# Descartes Underwriting

Descartes Underwriting is an Asset Manager based in Paris, France.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Asset Manager
- **Headquarters:** Paris, France
- **Region:** Europe
- **Address:** Paris, France
- **Founded:** 2019
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** descartesunderwriting.com
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/descartesunderwriting

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

Protect your business with Descartes Underwriting's parametric insurance solutions, offering swift, data-driven coverage for climate, cyber and other emerging risks.

## Sectors

- InsurTech
- ClimateTech

## Offices

- London
- Madrid
- Sydney
- Singapore
- Tokyo
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Denver
- Little Rock
- New York
- Scottsdale
- Richmond
- Atlanta
- Mexico City
- Houston
- Miami

## People

- Tanguy Touffut — Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer
- Sébastien Piguet — Co-founder & Chief Insurance Officer
- Kevin Dedieu — Co-founder & Chief Scientific Officer

## Questions

### Who runs investment decisions at 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.

### How does Descartes Underwriting source its proprietary deal flow?

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.

### Is Descartes Underwriting structured as an insurer or a managing general agent?

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.

### Does Descartes participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?

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.

### What perils does Descartes explicitly cover, and which are its core lines?

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.

### How does Descartes separate its underwriting from its technology and data science functions?

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.

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

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