Nigerian insurtech startup, MyCover.ai, has closed a $1.25 million pre-seed fund to address drawbacks of insurance in African markets

Nigerian insurtech startup, MyCover.ai, has secured the close of a $1.25 million pre-seed funding round. According to MyCover.ai, the funding will be used to expand the reach of its product, into other African markets. The funding round included participation from Founders Factory Africa and TechStars, who are making a follow-on investment.

Founded in 2021 by Adebowale Banjo, Alexander Igwe-Ifendu, Fred Ebho, MyCover.ai is interested in tackling pain points that exist in the market, ranging from lack of access, inadequate coverage, the unaffordability of insurance products to the poor customer experience surrounding insurance processes. The insurtech startup provides an open insurance API that integrates with insurance companies, such as Hygeia, Leadway, Sovereign Trust, AIICO Insurance and Allianz, to offer over 30 personalised insurance products, allowing other businesses and innovators to embed these insurance products into their platforms.

MyCover.ai aims to provide financial security to Africans by improving access to insurance products, especially Nigerians exposed to a wide range of vulnerabilities including health challenges, asset loss and the potential loss of their livelihood. According to Augusta & Co, only 0.5 percent of the population has insurance. This is understandable in Nigeria where 133 million of its 200 million population are submerged in multidimensional poverty, with the minimum wage pegged at ₦30,000 ($37.69).

The tech startup  is offering its powerful API integration to empower businesses from various sectors to effortlessly integrate insurance into their products and services, with the inclusion of a white label option, without incurring any additional risks or costs. These businesses are presented with the opportunity to offer insurance policies as add-ons on top of their existing core products.