When Folio was named the 2025 ANZIIF New Zealand Insurtech Startup of the Year, it marked a significant turning point for the start-up founded in 2020 by Roneel Kumar and Alistar Monk.

“It was really meaningful for us,” says Kumar. “We weren’t sitting there expecting that we would win. We were there to support the industry and support other people we knew were up for awards.”

In the relentless pace of today’s Insurtech, the award offered something rare: a pause. “It gave our team a moment to sit back and look at each other and go, ‘Hey, what we’ve built is something quite cool,’” says Kumar.

For Folio, the recognition marked the moment the business transitioned from a startup to a scale-up. “It felt like the industry recognised and understood what we were doing, and supported us,” Kumar explains. “That validation meant a lot.”

Since then, the impact has been tangible. “It’s done wonders for the business already,” Kumar confirms. “It changed how we looked at ourselves internally and the level of maturity we needed to step into the next phase.”

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