The word from Avantia Group as they aim to make the most from Google Cloud, Gemini AI assistant and more;
Avantia Group, the parent company of specialist home insurer Homeprotect, has collaborated with Google Cloud, marking a major step in the use of AI across the UK insurance market.
At the centre of the collaboration is Holmes, Avantia’s proprietary AI tool built with Google Cloud technologies, now proven in live insurance operations to help combat insurance fraud and improve the experience for genuine customers. Building on its success in trials, Avantia is expanding the use of Google Cloud’s enterprise grade AI technologies – including Google’s Vertex AI platform, Google’s Gemini models, and BigQuery – across claims and data operations. Early deployments are already improving efficiency and accuracy in live claims, demonstrating how an agile UK insurer can operationalise advanced AI responsibly.
During Q2 2025 trials, Holmes achieved a sixfold improvement in fraud detection accuracy, helping claims handlers identify potential fraud more effectively and accelerate straightforward claims for fair resolution.
“This collaboration with Google Cloud is a pivotal moment for Avantia and the home insurance industry,” said Dan Huddart, Chief Technology Officer at Avantia Group. “By combining our expertise with the power of Google’s Vertex AI platform, we’re setting a new bar for speed, fairness, and transparency in claims and customer care. Holmes is just the start and sets us on a path to developing a fully AI-led operating model.”
Andrea Williamson, Director, Startups and Digital Natives UK, Google Cloud said: “By leveraging Google Cloud’s Vertex AI platform and Gemini models, the Avantia team has moved rapidly from concept to a live, value-generating solution in ‘Holmes.’ This collaboration demonstrates how cloud-native insurers can operationalise generative AI to not only drive efficiency but also deliver a fairer, more transparent experience for policyholders.”
Avantia and Google Cloud’s collaboration began at the UK AI Playground Hack Day in June 2024, where the idea for Holmes first took shape.
Google Cloud’s tools give Avantia’s teams the ability to analyse complex, unstructured claims data, driving speed, accuracy and greater transparency throughout the customer journey.
In addition to combatting home insurance fraud, Holmes has already delivered broader benefits – providing accurate recommendations about claim coverage, payment amounts, and next steps, even for highly complex insurance cases.
Early results show significant operational and indemnity cost savings, supporting Avantia’s plan to scale from 350,000 to one million customers while investing in enhanced products and service. The combined operational and technical team behind Holmes continues to ensure each stage of the AI deployment remains responsible, human-centric and secure.
Looking ahead, Avantia plans to scale the use of Google Cloud’s AI across pricing, data and operational processes – strengthening its position as a leader in responsible, high impact technology within the insurance sector.
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