PeppercornAI, an insurtech company, has raised £3.25m in a Series A round led by Wealth Club, with contributions from EHE Capital and Angels Invest Wales, despite a general downturn in UK fintech and insurtech investment.

The funding, which saw Wealth Club raise £1.9m, will be used to advance Peppercorn AI’s conversational AI platform, enhancing its ability to support the motor insurance industry and other business-to-business demands both domestically and internationally. This investment follows Peppercorn AI’s recent recognition with the Celent Model Insurer Award for Digital and Emerging Technology.

The company, founded in 2020 by Nigel Lombard, specializes in leveraging conversational AI to streamline operations, enhance risk management, and improve the customer experience in the insurance sector.

Some words from those involved in the funding round:

“The insurance industry has barely changed since insurance started being sold online thirty years ago. Technology, specifically AI, has the potential to completely change the way consumers buy and manage their insurance policies and can also deliver significant benefits to providers at the same time.

“However, as an industry that’s historically been slow to adopt technology, insurance providers are worried about keeping up with the pace in which AI is developing. That’s where PeppercornAI comes in. Our team of insurance experts has built and proven a new model that allows providers to unlock the benefits of the technology now, can be integrated seamlessly and quickly, and ensures their businesses aren’t left behind. My thanks for the continual support of EHE Capital, to Angels Invest Wales and for the brilliant team at Wealth Club for making the raise so successful.”

— Nigel Lombard, CEO and Founder of PeppercornAI

“We believe PeppercornAI has the potential to transform the insurance industry and it became clear to us that Nigel and his team were the people to do it given their deep sector knowledge and network. The fact that they were able to prove the technology works, demonstrating tangible results and achieving industry-leading metrics significantly contributed to their success in securing investment.

The Company looks well positioned to grow its B2B offering, which is its next big step. For many early-stage companies, it’s been one of the most difficult periods to raise capital — but not for PeppercornAI. Wealth Club members were quick to spot this potentially stand out company and within a month the round was heavily oversubscribed.”

— Gayle Bowen, Head of Direct company investments at Wealth Club

“To raise £3.25m in the current climate is a glowing testament to the strength of the PeppercornAI team and their mission to bring substantial efficiencies to administering insurance policies using their AI-powered platform, Pipr.”

— Guy Remond, Founder of EHE Capital

“We’re really pleased to have joined fellow investors linked to Angels Invest Wales in backing PeppercornAI. By working with lead investors, we can ensure a strong impact for our investment and leverage the Wales Angel Co-investment Fund to match-fund deals like these.

“PeppercornAI’s tech has some fantastic potential, and they’re an excellent example of a Welsh businesses providing cutting-edge solutions in the traditional business sphere.”

— Tom Preene, operations manager for Angels Invest Wales

Featured image: Credit: PeppercornAI