The InsurLab Germany at a glance
Insurance companies and corporates meet Insurtechs
InsurLab Germany is the networking platform connecting insurance companies, science and public institutions with startups, developing digital products and services for the ecosystem. We are a think tank for innovation and digitization of the German insurance industry.
Our aim is to provide insurance companies and corporates easy and direct access to national and international startups, and to actively support them in planning and implementing cooperation projects to transform and digitise the German insurance industry in the long term. Through events, workshops, an accelerator program, a co-working space, and match-making, InsurLab Germany connects established insurers with innovative founders and offers a space to create, grow, and develop.
Founded in 2017 by the City of Cologne, the Cologne Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK), the University of Cologne, the Cologne Technical University and established insurance companies and startups, we have grown to become Germany’s largest insurance industry initiative within a year.
DIGITAL HUB INITIATIVE

InsurLab Germany is an official InsurTech Hub
As one of twelve hubs in Germany, InsurLab Germany is part of the Digital Hub Initiative “de:hub” of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action and is the official competence location for Germany’s InsurTech scene.
Meet the team










Board of Directors
InsurLab Germany e.V. is headed by a ten-member board of experts from the German insurance industry. With the election on April 27, 2022, the board is composed as following.
Dr. Patrick Dahmen | Chairman
Senior Advisor Insurance & InsurTech, Lecturer University of St. Gallen
Bernd Scharrer | Vice Chairman
Member of the executive Board at VHV Holding
Udo Wilcsek | Treasurer
Member of the executive Board at ALTE LEIPZIGER-HALLESCHE
Dr. Arne Barinka
Member of the executive Board at RheinLand Holding AG
Michael Breuer
Head of Central Europe & Nordics at SCOR Life
Rainer Brune
Chairman of the Board at ROLAND Rechtsschutz-Versicherungs-AG
Dr. Mathias Bühring-Uhle
Member of the executive Board at Gothaer Versicherung
Sven Lixenfeld
Chairman of the Board at HDI Lebensversicherung AG
Prof. Dr. Torsten Oletzky
Professor at TH Köln
Carlo Ulbrich
Co-Founder & CSO at Nect GmbH
Advisory Board
The Advisory Board acted as a task force when InsurLab Germany was founded and was responsible for the structure and character of the initiative. To this day, they are an important part of InsurLab Germany and actively contribute to the success of the association.
Roland Berger
former Head of Media and Internet Economy Department der Stadt Köln
Dr. Henning Frommer
Gothaer Finanzholding AG
Alexander Hoeckle
Managing Director International & Unternehmensförderung der IHK Köln
Thorsten Kocherscheidt
Heidricks & Struggles
Prof. Dr. Rainer Minz
rectorate commissioner Alumni, Fundraising & Transfer University of Cologne
Sten Nahrgang
Founder and CFO mailo AG
Stefan Riedel
Board Member adesso SE
Frank Risse
Department of Economic Development at City of Cologne
Prof. Dr. Gunther Schwarz
Partner at BERNOTAT & CIE.
Dr. Andrea van Aubel
GBS Leader Life Insurance Industry EMEA at IBM
Rudolf van Megen
Managing Director of TECH Beteiligungen GmbH
Prof. Dr. Michaele Völler
Professor at TH Köln
