Fifteen startups presented their solutions during the live pitch competition at BrokerTech Connect: Chicago, with Flora ultimately taking the top prize.
ManchesterStory returned to BrokerTech Connect: Chicago this month, where we joined the BrokerTech Fund in sponsoring the Innovation Challenge for the second consecutive year.
Throughout the competition, fifteen startups took the stage to share their ideas with an audience of carriers, investors, and other insurance industry leaders. Each founder had just five minutes to introduce their company, explain the problem they are working to solve, and show how their approach could create meaningful value across the insurance ecosystem.
The presentations reflected the range of innovation happening across the industry. While the companies differed in their technologies, business models, and stages of growth, each brought a distinct perspective on how insurance can better serve businesses and individuals.
A panel of judges representing the BrokerTech Fund partners evaluated the startups using a standardized rubric. Their evaluation considered the relevance of the problem, the strength and differentiation of the solution, market opportunity, broker alignment, traction, go-to-market strategy, team strength, and potential to build a defensible business. Involving brokers directly in the process helped ground the judges' decisions in the needs and opportunities they see across insurance distribution and the broader value chain.
At the end of the competition, Flora was named the 2026 Innovation Challenge winner.
As the winner, Flora has the option to accept a $100,000 investment from the BrokerTech Fund. The opportunity extends beyond capital, giving Flora access to a collaborative network of insurance brokers and industry partners that can help the company validate, refine, and scale its solution.
Flora provides individually owned fertility insurance for women planning for their future family-building needs. Its coverage helps address the high and often unpredictable costs of fertility care, including diagnostics, medications, intrauterine insemination (IUI), and in vitro fertilization (IVF).
Unlike many traditional fertility benefits, Flora’s policies are owned by the individual and are not tied to an employer or state. Members can maintain their coverage as their careers, locations, and family-planning timelines change. Through this model, Flora is helping women plan more proactively for their reproductive health while gaining greater financial security around future fertility treatment.
Congratulations to the Flora team and to all 15 companies that shared their stories at this year’s Innovation Challenge.
Want to learn more about the fourteen other Innovation Challenge participating startups? Explore their websites and solutions below:
About ManchesterStory:
ManchesterStory is an early-stage venture capital firm with $250M in committed capital from insurance carriers, brokers, and institutional partners. We lead Seed and Series A investments in InsurTech, FinTech, and HealthTech companies, delivering competitive returns while enabling innovation that drives growth, efficiency, and profitability in our partners’ core businesses.
About BrokerTech Fund:
Launched in partnership between BrokerTech Ventures and ManchesterStory, the BrokerTech Fund is the first venture capital fund targeting technology startups developing solutions specifically addressing the needs of insurance brokers and wholesalers to identify risks sooner and drive down costs faster.
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