Insurtech company Send Technology Solutions Ltd (Send) said that by 2026, insurers must have a strong data foundation, seamless connectivity and sound governance to support consistent, fast and scalable underwriting decisions.
Send described the year in its recently released Underwriting Trends 2026 Report as a key turning point for underwriting strategy, performance and decision-making in the global commercial and specialty insurance markets. The report draws on insights from insurers, brokers, reinsurers and market experts across UK, US and international markets.
Insurers face weak pricing, rising operational complexity, increased regulation and the rapid industrialization of artificial intelligence, Sending noted. Together, these forces are reshaping the way underwriters assess risk, manage portfolios and work with brokers, MGAs and reinsurers.
Speed remains a key underwriting priority, but it is increasingly accompanied by expectations for consistency, transparency and control, the report found.
It also highlights the growing talent challenge. An aging workforce and strong demand for new professionals are forcing insurers to balance attraction and retention with the need to provide teams with a more data- and AI-driven environment. Automation is reshaping underwriting workflows, creating opportunities and risks for knowledge transfer and skills development.
Technology adoption across the market is maturing. Artificial intelligence is starting to impact underwriting outcomes in some industries, particularly where insurers invest in clean data, effective ingestion and strong governance. At the same time, evolving distribution models and reinsurance structures are placing new demands on operating models built for a less connected era.
Responding to geopolitical, climate and regulatory pressures, the report highlights the growing gap between insurers strengthening their underwriting base and those constrained by legacy processes, with the impact of this imbalance likely to extend beyond the current market cycle.
Andy Moss, co-founder and CEO of Send, said: “Underwriting in 2026 is less about predicting the next market turn and more about building the ability to respond continuously and rapidly to whatever happens next. What we are seeing across the market is clear: a strong data foundation, seamless connectivity and robust governance are now critical to supporting underwriting judgment at scale.”