Sync Technologies has won cloud platform Guidewire’s Insurtech Vanguards Pitch Day, held in Sydney on Wednesday.

The Sydney-based construction data firm will now showcase its work at the Guidewire Connections conference in Las Vegas in October and will feature in an upcoming episode of the InsurTalk podcast.

CEO Carolina Dreifuss says the win is "validation that the industry is ready to embrace a new way of capturing, assessing and managing property claims".   

Sync Technologies is building AI-powered property intelligence that helps insurers make faster, more informed decisions when managing claims, she says.   

"We're solving a real problem, and that's what motivates us every day ... It was a privilege to share the stage with such talented people and powerhouses. The quality of innovation on display was outstanding."   

Also selected to compete this year were policy analysis innovator Raindrop, compliance specialist Curium, AI insured sum management app MyVal, and digital psychological disclosure management platform Haven ERM.   

The five finalists made live pitches on their insurance-focused tech to an audience and panel of judges at The Mint in Sydney.   

"The calibre we're seeing, in particular here, has evolved exponentially. By far, this year has been the most innovative that we've seen and it's about educating our community on these wonderful new value propositions – and then we give those startups a microphone, we amplify their message to our carriers," Guidewire chief evangelist Laura Drabik tells insuranceNEWS.com.au.  

Almost 200 attendees voted, and the insurtechs were judged by IA CEO Simone Dossetor, Codafication COO Bryn McKay, Hollard's Daniel Dearsley, IAG CIO retail Danielle Tompson, Achmea COO Danielle Whitelock, PwC's Imran Ilyas and Guidewire Asia-Pacific MD Shaji Sethu.   

“InsurPitch Sydney is a testament to the strength of Australia's insurtech ecosystem and the ingenuity of the entrepreneurs driving it forward," Mr Sethu said.

He says the Vanguards program aims to "bring more thought leadership to problems that have existed and no one's actually solved" and assist in commercialising Australian innovation.   

"What they miss is a platform and an opportunity to grow and we want to be that," Mr Sethu tells insuranceNEWS.com.au. "Don't forget Australia is the land that invented [Victa] lawn mowers and wireless [networks]. It's a genuinely innovative country. 

"Anyone can have a good idea, but can you take that idea to commercialisation, and grow it and live through the drudgery? That's the true grit ... it's about execution and sustaining that, and that's one thing [the 2026 finalists] have all shown." 

Guidewire is accepting 90-second pitches here until August 21 for a chance to take the InsurPitch stage in Las Vegas on September 30. Participating finalists must join the Vanguards program.