Q&A with Dan Manhein, Shelly founder and CEO
Dan Manhein, Shelly founder and CEO
* What does Shelly do?
Manhein: Shelly offers a turnkey platform for the travel insurance industry, comprising of three components:
– a white label one-stop-app providing travelers with peace of mind when traveling abroad
– Robust Back-Office providing our partners (e.g. insurance companies, credit card companies, airlines etc.) with a powerful business tool that allows the business units to easily control the app (edit look & feel and logic), as well as run marketing campaign, all without their dev/IT resources.
– Dynamic ecosystem of 3rd party service providers (e.g. telemedicine)
* The new app is based on the idea of Medical passport. Explain what that means.
Manhein: How many people remember the blood type of their kids and partners…? When traveling abroad people may require some essential medical information, and we help users build a simple medical passport that encompass all relevant info (not full medical record), for all the people in his family (the app therefore supports multiple profiles for each family member)
* How does it help insurance companies?
Manhein: There are many benefits for the insurance companies:
1. Great customer value – provide their customers with the most advanced solution in the market, focusing on creating customer value vs. simple reimbursement focused solution.
2. Retention – easy repurchase through the app.
3. Time to market – insurers can launch a comprehensive solution under their brand and company’s look & feel with a month.
4. Cost saving – no need to invest significant budgets in developing a solution, and through the app, in case of need users have cost effective solutions (e.g. video chat, walk-in clinic vs expensive ER visit).
5. Gain valuable data.
* In addition to help insurance company sell travel insurance faster, it also helps the company to give added value to it’s insured abroad, and help reduce claims cost. How is that possible?
Manhein: In case of a medical emergency, people have very comfortable alternatives to simply rushing to an ER or going to a random MD. They can start with an easy call with a DR in their native language, be directed to MDs under agreement, so the cost are much lower. But it is not only the cost, one of the most important benefits is the superior experience for their customers.
* What is the business model?
Manhein: The platform is offered as a SAAS solution with a small set up fee and a monthly usage fee as well as commission from 3rd party providers
* You have recently signed a POC deal with 2 Israeli insurers. Tell me about it.
Manhein: The first “skin” (white label) of the app was developed for the Kibbutzim population, with a major israeli insurer as the producer. The plan is that following the initial launch (currently postponed until the skies will open again) a new skin for all of the company`s agents will be launched
* Do you have any other deals you can tell me about?
Manhein: Currently our focus is on international insurance companies and we are already in discussions with several large insurance companies in Europe and Latin America, to launch a comprehensive solution for their clients under their brand. We hope the first two projects will be launched during H1 2021 (clearly the situation with COVID-19 will have a significant impact on the launch date).
9. What investments were made in the company?
Manhein: To date we raised seed investment (below $2M)
10. Tell me about yourself and other key figures in the company.
Manhein: I am an entrepreneur who spend most of my adult life abroad (USA, Europe and Asia), expert in project management and business development. Founder and CEO of GLOBAL BUSINESS CENTERS, an International company specializing in full service office space and virtual office. Former: VP for purchasing of distress properties at BOMEL COMPANIES, a real estate company with portfolio of 500 million dollars.
Another founder is Yodi Askoff, An expert of Health Information Technology with vast experience as an IT service provider & consultant. Founder of the Israeli venture Ask Medic Ltd. Owner and CEO of Ask IT Consulting Services. Former Director of C&I (Consulting & Integration) Group at HP Israel. Former director of Healthcare Sector at Yael Software. An active council member of ILAMI – the Israeli Association for Medical Informatics)
