Blab Tech
Lilypad Insurance Appoints Rajiv Matta as Chief Innovation Officer and Chooses BriteCore Platform to Expand Coastal Coverage
Lilypad Insurance, a New York‑based property‑and‑casualty carrier focused on coastal communities, announced on May 15 2025 that it had hired Rajiv Matta as Chief Innovation Officer and that it would use BriteCore’s cloud‑native core platform to support growth in hurricane‑prone markets.
The move comes as Lilypad seeks to sharpen its underwriting precision for homes and businesses in Florida, the Gulf states, and Hawaii. The company, which is licensed in nine states, is part of Arbol, a climate‑risk analytics firm that supplies granular data to insurers. Matta’s appointment follows a two‑decade career in hazard modeling, product development, and machine‑learning patents, and his role will oversee AI‑driven underwriting, distribution, and new program launches.
Lilypad’s strategy centers on using detailed risk data—such as crime rates, wind gust patterns, building shadows, and topography—to differentiate properties that share ZIP codes but differ in exposure. According to the company, traditional models rely on coarse territorial measures that can mask meaningful differences. By integrating more data points and applying AI, Lilypad aims to price risk more accurately and offer coverage that matches the true level of danger.
Matta, who joined Lilypad in May, said his responsibilities include “new program development and new verticals” and that the company’s AI strategy will be accelerated. He highlighted that Lilypad’s lack of legacy systems gives it an advantage: the insurer can embed AI throughout its processes rather than retrofit it onto older workflows. The company’s partnership with Arbol provides the data and analytics infrastructure needed for granular coastal risk assessment.
In addition to the leadership change, Lilypad’s selection of BriteCore as its policy‑administration platform signals a broader effort to modernize operations. BriteCore’s cloud‑native architecture is designed to streamline core insurance functions and enable rapid expansion into new lines and markets. The platform’s AI‑embedded features align with Lilypad’s focus on data‑driven underwriting.
Industry observers note that coastal property insurance has faced capacity shortages and rising premiums due to climate‑related losses. Lilypad’s dual approach—leveraging AI for risk pricing and adopting a modern core system—positions it to address these challenges. The company’s CEO, Sid Jha, described Matta’s appointment as “timely for the coastal insurance market” and emphasized the need for a carrier that can “move from risk insight to product development to distribution with far less friction.”
Matta’s background includes work on flood‑modeling for the National Flood Insurance Program, hurricane and dam‑failure models for Tokio Marine, and product development at Assurant and Millennial Specialty Insurance. He holds two machine‑learning patents that were applied to business problems before the recent AI boom.
Lilypad’s expansion into BriteCore’s platform is expected to support its admitted‑carrier footprint in Florida and other coastal states. The new system should enable faster policy issuance, more flexible underwriting rules, and improved automation of routine tasks. The company also plans to explore adjacent product lines, such as condominium association coverage, hotels, and general liability, while keeping an eye on niche markets like liquor liability in Florida.
The combined leadership and technology upgrades aim to give Lilypad a competitive edge in a market where insurers are pressured to price accurately and deliver service efficiently. The company’s next steps will likely involve rolling out the BriteCore platform, launching new AI‑enabled products, and scaling its presence in the Gulf Coast and Florida markets.
As of now, Lilypad has not announced specific product launches or pricing changes. The company’s focus remains on integrating AI into underwriting and operations, expanding its licensed footprint, and leveraging Arbol’s data to refine risk assessment for coastal properties.
The move comes as Lilypad seeks to sharpen its underwriting precision for homes and businesses in Florida, the Gulf states, and Hawaii. The company, which is licensed in nine states, is part of Arbol, a climate‑risk analytics firm that supplies granular data to insurers. Matta’s appointment follows a two‑decade career in hazard modeling, product development, and machine‑learning patents, and his role will oversee AI‑driven underwriting, distribution, and new program launches.
Lilypad’s strategy centers on using detailed risk data—such as crime rates, wind gust patterns, building shadows, and topography—to differentiate properties that share ZIP codes but differ in exposure. According to the company, traditional models rely on coarse territorial measures that can mask meaningful differences. By integrating more data points and applying AI, Lilypad aims to price risk more accurately and offer coverage that matches the true level of danger.
Matta, who joined Lilypad in May, said his responsibilities include “new program development and new verticals” and that the company’s AI strategy will be accelerated. He highlighted that Lilypad’s lack of legacy systems gives it an advantage: the insurer can embed AI throughout its processes rather than retrofit it onto older workflows. The company’s partnership with Arbol provides the data and analytics infrastructure needed for granular coastal risk assessment.
In addition to the leadership change, Lilypad’s selection of BriteCore as its policy‑administration platform signals a broader effort to modernize operations. BriteCore’s cloud‑native architecture is designed to streamline core insurance functions and enable rapid expansion into new lines and markets. The platform’s AI‑embedded features align with Lilypad’s focus on data‑driven underwriting.
Industry observers note that coastal property insurance has faced capacity shortages and rising premiums due to climate‑related losses. Lilypad’s dual approach—leveraging AI for risk pricing and adopting a modern core system—positions it to address these challenges. The company’s CEO, Sid Jha, described Matta’s appointment as “timely for the coastal insurance market” and emphasized the need for a carrier that can “move from risk insight to product development to distribution with far less friction.”
Matta’s background includes work on flood‑modeling for the National Flood Insurance Program, hurricane and dam‑failure models for Tokio Marine, and product development at Assurant and Millennial Specialty Insurance. He holds two machine‑learning patents that were applied to business problems before the recent AI boom.
Lilypad’s expansion into BriteCore’s platform is expected to support its admitted‑carrier footprint in Florida and other coastal states. The new system should enable faster policy issuance, more flexible underwriting rules, and improved automation of routine tasks. The company also plans to explore adjacent product lines, such as condominium association coverage, hotels, and general liability, while keeping an eye on niche markets like liquor liability in Florida.
The combined leadership and technology upgrades aim to give Lilypad a competitive edge in a market where insurers are pressured to price accurately and deliver service efficiently. The company’s next steps will likely involve rolling out the BriteCore platform, launching new AI‑enabled products, and scaling its presence in the Gulf Coast and Florida markets.
As of now, Lilypad has not announced specific product launches or pricing changes. The company’s focus remains on integrating AI into underwriting and operations, expanding its licensed footprint, and leveraging Arbol’s data to refine risk assessment for coastal properties.
