Fintech & EM-focused Analyst, KT Capital Group

Alec Tseung

Fintech & EM-focused Analyst

Equity Bottom-Up

Lifenet Insurance Company / Equity Bottom-Up

Lifenet's management has successfully turned around the company's new business from stalling, and more initiatives are currently underway to drive its future growth.The company is still only trading at 0.8x P/EV. Although its valuation multiple is richer than the traditional life insurers in Japan, we view that it doesn't make sense for Lifenet, which had significant new business growth compared to those traditional life insurers, to trade below its EV.  The management announced its new embedded value target in the medium term. Our calculations showed a base case IRR of 21%if the company can achieve the target in 5 years.Key concerns centered around Lifenet's tech capability and profitability.

Lifenet's management has successfully turned around the company's new business from stalling, and more initiatives are currently underway to drive its future growth.The company is still only trading at 0.8x P/EV. Although its valuation multiple is richer than the traditional life insurers in Japan, we view that it doesn't make sense for Lifenet, which had significant new business growth compared to those traditional life insurers, to trade below its EV.  The management announced its new embedded value target in the medium term. Our calculations showed a base case IRR of 21%if the company can achieve the target in 5 years.Key concerns centered around Lifenet's tech capability and profitability.

Lifenet: A Rejuvenated InsurTech Story in Japan

KT Capital Group

Principal investments and advisory firm that focuses on connecting the CIS countries with East Asia.

Principal investments and advisory firm

<ul>
<li>Oasis Management has become a major shareholder in Lifenet in November. Together with another activist investor, Effissimo Capital (the largest shareholder), they now control &gt;30% of the company.</li>
<li>Company announced some new partnerships/initiatives to drive growth but they don't seem to be materially different from what it has been doing to turn around its declining VoNB.</li>
<li>Unless we can see a sustained trend of improving VoNB, it's difficult to justify the premium valuation vs. the other more established peer.</li>
</ul>


Oasis Management has become a major shareholder in Lifenet in November. Together with another activist investor, Effissimo Capital (the largest shareholder), they now control &gt;30% of the company.
Company announced some new partnerships/initiatives to drive growth but they don't seem to be materially different from what it has been doing to turn around its declining VoNB.
Unless we can see a sustained trend of improving VoNB, it's difficult to justify the premium valuation vs. the other more established peer.


Lifenet: Oasis Management Is Now Another Major Shareholder Besides Effissimo

We have discussed the more detailed investment thesis and financial analysis in our previous note (<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/lifenet-a-rejuvenated-insurtech-story-in-japan" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="insights:53842" rel="noopener">Lifenet: A Rejuvenated InsurTech Story in Japan)</a>. In this brief note, we will focus more on its recent partnership and “platformization” strategy and why this could be a future catalyst.

We have discussed the more detailed investment thesis and financial analysis in our previous note (Lifenet: A Rejuvenated InsurTech Story in Japan). In this brief note, we will focus more on its recent partnership and “platformization” strategy and why this could be a future catalyst.

Lifenet: "Platformization" To Potentially Drive the Next Phase of Growth

<ul>
<li>Japan Post Insurance might seem undervalued based on a regression analysis, but its relatively strong RoE was due to extraordinary gains.</li>
<li>The company has a much larger portion of its investment securities being carried at cost on the balance sheet vs. its peer, Dai-ichi Life.  </li>
<li>Against the backdrop of Japan's "higher for longer" theme, its embedded value growth could be under more pressure due to ANW's m-t-m adjustments and very weak new business value.</li>
</ul>


Japan Post Insurance might seem undervalued based on a regression analysis, but its relatively strong RoE was due to extraordinary gains.
The company has a much larger portion of its investment securities being carried at cost on the balance sheet vs. its peer, Dai-ichi Life.  
Against the backdrop of Japan's "higher for longer" theme, its embedded value growth could be under more pressure due to ANW's m-t-m adjustments and very weak new business value.


Japan Post Insurance: Embedded Value Unlikely to Benefit from a Rate Increase

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

This Original aims to showcase the leading Insurtech companies in the three insurance markets with the highest growth potential in Asia - China, India, and Southeast Asia.Insurtech companies can be broadly divided into three categories - full-stack Inustech, Insurtech marketplace, and Insurtech enablers. As such, the Original also presents the Insurtech companies based on these categories by showing their company overview, how they leverage tech to do things differently, their product offerings, and financial information (capital raise and valuation in case of no financial information).The Insurtech companies presented are:<ul><li>Full-stack Insurtech: ZhongAn Online (China), Acko (India), SingLife (Singapore)</li><li>Insurtech marketplace: Waterdrop (China), Huize (China), Policybazaar (India), Coverfox (India), Turtlemint (India), PasarPolis (Indonesia), PolicyStreet (Malaysia)</li><li>Insurtech enablers: eBaoTech (China), Turtlemint (India), CXA Group (Singapore)  </li></ul>By analyzing the key Insurtech companies and their development in these countries/regions, we have further identified the following key trends/themes in the sector:<ul><li>In the near future, Insurtech is unlikely a threat to traditional (re)insurers who have also been actively investing in Insurtech themselves.</li><li>Insurtech marketplace is expanding offline and will likely embrace a hybrid model, especially in less developed insurance markets.</li><li>L&amp;H full-stack Insurtech companies are yet to be common in less developed insurance markets.</li><li>Insurtech is going to promote differentiated growth in insurance markets of different maturity.</li><li>“ReInsurtech” is currently still a blind spot.</li></ul><h2>What is Original?</h2>A deep dive into 12 (mostly private) leading Insurtech companies, under each Insurtech category from China, India, and Southeast Asia, is presented in this Original. Key investment thesis and risks are also developed for each company.  Based on the company analysis and the broader insurance and Insurtech development in these countries/regions, five key Insurtech trends and themes are further identified.

This Original aims to showcase the leading Insurtech companies in the three insurance markets with the highest growth potential in Asia - China, India, and Southeast Asia.Insurtech companies can be broadly divided into three categories - full-stack Inustech, Insurtech marketplace, and Insurtech enablers. As such, the Original also presents the Insurtech companies based on these categories by showing their company overview, how they leverage tech to do things differently, their product offerings, and financial information (capital raise and valuation in case of no financial information).The Insurtech companies presented are:Full-stack Insurtech: ZhongAn Online (China), Acko (India), SingLife (Singapore)Insurtech marketplace: Waterdrop (China), Huize (China), Policybazaar (India), Coverfox (India), Turtlemint (India), PasarPolis (Indonesia), PolicyStreet (Malaysia)Insurtech enablers: eBaoTech (China), Turtlemint (India), CXA Group (Singapore)  By analyzing the key Insurtech companies and their development in these countries/regions, we have further identified the following key trends/themes in the sector:In the near future, Insurtech is unlikely a threat to traditional (re)insurers who have also been actively investing in Insurtech themselves.Insurtech marketplace is expanding offline and will likely embrace a hybrid model, especially in less developed insurance markets.L&amp;H full-stack Insurtech companies are yet to be common in less developed insurance markets.Insurtech is going to promote differentiated growth in insurance markets of different maturity.“ReInsurtech” is currently still a blind spot.What is Original?A deep dive into 12 (mostly private) leading Insurtech companies, under each Insurtech category from China, India, and Southeast Asia, is presented in this Original. Key investment thesis and risks are also developed for each company.  Based on the company analysis and the broader insurance and Insurtech development in these countries/regions, five key Insurtech trends and themes are further identified. 

Asian Insurtech: The New Golden Child in Town?

Japan

LIFENET INSURANCE COMPANY provides a wide range of life insurance products and services. The company mainly provides the products and services through the internet. The company also provides asset management services.

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Lifenet Insurance Company (7157 JP)

Lifenet: A Rejuvenated InsurTech Story in Japan

Activist investor (Effissimo Capital) has been gradually increasing and building its stake in Lifenet to 18.03% (mid-Oct) and has become the...

Alec Tseung

Lifenet: Oasis Management Is Now Another Major Shareholder Besides Effissimo

Effissimo Capital and Oasis Management now control >30% of Lifenet Insurance. We look forward to seeing the demands they might put on management to...

Alec Tseung

Lifenet: "Platformization" To Potentially Drive the Next Phase of Growth

Lifenet's "platformization" strategy could supplement its current business model and drive future growth as global Fintech development moves into a...

Alec Tseung

Japan Post Insurance: Embedded Value Unlikely to Benefit from a Rate Increase

Japan Post Insurance's share price has come down by c. 10% since its peak when the note was published in mid. Nov. underperforming both the broader...

Alec Tseung

Asian Insurtech: The New Golden Child in Town?

A deep dive into 12 Insurtech companies in China, India, and Southeast Asia is presented in this Original. The key Insurtech trends and themes in...

Alec Tseung

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