FS Brew Insurtech and Insurance Podcast
The Middle East's first insurtech podcast, where two industry insiders interview founders and analyze the week's insurance and technology news.
This is the definitive podcast for the MENA insurance industry, hosted by two well-connected practitioners. One week, they're breaking down the implications of a global insurtech's funding round for the UAE market; the next, they're grilling a startup CEO on their sales cycle and go-to-market strategy. The perspective is always grounded in the business realities of the region, from regulatory caps to geopolitical risk.
“Its tight, unapologetic focus on the Middle East's insurance sector sets it apart. While global trends are discussed, they are always refracted through the lens of their impact on the GCC and surrounding markets. The dual-host format, with both hosts being active consultants in the space, provides a layer of practitioner insight missing from journalist-led shows.”
Who hosts this show
FS Brew is a weekly podcast focused on insurance and insurtech in the Middle East, hosted by Renjit Philip and Vidya Veerapandian. Renjit is a partner at Futureu Strategy Group with over 22 years of experience in finance and technology consulting. Vidya is the founder of FWD, a marketing and digital transformation consultancy specializing in financial services. The show alternates between deep-dive interviews with insurtech founders and a 'News with Analysis' format covering regional and global industry trends.
Credentials & credits
- Renjit Philip: Partner, Futureu Strategy Group
- Renjit Philip: MBA, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore
- Renjit Philip: Executive Education, Wharton School of Management
- Vidya Veerapandian: Founder, FWD
- Vidya Veerapandian: Award-winning Marketing Leader
Other ventures
- Renjit Philip: Futureu Strategy Group (M&A and startup advisory)
- Renjit Philip: 'One More Thing in AI' Newsletter
- Vidya Veerapandian: FWD (Marketing & transformation consultancy)
What kind of podcast
- Country
- United Arab Emirates
- Region
- mena
When new episodes drop
- 01Corgi raises back to back funding and becomes a $2.6 Billion companyJun 16, 2026 · 13 min
- 02Breaking Barriers in Insurance: Julien Condamines' Vision for Claims with Novo AIApr 17, 2026 · 32 min
- 03Breaking Barriers in Insurance: Julien Condamines' Vision for Claims with Novo AIApr 17, 2026 · 32 min
- 04
- 05
- 06FS Brew: Navigating the Iran-Israel-US Conflict's Ripple Effects on InsuranceMar 19, 2026 · 11 min
- 07Navigating the Iran-Israel-US Conflict's Ripple Effects on InsuranceMar 19, 2026 · 11 min
- 08
Notable episodes
- 01Breaking Barriers in Insurance: Julien Condamines' Vision for Claims with Novo AI
A representative deep-dive interview with an insurtech founder, showcasing the hosts' research-driven style and focus on core industry problems.
- 02Corgi raises back to back funding and becomes a $2.6 Billion company
This 'News with Analysis' episode demonstrates the show's ability to connect global insurtech funding trends to the strategic context of the Middle East.
- 03Navigating the Iran-Israel-US Conflict's Ripple Effects on Insurance
Highlights the podcast's unique regional focus, analyzing how major geopolitical events directly impact the local insurance market, specifically war risk cover.
What you'll be asked on this show
Renjit and Vidya conduct a conversational but rigorous interview. They begin by establishing the guest's origin story, often asking why they chose a specific, unglamorous niche within insurance. They demonstrate prior research by quoting the guest's previous statements and asking them to elaborate (e.g., "You've said the industry is heading for a meteorite..."). The questioning funnels from broad industry analysis to the tactical details of the guest's business, including pointed questions about sales cycles, deal sizes, and proving ROI. A signature move is to ask for a specific lesson from another market (like Singapore) that could be applied to the UAE or Saudi Arabia.
The show has two distinct formats: a co-hosted 'News with Analysis' episode discussing recent headlines, and a long-form interview episode. In interviews, both hosts participate, alternating questions and creating a dynamic, multi-faceted conversation rather than a static Q&A.
Questions the host keeps coming back to
9 cataloguedIf you're going on this show as a guest, expect some version of each of these. Each note explains when the host reaches for it.
origin
1- Q.01
“Why did you choose to focus on a difficult area like claims instead of something more popular like distribution?”
This is often the opening question, used to understand the guest's strategic thinking and origin story.
controversy
1- Q.01
“You've used a strong metaphor, like the industry 'heading for a meteorite.' What are the threats insurers are underestimating?”
This question leverages prior research on the guest to unpack their core market thesis and generate a strong soundbite.
future
1- Q.01
“What does an ideal, AI-powered claims team actually look like in practice?”
The hosts ask this to move the conversation from problems to a concrete vision of the future.
process
3- Q.01
“What's the hardest part of selling your solution to traditional insurers?”
This question probes the practical business challenges of being an insurtech vendor.
- Q.02
“What exactly does your company do and how does it solve the problem?”
A direct prompt for the guest to deliver their value proposition clearly.
- Q.03
“Is your primary market [a specific country] or are you focused more broadly?”
This question clarifies the guest's geographical focus and expansion plans.
money
1- Q.01
“What's the typical lead time and average ticket size when you close a deal with an insurer?”
A direct question to get specific, hard-to-find business metrics from the founder.
advice
2- Q.01
“How should insurers balance the trade-off between speed and the human touch, especially when using AI?”
This question explores the philosophical and customer-experience implications of the guest's technology.
- Q.02
“What's one lesson from a market like Singapore that you'd give to insurers in the UAE or Saudi Arabia?”
This is a signature closing question that provides specific, actionable advice for the show's core regional audience.
Signature segments
- · News with Analysis
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
Guests are typically co-founders and CEOs of insurtech startups, particularly those in the B2B space focused on solving core industry problems like claims processing, underwriting, or data management.
- Julien Condamines, Co-founder & CEO, Novo AIon Breaking Barriers in Insurance: Julien Condamines' Vision for Claims with Novo AI
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The audience consists of senior decision-makers in the MENA insurance and finance sectors. This makes it an ideal platform for B2B technology firms, enterprise software companies, cybersecurity providers, and financial consulting services looking to gain traction in the region.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
Pitch this show
People also ask
- Who are the hosts of FS Brew?
- The podcast is co-hosted by Renjit Philip, a partner at Futureu Strategy Group, and Vidya Veerapandian, the founder of marketing consultancy FWD.
- What is the format of the show?
- FS Brew alternates between two formats: a 'News with Analysis' episode where the hosts discuss current events, and a long-form interview with a guest, usually an insurtech founder or executive.
- What region does FS Brew focus on?
- The podcast is the first of its kind to focus specifically on the insurance and insurtech industries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
- Is the podcast still active?
- Yes, the podcast releases episodes on a weekly basis, with the most recent episodes published in June 2026.
- Where can I listen to the podcast?
- FS Brew is available on YouTube, Anghami, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]FS Brew Podcast Websitefsbrew.co
- [02]FS Brew on YouTubeyoutube.com
- [03]Renjit Philip's Bio for Digital Insurance MENAmeinsurtech.com
- [04]Vidya Veerapandian's Bio for Digital Insurance MENAmeinsurtech.com
- [05]Renjit Philip's Profile at Futureu Strategy Groupfutureu.co
- [06]Vidya Veerapandian's Profile at FWDandfwd.com
- [07]Renjit Philip's LinkedIn Profilelinkedin.com
- [08]Vidya Veerapandian's LinkedIn Profilelinkedin.com
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