BY ANJA HALL, ORIGINAL PUBLISHED IN GERMAN ON 27 NOVEMBER 2025, VIA VERSICHERUNGSMONITOR

Service provider Solvd wants to process motor claims fully automatically. AI agents handle each step: they communicate with the customer, check coverage, assess the damage, arrange a workshop appointment and even process recoveries – entirely without human assistance. This is intended to help the struggling motor segment become more efficient and reduce costs.
About a year ago, during the quiet days between Christmas and New Year, Andreas Decker had an idea: What if we automated the entire handling of a motor claim? From the initial notification, cost estimation, workshop appointment and payment processing through to potential recoveries – all from a single source.

Decker is Managing Director at Control Expert and also Chief Product Officer at service provider Solvd Group. Solvd belongs to Allianz but operates independently of the insurance group and consists of three companies: Control Expert, GT Motive and Innovation Group. Control Expert specialises in digitalisation of motor claims, GT Motive in damage estimation and cost calculation, and Innovation Group runs a workshop network. In September 2025, Solvd additionally entered a cooperation with HDI Versicherung and took over its service provider SSV Schadenschutzverband.

AI agents work autonomously

Everything was in place to put Decker’s idea into practice. In the first week of January 2025, a development team started work. They are building a platform that uses agentic AI to automate claims processing.

Agentic AI is a relatively new technology that many companies are experimenting with. These AI agents are systems that autonomously pursue goals, plan steps and execute actions. “We no longer define individual processes for the system to run through. Instead, we give the agents the goal of processing the claim in the best possible way,” says Decker. To understand what “best possible” means, the agent receives KPIs and a set of tools. “These can be other agents specialised in certain tasks, but also tools such as invoice checks or cost estimate verification.” The agent decides independently what the next best step is to reach its goal.

Eight sub-agents and a master agent

Solvd uses eight AI agents orchestrated by a so-called master agent. There is an agent for customer communication and one for checking whether the policy covers the loss. Another estimates and evaluates the damage based on descriptions and images. A “context agent” identifies patterns, such as whether a hailstorm is a mass event. Other agents handle workshop appointments and payment processing. One agent filters out particularly complex cases and forwards them to a (human) claims handler.

“In the final stage, a motor insurer can outsource its entire claims handling to us – including recoveries and legal disputes,” says Decker. “The insurer will not need claims back-end systems or staff for claims handling.” The Solvd platform is integrated into the insurer’s systems, billing is done per claim.

Ready in spring 2026

That is the vision. Implementation is ongoing. Around 100 people are currently working on the project, Decker reports, and the team is progressing quickly. Claims intake is already automated, workshop appointments with Innovation Group facilities are also possible. More functions will be activated in the coming weeks. “By the first quarter of 2026 at the latest, we want to be able to handle all claims for a German motor insurer,” says the manager. Solvd will initially focus on bodywork damage. Accidents involving personal injuries and major losses above a certain threshold are excluded for now.

The development did not run entirely smoothly, Decker admits. “These AI agents are powerful models that need to be constrained. We therefore had to define within which boundaries an agent may act and what it may not do.” Task allocation among the agents was also an issue, as well as system performance. At the beginning, it took three seconds for the system to respond. “That was too long. In tests with real callers, people immediately hang up.”

Motor segment under pressure

Decker does not want to talk about current or potential customers. But the project is likely to interest motor insurers because it could solve their most pressing problem: controlling costs. In 2023 and 2024, the segment recorded heavy losses, mainly because workshop costs and spare parts prices exploded.

In 2025, major storms have so far been absent, so motor insurers are likely to return to profitability. But the situation remains tense. Therefore, fast and efficient claims handling is essential. Solvd also sees potential among smaller and mid-sized insurers with outdated claims systems. For them, it may be attractive to rely directly on an external provider instead of spending millions on a new system.

Insurers also do not need to worry that their data might flow to Solvd’s parent company Allianz, the company assures. “We work completely independently for our clients and with strictly separated data environments. Allianz does not have access to the data of other insurers or partner companies.” The platform is set up so that all customer data is technically and organisationally isolated. Data handling is governed by contracts, privacy regulations and independent audits. Internally, compliance and governance processes ensure that neither competitively relevant information nor operational data is exchanged between clients and the owner, explains Solvd.

Not just cost savings, but also time savings

Decker cannot yet quantify how much a motor insurer saves per claim when using Solvd’s platform. In many cases, Solvd does not know the baseline in detail.

But saving time is also a major benefit, he says. The longer a claim remains unresolved, the more likely it is that the customer will hire a lawyer and perhaps request an expert opinion. “That means several hundred euro in costs. You can avoid that if you process the claim quickly and to the customer’s satisfaction.”

Chatbot or human?

But do policyholders even want to talk to a chatbot? The debate comes up repeatedly, Decker says. “Some insurers see personal contact at the moment of loss as the moment of truth in which they fulfil their promise of performance.”
But he believes customers want something else. Solvd conducted a survey asking policyholders what matters to them in a claim. 82 percent of callers want their problem solved immediately, says Decker. “Whether an agent or a human does it – they do not care at all.”

Sebastian González is Sr. VP LATAM at Solvd Group with over 15 years of international experience in the automotive and insurance industries. As a results-oriented leader, he has built and led high-performing teams, driving business growth through data-driven technologies and customer-focused strategies. With a strong background in commercial strategy and go-to-market execution, Sebastian combines analytical precision with a long-term vision for sustainable success. We asked him to give us some insights into this year’s ITC in Las Vegas.

González described his experience at ITC Las Vegas as highly positive:

“It’s an impressive event. I’ve had the chance to speak with people who have been in the industry for many years — it’s been very productive. It allowed us to exchange ideas, showcase ongoing projects, and explore new opportunities across different markets in the region.”

When discussing the company’s offering, González emphasized the balance between technological innovation and human support:

“Our proposal focuses on two main areas. One is technological platforms — developing and creating solutions to control underwriting and claims management — which we complement with operational teams, real professionals who can handle and complete everything that technology cannot… our ‘Solvers’.”

He highlighted that this combination allows them to maintain efficiency and productivity while adapting to exceptions that technology alone cannot handle:

“It’s humanity complemented by technology — that mix is what makes the difference in this market.”

Clients and focus on insurance
González explained that most of their clients are insurance companies:

“Ninety percent of our client base consists of insurers. We’re beginning to expand into other industries such as automotive, fleet management, and car rentals, but our main focus remains on insurance.”

The company supports these insurers throughout the entire claims process, from the initial report to workshop payment:

“All customer contact points — claim reporting, estimation, and even workshop payments — are handled within our platform.”

Regional expansion and future challenges
González also detailed Solvd’s expansion plans in Latin America following the recent acquisition of ControlExpert by the German group:

“We have two major challenges. One is to continue evolving ControlExpert’s technological offering, and the other is to bring to Latin America companies that, while very strong in Europe, South Africa, and the United States, had no presence in the region until now.”

The goal is to bring these solutions to Mexico, Brazil, and across the region, including Argentina, expanding the company’s footprint in key markets and strengthening its technological and operational capabilities.

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.