NEXT is playing games

Next Insurance has quietly launched the NEXT: Water Damage Mitigation app on the App Store. The gaming app guides a player through a water damage mitigation plan where he can learn how to inspect and fix piping systems, fix roof drainage system deficiencies, and inspect the toilet, sink, shower, and bath for vulnerabilities. 

It isn’t clear to me whether NEXT Insurance is waking up to gamification or whether it regards this ‘fun game’ with any seriousness. 

The Palo Alto-based small business insurer is now a team of 400 which represents a 48% growth in employee count over the past year. It currently offers General Liability, Professional Liability, Workers’ Compensation, Commercial Auto and Contractors Equipment for ~1,300 professions through State National or through its own carrier with reinsurance provided by Munich Re. 

It also announced today that it now serves over 130,000 customers. In comparison, it served over 100,000 small businesses as of March 2020 when we published our research report ‘The digital landscape of small business insurance‘ suggesting that Next adds a net of 2,500 business a month; at best. 

Next also reported that in 2020, the number of independent agents distributing its products “doubled.” For reference, in September 2019, the insurer announced that it had an agent-base of over 3,000 agents. 

Also, according to SimilarWeb, the top two referring insurance sites to Next Insurance – meaning the top sites that send nextinsurance.com the most traffic – are auiagents.com (Appalachian Underwriters) and simonagency.com (Simon Agency). In other words, you have seen it on TV, you have seen it on Google and you may come to regard it as the go-to partner for agents.  

Next’s Written Premium

Finally, get a feel for its mobile app below.