Subscribe
  • Home
  • /
  • Internet
  • /
  • Insurance comparison site CompareGuru acquired by SureStart

Insurance comparison site CompareGuru acquired by SureStart


Johannesburg, 24 Jun 2019
CompareGuru CEO Travys Wilkins
CompareGuru CEO Travys Wilkins

Online insurance distribution leader SureStart today announced the acquisition of CompareGuru, an independent insurance comparison platform, from Silvertree Internet Holdings. CompareGuru joined the SureStart stable from 1 June 2019.

SureStart enables anyone to buy or sell digital financial services, instantly and seamlessly, by using the cloud-based Briisk Instant Transaction Platform. SureStart Founding Director Hanno Van Aarde says: “By joining forces with CompareGuru, we are now able to reach more customers and provide them with access to value-adding insurance products and financial services that give them full power over their money.”

CompareGuru CEO Travys Wilkins says the acquisition will enable the brand to offer innovative white-labelled insurance solutions to the South African market while still furthering its goal of digitising the insurance process completely. “Our focus has shifted substantially in the past 12 months, moving away from the inherently invasive nature of insurance sales. Our mission is to continue offering a hands-on approach to guiding, assisting and servicing our clients – effectively closing the gap between the insurer and the end-consumer – while ensuring the most efficient, innovative route to cost-effective, comprehensive cover.

Wilkins says the acquisition will enable SureStart to leverage off CompareGuru’s existing licence agreements: “We’re able to pool resources across compliance, product development, multi-channel strategy and systems integration. This in turn means lowering cost structures and providing a full suite of financial products and services directly to the consumer.”

Established in 2013, CompareGuru provides free, unbiased side-by-side quotes on short-term and long-term insurance products, ranging from vehicle insurance and life insurance to building insurance. Wilkins says a key focus for the business in the short term will be updating the products to include both funeral and travel insurance.

In addition to the above suite of products, CompareGuru now also boasts a Private Wealth division, named CG Private Wealth, offering unbiased financial guidance to high net-worth individuals. “We’ll be furthering our focus on tech-enabled financial planning and wealth management solutions for individuals and businesses under this brand.” Wilkins will now fulfil a dual role as Executive Director of SureStart as well as CEO of CompareGuru and CG Private Wealth.

“We’re confident that this move will allow us to scale the offering utilising the technology now available to us to simplify processes and provide consumers with the most relevant solutions to their needs. In addition, we’d like to make an impact in an industry that has largely remained powered by face-to-face and sales-driven activities for the better part of two decades,” says Wilkins.

CompareGuru is an authorised financial services provider (FSP. 47696). In 2018, CompareGuru acquired Noble Wealth Financial Services (renamed to CG Private Wealth), with outgoing CEO, Clemens Wolf, replaced by Travys Wilkins.

Share

SureStart (FSP 47233)

SureStart Online Financial Services is the activator and Implementer of the Briisk Innovation in Africa, Europe, Middle East, Turkey and India. Through their use of the Briisk platform, the company offers end-to-end Insur-fintech solutions to insurers. This provides insurers with an instant and cost effective marketplace to handle online transactions.

https://www.surestart.co.za/

Editorial contacts

Lisa Edwards (Republic PR)
Lisa@republicpr.co.za