Solvd Group expands its end-to-end claims and repair ecosystem with a best-in-class hail solution offering

Munich, 27.03.2026

The Solvd Group, one of the world’s leading companies for digital claims and repair management, today announces that PDR & Careoss Group from Mutlangen (Baden-Württemberg) are joining its group. As hail events become more frequent and severe due to climate change, this move adds a decisive component to the Allianz Partners mobility ecosystem: the physical repair of vehicles in large-scale hail loss events – the most complex and unpredictable scenario in claims and repair management. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including merger control approval, and is expected to close in the second quarter of calendar year 2026.

Solvd Group is part of Allianz’s Connected Platforms strategy – alongside AZ Partners and AZ Direct – combining insurance expertise, AI-enhanced technologies and a global network of service providers to deliver an omni-channel and ultra-personalized customer experience. To strengthen collaboration between Solvd Group and the Mobility business of Allianz Partners, Allianz has unified all Mobility activities under shared leadership as of January 2026.

Climate change increases market pressure – PDR-Team and Solvd Group deliver the answer

Hailstorms are becoming more frequent and more intense due to climate change. In Germany alone, 2023 was the most damaging hail year on record: around 470,000 vehicles damaged, nearly €2 billion in costs (source: GDV). And experts agree: it was not an outlier, but a sign of things to come. A single hail event in the Île-de-France in May 2025 damaged 61,600 vehicles in just two hours – causing €196 million in motor vehicle claims (source: France Assureurs). For insurers across markets, the question is no longer whether such events will recur, but how to manage them – quickly, reliably and at scale.

In the German market, around 50 percent of those affected choose a cash payout over repair after a hail event. PDR-Team has proven over more than a decade how to change that: through digital solutions that make the path to repair so fast and straightforward that more customers take it. And when the loss event occurs, PDR-Team also delivers physically: with mobile repair centres ready on-site within 48 hours, handling even exceptionally high claims volumes reliably – consistently and without exception. As a part of Solvd Group and the Allianz digital claims platform, this strength is now being scaled globally and will further enhance the end-to-end claims experience.

The Solvd Group’s E2E ecosystem

The Solvd Group brings together the companies ControlExpert, GT Motive and Innovation Group under one roof, employing more than 3,700 experts with over 100 years of combined industry experience. With more than 150 AI-powered solutions and a presence in more countries than any other company of its kind, Solvd pursues a clear vision: to become one of the world’s leading end-to-end mobility provider – offering customers and partners genuine “peace of mind”. In concrete terms: claims settlement in under one day, fully digital, seamless and reliable, enhanced by Allianz Partner’s Mobility offerings in Motor insurance and Assistance.

With the integration of PDR-Team, this ecosystem grows by a decisive component: the physical repair of vehicles in large-scale hail loss events – the most complex and unpredictable scenario in claims and repair management. A further building block on the path to a complete platform-based end-to-end solution.

PDR-Team: Specialist for the unpredictable

PDR & Careoss Group were founded as family businesses in Berlin and have grown into one of Europe’s leading specialists in automotive claims management – PDR-Team as the expert in hail damage management, Careoss in the repair of accident damage. Together, they cover two of the most complex loss scenarios in the market. Active in Germany, Switzerland, France, Belgium, the USA and Poland, the companies repair several thousand vehicles annually with around 160 employees and up to 250 certified subcontractors. What sets PDR-Team apart is a model built on three integrated strengths: a digital customer journey that guides customers seamlessly through the entire claims process; AI-powered 3D scanner technology that assesses damage objectively and accurately in minutes; and a specialised repair network of PDR technicians able to absorb large claim volumes at scale.

What customers gain

The integration delivers tangible benefits to insurers, OEMs, dealerships and fleet operators. PDR-Team’s three integrated strengths translate into concrete results: the digital customer journey reduces leakage and accelerates the entire claims process – from first notice of loss to repair appointment, fully automated and available around the clock. The AI-powered 3D scanner assesses vehicles objectively in under a minute, generating real-time cost calculations that replace manual expertise and eliminate disputes over damage scope. And the specialized repair network scales from a single claim to tens of thousands – with mobile repair centers on-site within 48 hours, maintaining stable service levels even under full load. The paintless repair method is up to 60 percent more cost-effective than conventional hail repair, preserves the original paintwork and protects vehicle value. Repair over replacement – sustainable, efficient, and all from a single source.

Voices on the upcoming integration

„With PDR-Team, we complement our end-to-end ecosystem – and with it our vision: from the first digital signal to the repaired dent, everything from a single source. What excites us most is not just the operational capacity – it’s the mindset. PDR-Team fundamentally rethinks the process: where others optimize incrementally, this team reimagines hail damage from the ground up. That is precisely the entrepreneurial mindset that mirrors the DNA of the Solvd Group – and that will take our ecosystem to the next level. Together, we are now building the infrastructure for the hail damage management of tomorrow.” Dirk Vogler, CEO Solvd Group.

„We made a deliberate choice: not just a financial investor, but a strategic partner. With the Solvd Group, we share a clear ambition: to redefine the global market for hail damage management – through technology, scale and genuine value for our customers. What connects us goes beyond business – it is a shared vision for the next chapter.“ Nathanael Alain, Co-Founder, PDR-Team Group.

Independent. Strengthened. For the whole market

PDR-Team remains what it has been for more than a decade: an independent specialist whose primary goal is to develop innovative solutions for the market as a whole. The founders are staying on board – and with them everything that makes PDR-Team what it is: points of contact, teams, leadership structure and processes remain entirely unchanged. The integration into the Solvd Group equips PDR-Team to serve the entire market with even greater capacity, speed and innovative strength – backed by the global network, technology and resources of the Allianz Group.

About PDR-Team

PDR-Team is a dynamic family business with a global presence. For over 10 years, the company has stood for innovative solutions and excellent service, particularly in the management of large-scale hail events – working with the most renowned insurers, dealerships and claims managers across multiple countries.
The PDR-Team Group unites several specialized companies under one shared mission: making claims management effortless. The international network includes PDR-Team entities in Germany, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Poland, Australia, South Africa and the USA – as leading hail damage service providers. The portfolio is further complemented by Hagelschadenhilfe HSH, an experienced hail damage specialist in Germany, and 3A Experten, an established expert appraisal office. Additionally, the Careoss Group – with its body and paint shops in France, Switzerland and Germany – extends the group’s capabilities toward fully integrated, end-to-end claims management.
All companies within the group share a clear focus on digitalisation and automation, consistently applied across all processes with one goal: efficient, customer-oriented claims handling from a single source.
The Innovation: the hail damage scanner Colibri
PDR-Team’s patented hail damage scanner Colibri is revolutionising damage analysis. Colibri creates a precise 3D model of the vehicle, documenting every damage point in detail and with exact positioning – guaranteeing maximum traceability and effectively eliminating requests for additional damage claims.

Simple. Digital. Done.

Why End-to-End Automation Is Becoming Reality Now

Claims handling is one of the most complex and cost-intensive core processes in the insurance industry. High claim volumes, rising loss costs, increasing regulatory pressure, and ever-higher customer expectations collide with limited staffing resources. Traditional automation has been hitting clear limits for years.

Agentic AI now introduces a new approach that fundamentally changes the claims process. It moves away from rigid rule sets and predefined process paths toward a system that understands objectives, prepares decisions, and autonomously controls processes. End to end.

 

From Process Logic to Goal-Oriented Control

Traditional automation solutions follow a simple principle. Every process step is modeled in advance, including all variants and exceptions. In practice, this leads to high complexity, limited flexibility, and significant maintenance effort.

Agentic AI reverses this principle. Instead of prescribing every step, the company defines clear operational objectives, regulatory guardrails, and available tools. AI agents independently plan and control the path to those goals. Depending on claim type, context, and data availability, workflows can vary without losing governance, compliance, or transparency.

The result is a dynamic claims process that adapts to each individual case instead of forcing cases into a rigid framework.

 

What Sets Agentic AI Apart from Traditional AI

Traditional AI and machine learning are primarily analytical. They classify data, identify patterns, and support decisions at specific points. Generative AI expands this by creating content such as text, speech, or images.

Agentic AI goes one step further. It combines analysis, generation, and the ability to act. AI agents independently pursue defined goals, access internal and external systems, evaluate intermediate results, and trigger concrete actions. Examples include repair shop coordination, payment approvals, or targeted requests for additional information.

Human involvement is ensured wherever regulatory or quality requirements demand it. Decisions are transparent, documented, and auditable.

 

End-to-End Claims Handling with the ClaimsPilot

The ClaimsPilot is designed exactly for this purpose. As an Agentic AI platform, it orchestrates the entire claims lifecycle from first notice of loss to case closure.

A central orchestrator agent translates corporate objectives into operational tasks. Domain agents then make expert decisions, for example on coverage, liability, reserves, or fraud indicators. Action agents execute these decisions through payment instructions, repair assignments, or customer communication.

An integrated learning layer ensures continuous improvement. Feedback from real claims flows directly into process optimization.

 

Automation by Levels of Complexity

Implementation follows the established levels of claims complexity.

Simple claims such as glass damage, parking damage, or minor comprehensive claims are handled fully automatically. The focus is on fast settlement, automatic repair booking, and immediate payment initiation.

For medium-complexity claims, Agentic AI manages orchestration, for example standard collisions without bodily injury. Final approval is provided by experienced claims handlers.

Highly complex claims such as multi-party accidents, bodily injury cases, or international claims initially remain outside full automation. Even here, the system supports structured preparation, data collection, and decision support.

 

Measurable Value for Insurers

The benefits are clearly quantifiable:

• Productivity gains of 20 to 40 percent
• Improvement in loss ratio of up to 4 percent
• Significantly higher customer satisfaction through faster decisions
• Reduced workload for service centers and claims departments
• High scalability, even during peak claim events

At the same time, the system remains robust against regulatory requirements and emerging risks.

 

Risk, Compliance, and Governance

Explainability and control are core design principles. Critical decisions are secured through approval levels. Human-in-the-loop is implemented wherever regulatory sensitivity applies.

Company policies, BaFin requirements, and compliance standards are embedded as fixed guardrails within the system. Audit trails fully document every decision and action.

The ClaimsPilot meets the requirements of the EU AI Act, BSI guidelines, and relevant ISO standards, while remaining flexible enough to adapt to future regulatory developments.

 

Conclusion: The Operating System for the Claims World

Agentic AI marks the shift from process-driven automation to goal-oriented claims control. Insurers define what needs to be achieved. The system determines the optimal path.

The ClaimsPilot combines speed, efficiency, and customer focus in an integrated end-to-end solution. Those who act now gain not only efficiency, but a structural advantage in a market increasingly shaped by adaptive systems.

The traditional claims process is not further optimized. It is reimagined.

More details can be found in the February 2026 issue of Versicherungswirtschaft in the article “Agentic AI in Claims Management” by Andreas Decker and Roy Heiderich.

HDI Insurance and Solvd Group are joining forces in digital claims and repair management. Through the acquisition of SSV Schadenschutzverband GmbH and the use of innovative technologies, both partners are creating a future-oriented foundation for efficient processes, strong workshop networks, and optimal customer service.

Munich, 05.09.2025

HDI Insurance and the Solvd Group, a global leader in digital solutions for claims and repair management, are entering into a long-term strategic partnership. At the core of the collaboration, HDI Insurance will in future make use of the Solvd Group’s processes and services in the areas of repair shop networks and claims analysis. Together, both partners aim to further develop these services and set new standards.

As part of the partnership, the Solvd Group will acquire SSV Schadenschutzverband GmbH from HDI Insurance and integrate it into its service portfolio in order to further expand its business with private customers, fleets, and OEMs.

Going forward, the Solvd Group and its subsidiaries – including ControlExpert and Innovation Group – supported by SSV Schadenschutzverband GmbH, will take over key services for HDI Insurance such as repair shop management and invoice verification. The collaboration is designed for the long term and secures both the expertise of SSV employees and the proven services of the repair shop network.

For HDI Insurance, the partnership offers the opportunity to realize economies of scale and to leverage innovations in the repair market more quickly. Cooperation with the Innovation Group’s repair shop network ensures even broader regional coverage and improved services for HDI customers. The claims platform Gateway efficiently connects insurers, repair shops, and partners, integrating all processes in claims and repair management. This ensures clear, digital workflows that also benefit repair shop partners through more assignments, an expanded customer network, and reduced administrative effort.

The Solvd Group views the partnership as an important step in further expanding its end-to-end claims and repair management. With the help of modern technologies and artificial intelligence, all process steps will be interconnected—from claims reporting through to full repair. The Solvd Group’s vision: enabling claims settlement in under one day.

Statements on the partnership:

Sebastian Lins, Chief Markets Officer, Solvd Group says: “The partnership with HDI Insurance is a strong signal to the market: it shows that leading insurers place their trust in our experience, our technological expertise, and our integrated solutions. Together, we are setting new benchmarks in claims management—efficient, transparent, and future-ready. For us, this step is further proof that as a neutral and reliable partner, we can create added value for the entire industry.”

Christoph Kemmner, Head of SHUK Claims at HDI Insurance and Managing Director at SSV Schadenschutzverband GmbH, adds: “With the Solvd Group, we are actively shaping the future of claims management. By combining modern digital infrastructure with the long-standing expertise of SSV Schadenschutzverband GmbH, we are setting new standards in service and process quality. This partnership enables us to further strengthen our excellent claims service while keeping contributions stable for our customers.”

The Solvd Group unites market-leading companies such as ControlExpert, GT Motive, Innovation Group, and, in future, SSV Schadenschutzverband GmbH under one roof. With decades of experience and cutting-edge technology—including artificial intelligence—the group delivers pioneering solutions for claims and repair management.

With its AI-based fraud detection platform “System FOTO”, ControlExpert has established a centralized, data protection-compliant solution used by nearly all Polish insurers to automatically analyze vehicle damage images for patterns of fraud. The innovative platform sets new standards for efficiency, transparency, and data privacy in digital claims processing.

Langenfeld, Germany – May 2025 – Launched at the end of 2024 under the auspices of the Claims Settlement Commission of the Polish Chamber of Insurance (PIU) and the Insurance Guarantee Fund (UFG), System FOTO marks a milestone in the digitalization of automotive claims settlement in Poland. The technical concept and implementation were developed by ControlExpert – a Solvd Group Company, a global leader in AI-based solutions for the automation of claims and maintenance processes in the mobility sector. UFG financed and co-developed the system and is responsible for technical operations and insurer integration.

The FOTO system is based on automated image recognition and was developed to recognize identical or existing damages that have been resubmitted to different insurers – a phenomenon believed to be widespread in the industry, not only in Poland but worldwide. Using artificial intelligence, the system automatically analyzes all vehicle damage images uploaded to a central platform for cases of fraud. Almost 87% of all car insurance companies on the Polish market already use this platform. It fully complies with European and Polish data protection regulations, including the strict requirements of the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF). This ensures that all user data is processed securely, transparently and in strict compliance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Designed for highly regulated industries such as financial services and insurance, the platform ensures exceptional data security and compliance at every stage.

“System FOTO has been an exceptional project for us – in terms of both data volume and impact. We are proud to provide a scalable, market-wide solution that specifically helps to prevent fraud,” says Grzegorz Czekiel, Managing Director of ControlExpert Poland. “The coordinated effort of nearly the entire insurance market under the leadership of UFG is a significant milestone. This successful launch has paved the way for some exciting new projects on an international scale.”

With the aim of preventing insurance crime by recognizing recurring damage patterns in the images, FOTO identifies damaged vehicle parts such as bumpers, doors or headlights that appear in different claims – even with different vehicles and insurers. Damage that has been reported again can also be identified. At FOTO, ControlExpert continuously relies on the use of the latest technologies in order to detect further fraud patterns on an ongoing basis.

“With System FOTO, we’ve established a new benchmark that not only accelerates claims handling, but also lays the foundation for fair, transparent, and efficient insurance processes,” Czekiel adds. “Moreover, the underlying technology opens up a wide range of further applications – including in other lines of insurance such as property insurance. With FOTO, we are ideally positioned for a wide range of inquiries and concerns in the field of automated loss and fraud detection – and not just limited to the Polish market.”

During the initial phase, the AI algorithms analyzed more than 300,000 claims from two years and three vehicle brands – a data volume of over 8 terabytes. The system now accesses one of the largest claims databases in Europe: with over 60 million images and around 2.5 million documented damages. This database is expected to grow to 100 million images and over 60 terabytes in the near future.

“The implementation of this project is the result of successful cooperation between insurance companies, the Polish Chamber of Insurance (PIU), and the Insurance Guarantee Fund (UFG). We are very pleased with the first results of the system; we already have thousands of selected cases showing that it works properly and has great potential. It is no secret that AI algorithms improve their efficiency with more data and the right training process, which we are currently working on,” says Radosław Bedyński, Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Insurance Guarantee Fund, who is leading the FOTO project group.