On this episode of the Scouting For Growth podcast, Sabine VdL talks to Joel Agard, Group Head of Innovation at Zurich Insurance, who has been driving bold, transformative startup collaborations across 40+ markets.
His work has reshaped the way a global insurance giant works with startups, proving that innovation isn’t just about flashy tech – it’s about building real, meaningful partnerships that deliver results.
From navigating the early days of Zurich’s Innovation Championship back in 2018 to scaling the program during a global pandemic – and now leading the charge into the future – Joel brings passion, strategy, and a touch of risk-taking to every conversation.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The 2018 football World Cup inspired us to piggyback on the competition concept to raise awareness of corporate/startup partnerships. Back then, working with startups in our industry wasn’t the norm; we were working with big technology companies. We asked ourselves, how can we show the art of the possible and show that working with startups can really work? This is when we invented the Zurich Innovation World Championship.
In the beginning, the pace that startups wanted to – and could – go didn’t always resonate with the pace Zurich wanted to go. We had to align expectations and create a safe environment where we could test fast and where it was OK to fail.
I’ve fallen in love with cool technologies so many times, and I still do: I’m a geek. But, we had to learn that if these shiny, amazing technologies don’t really solve a problem for our customers or internal stakeholders, they’re not fit for purpose for us. It might be too early or not a good fit for us.
BEST MOMENTS
'We at Zurich bring our reputation, brand, and insurance expertise from 150 years. Startups bring agility and speed because they are born in a digital world.’
‘Failing in a big corporation often doesn’t have a good image. We’ve proved that failing fast and cheaply is achievable and beneficial for startups. It’s now a normal part of our process.’
‘The Covid pandemic accelerated digital transformations, there were a lot of opportunities out there to accelerate our initiatives, so we increased the number of startups and pilots.’
‘It’s crucial to understand the gaps and problems you want to solve because we’d be wasting each other’s time otherwise.’
ABOUT THE GUEST
Joel Agard is Group Head of Innovation at Zurich Insurance.
With a career dedicated to fostering groundbreaking solutions, Joel spearheads Zurich's Venture Client Startup Engine, a program that drives innovation across 40+ markets worldwide.
His work focuses on bridging the gap between startups and corporate needs, enabling Zurich to leverage cutting-edge technologies and solutions to stay ahead in the ever-evolving insurance landscape.
Zurich Innovation Championship
ABOUT THE HOST
Sabine VanderLinden is a corporate strategist turned entrepreneur and the CEO of Alchemy Crew Ventures. She leads venture-client labs that help Fortune 500 companies adopt and scale cutting-edge technologies from global tech ventures. A builder of accelerators, investor, and co-editor of the bestseller The INSURTECH Book, Sabine is known for asking the uncomfortable questions—about AI governance, risk, and trust. On Scouting for Growth, she decodes how real growth happens—where capital, collaboration, and courage meet.
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And if you’re interested in sponsoring the podcast, reach out to the team at hello@alchemycrew.ventures
