Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1409819
I n the early 19 th century, the city's proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and a thriving merchant-driven shipping trade made it a unique cradle for a thriving global insurance industry. "That long history, deep roots and expansive impact make it an aractive place to stay and to set up companion companies," said David C. Robinson, general counsel for The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc., more commonly known as The Hartford. The Hartford is joined by domestic and international insurers, among them Aetna, Travelers, Connecticut Mutual Life, Hartford Steam Boiler and Chubb, according to Connecticut Insurance & Financial Services, an initiative of the Metro Hartford Alliance Initiative. The established names aract a lot of company. Startups in the world of insurance technology – InsurTech for short – are thriving in Hartford's incubator environment, according to Robinson. "Every established insurance finan- cial institution is paying more aention to InsurTech" he said. "The amount of investment going into that space is dramatic." Worldwide, investors plowed $7.4 billion into the InsurTech sector in the first half of 2021, more than was invested in 2020 overall, according to a report by brokerage firm Willis Towers Watson. The Hartford is no exception. "We have a corporate ventures arm investing and mentoring some of these companies with an eye to what we can do together," Robinson said. Robinson credits the "commonality of industry competition" with making Hartford a draw for talented professionals across insurance and its related industries. In fact, Hartford is home to the highest number of insurance employees per capita, according to Connecticut Insurance & Financial Services. From cradle to global capital BY MELINDA RIZZO HARTFORD DID NOT BECOME THE INSURANCE CAPITAL OF THE WORLD BY ACCIDENT. EMPLOYEES GATHER near the coffee kiosk at The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. SUBMITTED 28 HBJ HARTFORD LIVE WORK PLAY