The latest acquisition news from Aioi Nissay Dowa for you;
Global insurer Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance announces that Aioi R&D Lab-Oxford, its advanced research and development hub, has reached an agreement to acquire the AI consulting division from its R&D Lab co-founding partner, Mind Foundry Limited. This marks a bold new chapter in the company’s journey to harness artificial intelligence for the benefit of both its customers and society at large.
Working with two renowned Oxford University professors, Professor Stephen Roberts and Professor Michael Osborne, and a team of AI researchers and scientists, the aim is to establish a market-leading AI centre of excellence focused on applying AI to practical challenges in insurance and society.
Founded in November 2022 as a joint venture between the global Japanese insurer Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance, its European subsidiary AND-E, and Mind Foundry – an Oxford University spin-off – the Lab has already undertaken a range of R&D projects across Japan and the UK. Some of its most recent work has included supporting aging populations in Japan by developing algorithms that detect signs of cognitive decline in drivers to help reduce accidents, and applying AI to improve management of aging infrastructure, including a product for local governments to inspect and assess bridges, reducing inspector workload and standardizing safety evaluations.
In the UK, the Lab has delivered measurable operational improvements for AND-E. These include a 2% reduction in overall claims costs, a 500% increase in automated fraud referrals retained, and a 120% improvement in overall fraud detection, demonstrating how AI-driven solutions are enhancing efficiency, speeding up claims handling, and strengthening risk management.
As part of this evolution, a team of more than 20 Oxford-based researchers will collaborate closely with colleagues from AND-E, combining advanced AI technologies with insurance expertise. They will be supported by an advisory board of world-renowned academics, which includes Mind Foundry co-founders Professor Stephen Roberts and Professor Michael Osborne.
Professor Michael Wooldridge – Ashall Professor of the Foundations of Artificial Intelligence; Professor Paul Newman – founder of the Oxford Robotics Institute and co-founder of OXA, an autonomous vehicle software company spun out from Oxford University; Professor Baroness Kathy Willis – Principal of St Edmund Hall, Professor of Biodiversity, and co-founder of Natcap, a nature intelligence company; Professor Doyne Farmer – Baillie Gifford Professor of Mathematics and co-founder of Macrocosm; and Prof. Daniel Armanios – BT Professor of Major Programme Management are also on the advisory board.
The acquisition, conducted through Aioi Nissay Dowa Europe Limited as part of the wider MS&AD Insurance Group, formalises the transfer of Mind Foundry’s AI development consulting business into the Oxford Lab, ensuring full continuity of capabilities, contracts, and intellectual property under AND-E’s ownership.
Professor Michael Osborne, Advisory Board member at the Lab, reflects on the milestone: “In its first three years, the Lab has laid the groundwork for applying AI both to insurance and to broader societal challenges such as risks to biodiversity – work that aligns naturally with an industry built on sharing risk and incentivising better behaviour. Backed by Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance and drawing on deep connections to the University of Oxford, we’re now entering an exciting new phase: combining cutting-edge AI with insurance expertise to both create real-world value for customers and to address pressing global challenges.”
Professor Stephen Roberts, Advisory Board member at the Lab, added: “From its outset, the Lab has laid the foundation for algorithms of all levels of sophistication to work in harmony with society – not just for their benefits in insurance, but to understand more broadly pressing challenges in risk mitigation, environment, sustainability and the impact AI will have on us all”.
This next phase positions AND-E to continue leveraging the Lab’s AI capabilities to redefine the future of insurance, mobility, and societal resilience. It also strengthens AND-E’s, and its subsidiary Toyota Insurance Services’ ability to act as an AI centre of excellence within the wider Toyota community, fostering innovation that supports safer mobility, smarter services, and greater value for customers.
Commenting on the strategic importance of the move, Junichi Ikegami, CEO of the Aioi R&D Lab – Oxford, said: “Insurance plays a pivotal role in helping people navigate some of the biggest challenges facing our planet and our communities. By integrating Mind Foundry’s AI consulting capability more deeply into the Lab, AND-E is demonstrating its commitment to cutting-edge innovation that delivers both business value and tangible benefits for society.”
Together, these efforts demonstrate how technological progress, and positive social impact can genuinely go hand in hand.
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