The dynamic duo

In 2018, siblings Cathal and Niamh O’Brien joined forces to create Buddy, an online and flexible policy builder for travel insurance. Armed with e-commerce experience and insider knowledge of the insurance industry, they both wanted to change and simplify the process of getting insurance.

They were both fed up of industry jargon and the legalese that plagued insurance forms and documentation. “Why can’t insurance companies speak to customers they want to be spoken to?” they both questioned.

They made it their mission to bring some much needed transparency to insurance and put control back in the hands of customers.

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Turning challenges into opportunities

It can take a huge amount of time to receive the regulatory approval needed before being able to sell insurance. This can prove to be a massive hurdle for new companies looking to enter the market but Cathal and Niamh didn’t wait idly by.

They used the time to develop a solid plan, research their competitors and look at larger international success stories for inspiration. This helped them solidify their vision and eventually partner with ARB, an Irish insurance company with over 90 years of industry experience.

A tailored user experience

With their product vision firmly in place, Cathal and Niamh set about designing a travel insurance website that was centred on an excellent user experience.The website would need to massively simplify the user journey and make purchasing travel insurance quick and easy.

Despite the added simplicity, they would also offer their customers tailored insurance packages. Gone were the “one size fits all” policies of their competitors.

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Buddy befriends MiniCorp

MiniCorp were thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Buddy on their vision. Buddy’s knowledge of their industry, the strength of their vision and their appetite to disrupt the insurance game proved to be magnetic.

Bringing a fresh pair of eyes and digital product expertise, MiniCorp assisted Buddy in further honing their vision and solidifying the user experience.

MiniCorp’s engineering team then set about translating this plan into a functional, ready to launch website.

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Only the beginning

Launched in May 2020, Buddy is already off to an amazing start. They now have a website that their customers love and that brings reduced overheads and automation to insurance policy creation.

Stepping away from tradition, taking a different approach and innovating are built into Buddy’s DNA. We’re excited to continue working with them as they expand their offering and bring even more innovations to the table.

Already off to an amazing start, Buddy is planning to shake up the market further as they are soon to launch similar offerings for both pet and motor insurance.

Build it right

Whether you are looking to build a new website, app or grow what you already have, you’ll want to partner with a digital product agency who will share your drive and enthusiasm to make the best product possible.

At MiniCorp, we build exceptional digital products and experiences. We don't just build products that work, we build products that thrive.

If you’d like to partner with us to build and grow your digital product contact our strategy team today.