Pay-Per-Mile Insurance Startup Launches in Germany

Emil, the Berlin-based insurance startup offering pay-per-mile car insurance is live.

The startup was founded by Bastian Knutzen and Chris Maslowski, the founders of Europe’s fastest growing online moving platform, Movinga, and targets drivers driving less than ~124 miles a week, which according to statistics accounts for 50% of motorists in Germany. Emil offers insurance plans starting at €5 a month, and then charges customers by the mile, which is measured by an IoT device with an integrated SIM card that plugs into a vehicle’s OBD-II diagnostics port. The startup, which has raised an undisclosed amount from multiple family offices and business angels, also offers a mobile app with different features such as tracking the vehicle’s location, an overview of all trips, and remote diagnostics.

Emil’s pay-per-mile policy was developed in collaboration with Gen Re, a Berkshire Hathaway company, while coverage is underwritten by Gothaer, one of Germany’s largest insurance groups.

“With Emil we are building a 21st century mobility insurer. We believe that insurance products that are offered today can be improved on different dimensions and want to change that by offering flexible and fair products tailored around customer needs. We have started with the German car insurance market where traditionally low mileage drivers have subsidised the higher accident risk of high-mileage drivers which has led to an unfair insurance premium distribution.” – Cofounder of Emil, Bastian Knutzen.