The GlobalData survey indicates that partnerships between insurers and non-traditional technology and service providers are expected to play an increasingly important role in the development of insurance offerings.
According to a poll run by GlobalData Life Insurance InternationalConcluded in the first quarter of 2026, 41.1% of respondents identified partnerships between health insurers and mental health and wellness apps as the most important non-traditional partnerships over the next three years. This highlights the growing importance of preventive health care and wellness support in insurance strategies. Additionally, 35.6% of respondents identified partnerships with climate technology companies focused on mitigation infrastructure, reflecting the growing role of insurers in addressing climate-related risks and supporting resilience efforts.
These findings show that insurers are prioritizing partnerships that enable more proactive risk management and enhance customer engagement. Mental health and wellness platforms allow insurers to support policyholders’ long-term health outcomes, potentially reducing claims costs and improving customer retention. Additionally, partnerships with climate technology firms enable insurers to better understand, monitor, and mitigate environmental risks, which are becoming increasingly important due to increasing climate-related harms.
Other partnerships were considered less important but still relevant. For example, 13.7% of respondents considered motor insurers partnering with mobility services such as rideshare and micromobility providers as important. These collaborations enable insurers to adapt to changing mobility patterns and develop new products in line with evolving transportation models.
Meanwhile, 6.8% highlighted home insurers integrating with IoT device providers and smart home manufacturers, which can help prevent losses through real-time monitoring and early risk detection.
Partnerships involving life insurers and social media or influencer platforms for wellness promotions were considered less important, cited by only 2.7% of respondents. Although these partnerships can improve customer engagement and promote healthy behaviors, they are currently considered less important than partnerships that directly enhance risk mitigation capabilities or provide measurable operational benefits.
Insurers can take advantage of these emerging partnership opportunities by integrating preventive services, leveraging real-time data insights, and expanding value-added offerings. Collaboration with wellness platforms, climate technology providers and digital infrastructure firms enables insurers to shift towards more proactive and preventive business models. These partnerships will help insurers strengthen customer relationships, improve risk assessment and increase long-term profitability as the industry evolves beyond the traditional insurance model.
