Descartes Underwriting

Underwriting and portfolio decisions sit with Co-founder and Chief Insurance Officer Sébastien Piguet, who leads the MGA’s team of underwriters and business developers. Piguet previously led data science, underwriting, and parametric initiatives at AXA Global Parametrics. The three co-founders — Piguet, CEO Tanguy Touffut, and Chief Scientific Officer Kevin Dedieu — collectively steer the firm’s risk selection and product development.

Descartes works exclusively through a network of more than 300 corporate broker partners worldwide. Brokers bring complex or hard-to-place corporate risks to the firm, often where traditional capacity has retreated or where clients need non-damage business interruption coverage. The firm provides co-branded proposals and science-backed risk analysis to help brokers win tenders and secure renewals.

Descartes operates through two complementary entities. Descartes Underwriting is a global MGA that designs parametric products backed by A+ rated third-party insurers. Descartes Insurance is a separately licensed full-stack insurer writing science-driven parametric coverage directly across Europe. This dual setup lets the firm write on its own paper in the EU while distributing globally through carrier partners.

Descartes is not an investment fund — it is a dedicated parametric insurance group. It writes direct insurance policies on a per-contract basis with corporate and public entity clients, with limits up to $200 million per contract. The firm does not make fund commitments or manage third-party investment capital.

The firm provides coverage for more than 20 perils including tropical cyclone, earthquake, flood, drought, wildfire, hail, frost, excessive rain, tornado, lack of wind, and temperature extremes. It has expanded beyond climate into emerging risks, including cyber and credit and political risk. Parametric products for renewable energy yield — such as low wind or solar irradiation — are a growing area of focus given the firm’s client base in that sector.

Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer Kevin Dedieu leads a dedicated in-house team of data scientists, risk modelers, and software engineers who operate alongside — but separate from — the underwriting desk. This team builds the AI-driven models that define the parametric triggers, drawing on 80+ data sources including NASA, NOAA, and ECMWF satellite and sensor feeds. Piguet’s underwriters then apply those models to live risks across geographies.

Descartes states that a minimum premium of $50,000 per policy typically applies, though each policy is custom-designed by its team of underwriters and climate scientists. The firm says it serves a wide range of public and private entities from small businesses to large corporations, with over 800 corporate and public entity clients as disclosed in 2025.