration approach (APIs, payments, onboarding/eKYC), data handling and security posture.
  6. Co-creation proposal: what you'd build with Jubilee, and what you'd need to pilot it.
  7. Executive team & references, plus any current funding or commercial partnerships.

Program timeline

How the program runs

JUL to AUG 2026

EOI & shortlisting

Open call, EOI review and portfolio audit against the three pillars; longlist confirmed.

AUG 2026

Cohort selection

Joint selection of 6 to 8 startups; sandbox and API access granted; regulatory-viability checks.

SEP to OCT 2026

Co-creation workshops

Co-design of live distribution loops; refinement of pricing and revenue-sharing models.

OCT 2026 to JAN 2027

Pilot

Sandbox testing, integration fixes, business-case vetting and a closed pilot in Kenya.

FEB 2027

Summit & Demo Day

Pitch to the selection panel; top 2 to 3 confirmed for go-to-market and scale.

FROM MAR 2027

Commercial scale

Live, revenue-generating pilots scale through Jubilee's distribution infrastructure.

Good to know

FAQ

Will I have to give up equity?
No. BimaLab Africa is equity-free, and participation does not require giving equity to Jubilee, BimaLab or FSD Africa. Any future investment, whether via the 3iF fund or acquisition by Jubilee, is a separate, voluntary conversation.
Who owns the intellectual property?
You keep your core IP. Jointly created assets and the commercial, data and IP terms for the pilot are agreed in writing before any pilot begins.
How do the commercials work?
Revenue-sharing and pricing are co-designed during the workshops and governed by a signed SLA per partnership, so there's no one-size-fits-all deal. The aim is a sustainable commercial arrangement, not grant dependency.
Who owns the customer and the data?
Customers acquired through Jubilee's channels and underwriting are insured by Jubilee. Data is handled under Kenya's Data Protection Act with clear consent; consumer consent and Treating Customers Fairly are non-negotiable.
Is this exclusive?
Selection for a pilot may involve agreed exclusivity for a specific product or channel for a defined period, discussed openly during co-creation. It doesn't require you to stop serving your other partners or markets.
Does it cost anything, or is there funding?
No application fee. The program funds the structured pilot and go-to-market support. You cover your own product and team costs, as in any commercial partnership.
Do I need to fit all three pillars?
No. A focused, excellent fit for one pillar is welcome. We give weight to startups spanning more than one area, but breadth never beats a strong, relevant solution.
Which markets does this cover?
Pilots are anchored in Kenya through Jubilee's infrastructure, with potential to extend across Jubilee's regional footprint. Any BimaLab insurtech across Africa with a validated solution is encouraged to apply.

How to apply

Submit your EOI by 31 July 2026, 23:59 EAT.

Shortlisted startups will be contacted for a short interview and technical review before cohort selection in August 2026.

Submit your application ↗

Submitting an EOI does not create a partnership, joint venture or binding commitment to launch a product, and participation in workshops and pilot discussions does not guarantee commercial deployment; definitive agreements will be required before implementation. Each participating entity remains responsible for maintaining the licenses and approvals its activities require, and must operate only within the scope permitted by applicable law.