TINtech London Market 2026: Claims transformation in focus

On 3 February, the London (re)insurance market came together for TINtech London Market 2026, hosted by The Insurance Network. The event once again proved why it’s become such a key date in the market calendar, a space for open and honest conversations about technology and where the market is going, what needs to change, and how we make it happen.

The DOCOsoft team were there in force, with CEO Aidan O’Neill, Ian Gibbard, Head of London Market, and Client Relationship Manager Jack Burgess all taking the opportunity to catch up with market contacts and clients, while Account Manager Darren Woolley delivered our Supplier Spotlight presentation, focusing on the drivers behind claims transformation in the London Market.

An inflection point for our market

A recurring theme throughout the day was that the London Market has now reached the point where the direction of travel is broadly understood. Big themes included legacy complexity, fragmented data, pressure from facilitation models, digital distribution, and AI.

There’s general agreement that all of those themes, and others besides, pose real and significant challenges for all of us. The harder part to pin down is how we resolve them, how we modernise without recreating yesterday’s problems under a new label.

In his presentation, Darren described the London Market as being at a critical inflection point. Over the next three to five years, he said, we’re likely to see a profound shift in how the market operates, how claims teams work, and how technology supports them.

He framed this transformation around three interconnected strands: market, people, and technology.

Market: collaboration, complexity and control

With market-wide technology innovations still some way down the road, carriers operating in the Lloyd’s and London Market are increasingly looking to move forward independently. Rather than waiting on developments that are effectively beyond their control, firms are pressing ahead pragmatically, modernising their own operating models and technology stacks.

That shift brings both opportunity and responsibility. The market needs better collaboration across brokers, underwriters, claims teams and third-party experts. Data must flow more seamlessly, without increasing risk or compromising control. Settlements need to happen faster and be more transparent.

At the same time, the risks this market covers are becoming more complex and less predictable. Cyber, climate, and geopolitical exposures are all evolving with unprecedented speed. The systems insurance businesses rely on need to enable rapid adaptation, while maintaining the specialist expertise that differentiates London from other global markets.

Darren also highlighted the growing maturity and stature of the claims function, reflected in Lloyd’s Fifth Hurdle Principle. Stronger feedback loops between claims and underwriting are no longer optional, he stressed. They’re essential to better risk selection, pricing discipline, and long-term performance.

The goal is clear: retain London’s expertise in complex risk, while matching other markets on speed, efficiency and transparency, and learning selectively from global peers where appropriate.

People: knowledge, capability and culture

Unsurprisingly, technology was a central theme for the first big TINtech event of 2026, but many speakers and delegates seemed keener than ever to focus on the people aspect of this business.

The London Market faces a generational shift. Many experienced claims professionals will soon retire, taking with them a vast amount of institutional knowledge. Capturing and mobilising that elusive but invaluable commodity before we lose it has to be an urgent priority. We cannot afford to leave it untapped in multiple inboxes and individual human memories.

Meanwhile, talent shortages and salary inflation are putting increasing pressure on claims teams to do more with less. New recruits to our sector are digital natives. They expect intuitive systems and are quick to question duplicated entry, manual re-keying and opaque workflows.

Senior claims leaders are increasingly focused on insight more than process. AI is being deployed to gather, organise and visualise information so claims can actively inform product development, pricing and underwriting strategy. What might once have been seen as a back-office function is increasingly recognised as a vital strategic function and a valuable underexploited source of competitive advantage.

Darren also emphasised the importance of more flexible, less linear careers within claims. Technology needs to play its part in supporting movement between roles and functions, enabling individuals to broaden their skill sets and add value in new and different ways.

The people dimension very much aligned with wider discussions throughout the event. This people dimension aligned closely with wider discussions throughout the event. Modernisation is not simply about installing new tools. It’s about ownership, governance, incentives, and culture. Without clarity in these areas, even the most advanced platforms will never deliver what they’re capable of.

Technology: from record-keeping to business engine

The final strand in Darren’s presentation focused on six practical foundations for technology transformation in specialty claims.

Standardisation and structure

Good data starts at the point of entry. Screening, extraction, and classification all need to be executed consistently. AI-powered email ingestion tools provide a clear illustration of how structured capture enables automation. Without structured data, AI risks amplifying inconsistency rather than insight. We all need to work together to standardise and structure as much as we can without waiting on market-wide initiatives.

Automation

Straight-through processing (STP) works best for simple uncontroversial claims. Automation should genuinely remove work, not just relocate it, but, used appropriately, AI can help eliminate re-keying and repetitive manual checks, freeing experts to focus on judgement and negotiation.

Simplification

Not every claim requires a complex workflow. Fewer steps, fewer hand-offs and fewer system-generated exceptions make processes easier to run, adapt and explain.

Modern cloud-based platforms

The best of the next generation of dedicated claims management systems enable faster updates, safer changes and easier configuration. They incorporate AI capabilities that support human decision-making, rather than replacing it. Claims systems have evolved far beyond record-keeping to provide guidance and insight at the point of decision.

Integration

It’s essential that claims systems enable seamless connectivity with market platforms, brokers and third parties. APIs and shared standards reduce friction and avoid creating new manual work.

Continuous learning

Claims data should feed back into underwriting, pricing and product design. AI models improve as more structured data becomes available. Workflows and decision-support tools should be refined iteratively. In this way, claims systems become business engines for continuous improvement.

Each of these themes aligned closely with broader discussions at TINtech. Many of the tools claims teams need already exist. The differentiator will be disciplined execution: clear ownership, structured data, robust governance and a commitment to ongoing iteration rather than one-off projects.

DOCOsoft’s role in the journey

DOCOsoft’s claims management systems are purpose-built for the Lloyd’s and London Market. They integrate with core market platforms and with messaging standards like Writeback and ACORD EBOT-ECOT Ruschlikon. Combined with inward integrations to policy administration and other carrier systems, this creates a unified environment that brings together and validates key data within an intuitive, configurable platform.

Our AI capabilities support activities ranging from document classification and data ingestion, to risk flagging and workflow optimisation. They’re designed to augment human expertise, not compete with it.

More than half of London’s claims messages pass through a DOCOsoft system. So, when it comes to claims, the London Market already runs on DOCOsoft. Our focus is on ensuring our technology continues to evolve, safely and pragmatically, in line with the market’s ambitions.

Looking ahead

If there was one clear shared ambition at TINtech London Market 2026, it was this. We must not still be debating foundational data challenges by the time the 2030s roll around.

London Market carriers will achieve their full potential when forward-thinking leadership, enriched and evolving skill sets, and advanced technology all come together to mobilise and preserve knowledge, amplify human expertise and deliver faster, more transparent outcomes for clients.

Our thanks go to The Insurance Network for organising such a thought-provoking and well-run event. We look forward to continuing the conversation in the months ahead.