First Connect, a modern digital insurance marketplace, and Jewelers Mutual, a specialty insurer focused on protecting jewellery, watches and jewellery businesses, have revealed new results from their collaboration aimed at accelerating agent engagement and premium growth.
The partnership was designed to reduce friction across the access-to-bind journey for independent agents. Both companies identified that in specialty lines, even minor inefficiencies can slow quoting activity and limit conversion, according to FF News. Their objective was to increase engagement across the funnel, measured by growth in agent access requests, policy count and total premium written.
First Connect operates a digital marketplace that connects independent agents with carriers and MGAs, streamlining market access and distribution. Its platform enables agents to discover, access and quote with specialty and niche carriers more efficiently. A key component of its proposition is reducing operational barriers that can delay quoting and binding, particularly in specialty insurance segments.
Jewelers Mutual is a leading specialty insurer dedicated to jewellery and watch protection, as well as coverage for businesses across the jewellery supply chain. The company joined the First Connect marketplace in 2023 and, after early success with independent agents, expanded its collaboration to deepen engagement and drive measurable growth.
Central to the enhanced partnership was the rollout of First Connect’s Effortless Carrier Login, a single sign-on capability allowing approved agents to move directly from the First Connect marketplace into carrier portals without re-entering credentials. Development was completed in mid-April 2025 and the functionality was launched shortly afterwards in the First Connect Carrier Store.
Over the seven months following implementation, Jewelers Mutual recorded a 32% increase in average monthly agent access requests. Policy counts rose by nearly 50%, while average new business premium written per month increased by 116%. The uplift suggests that simplifying login processes can directly influence quoting activity and premium production. The results also align with broader industry trends, with First Connect’s 2025 research indicating that 81% of agents report rising customer expectations for speed, including same-day quotes and policy issuance.
The milestone comes as First Connect continues to scale, recently surpassing $500m in annual gross written premium, reflecting growing marketplace adoption among independent agents and carriers seeking faster digital distribution.
Jewelers Mutual president Mike Alexander said, “Independent agents value speed and ease of access, particularly when working with specialty products. By simplifying how agents engage with us through First Connect, we made it easier for them to quote and place business, which has driven stronger engagement and premium growth.”
First Connect CEO Aviad Pinkovezky said, “Friction at the access stage is easy to underestimate, but it has a direct effect on whether agents engage, quote, and bind. This collaboration shows how tech-forward carriers can unlock meaningful growth by making it easier for agents to get started and move quickly.”
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