LeapFrog Invests US$6M in AllLife, Innovative African HIV and Diabetes Insurer
By Leapfrog Investments, PRNETuesday, December 1, 2009
Fund expects profit and impact from reaching 50,000 HIV+ and diabetic clients
JOHANNESBURG, December 2 - LeapFrog Investments has announced a ZAR 50 million (over US$6 million)
investment in AllLife, the innovative South African insurer serving people
living with HIV and diabetes. The investment brings together LeapFrog, the
leading microinsurance investment fund, and AllLife, one of Africa's most
innovative insurance businesses. The announcement took place after World AIDS
Day.
"AllLife has developed a distinctive and profitable business model,
reaching customers that other insurers have been unable to access," says Gary
Herbert, a LeapFrog Principal. "LeapFrog is providing AllLife's team with
support to grow their client base by several multiples, and expertise to help
management cascade their unique systems into new products and markets."
AllLife, a pioneer in continuous underwriting, links insurance products
to an adherence management program. The program ensures clients manage their
health appropriately, routinely alerting them to potential health concerns
and helping them take action to maintain their wellbeing - such as regularly
testing and taking anti-retroviral medications. As a result, AllLife offers
more competitively priced products, and covers people whom the insurance
industry has often regarded as uninsurable.
"No one who is willing to manage their disease appropriately should be
denied life insurance," says Ross Beerman, Managing Director of AllLife.
"These are potential policyholders, willing to pay for reasonably priced
insurance, and willing to take steps to manage their disease so that they
lead long and productive lives. From a business risk and profitability
perspective, of course they're insurable - we simply had to invent systems to
monitor and support them in the right ways."
AllLife's world-class team and strong strategic plan position it to
continue a rapid growth trajectory - its client base grew by 250% last year.
AllLife targets reaching 50,000 HIV+ and diabetic policyholders in just a few
years, generating strong profits and significant social impact.
In total, 250,000 policyholders and dependents will enjoy the financial
security that insurance provides. Most have been unable to obtain insurance
or could do so at very high cost - preventing them from taking out home
loans, starting businesses, or engaging in other economic activities
requiring insurance. Access to insurance has also been shown to reduce stigma
associated with HIV, and measurably improve health outcomes. According to
Beerman, the company sees an average 15% improvement in clients' health, just
from having an AllLife insurance policy.
"We saw in this extraordinary company an opportunity to generate
meaningful profits for investors while ending the exclusion of thousands of
families from life insurance and participation in the economy," says Ingo
Weber, an Investment Committee Member of LeapFrog and a former Managing
Director at Swiss Re. LeapFrog's Founder and President, Andrew Kuper,
concluded: "For anyone wondering if it's possible to do well by doing good,
today that question is answered."
LeapFrog Investments manages the world's first microinsurance fund.
Launched with President Bill Clinton in 2008, LeapFrog has raised US$47
million to date from leading banks, funds, and microfinance and insurance
investors. Its profit-with-purpose investment approach has been hailed by
many global leaders as a new frontier for alternative investment and
microfinance. www.leapfroginvest.com
AllLife designs, distributes and administers affordable life insurance
products for individuals living with HIV or Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes
mellitus who commit to following an appropriate health monitoring and
treatment program. Since 2005 AllLife has provided affordable cover for
thousands of people living with HIV, while improving their health through the
adherence management program. AllLife products are reinsured by Gen Re, part
of the Berkshire Hathaway Group.
www.alllife.co.za
Gary Herbert, LeapFrog, garyherbert at leapfroginvest.com, +27-82-898-0361; Ross Beerman, AllLife, ross at alllife.co.za, +27-82-337-7654
Tags: Aids, Johannesburg, LeapFrog Investments, South Africa, Western Europe