Generali CFO hails “unique and distinctive ESG features” of new Lion Re cat bond

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Commenting on the successful placement of its new €200 million Lion Re DAC Series 2025-1) catastrophe bond, sponsor Generali’s Group CFO Cristiano Borean hailed the “unique and distinctive ESG features” of the cat bond, also citing “a further enhancement in terms of structural efficiency, optimisation and flexibility,” thanks to the new shelf programme under Lion Re.

generali-green-catastrophe-bondAs we’ve been reporting, Generali returned to the catastrophe bond market at the beginning of May, with an initial target to secure €200 million of multi-year and fully collateralized reinsurance to protect it against losses from windstorms affecting Europe and earthquakes affecting Italy.

We then reported that Generali successfully secured this renewal of its green catastrophe bond, with the Lion Re DAC transaction finalised at its target size and with pricing of the two tranches of notes at either end of their initial ranges.

As a result of which, Generali benefits from the full €200 million of multi-year collateralized reinsurance protection from the capital markets through Lion Re DAC.

Now, the company has announced its satisfaction in securing its latest catastrophe bond backed reinsurance protection.

Cristiano Borean, Generali Group CFO, commented, “Generali’s well-established presence in the ILS capital market is once again confirmed by this fourth successful catastrophe bond issuance, with a further enhancement in terms of structural efficiency, optimisation and flexibility, thanks to the ILS shelf programme.

“As a responsible insurer and investor, this issuance with its unique and distinctive ESG features, once again demonstrates our sustainability-rooted excellence by integrating ESG principles into alternative risk transfer solutions, while also effectively embedding ILS instruments into our capital management strategy.”

Marco Sesana, Generali Group General Manager, added, “Our new catastrophe bond reaffirms Generali’s strong relationship with ILS investors, which started in 2014 with the issuance of our first catastrophe bond.

“ILS capital is completely integrated and complementary to our traditional reinsurance strategy. This first transaction, under the newly shelf programme, reflects the continued trust in the quality of our portfolio and our disciplined approach to risk management. Furthermore, it is fully aligned to our Lifetime Partner 2027 strategy, advancing our sustainability value proposition, thanks to the ESG structure at the core of this issuance.”

Lion Re DAC provides a platform for multi-arrangement issuance of catastrophe bonds under the special purpose vehicle, which the company said will provide “further flexibility with regard to the sponsorship of multiple catastrophe bond issuances over time within a specific framework.”

Well-known insurance-linked securities (ILS) specialist arrangers and bankers Aon Securities and GC Securities acted as Joint Structuring Agents and Joint Bookrunners for the Lion Re DAC transaction.

As we’d said before in reporting on this recently settled cat bond issuance, under the terms of Generali’s Green, Social and Sustainability Insurance-linked Securities Framework, this new Lion Re DAC catastrophe bond will free up an amount of its own capital, equal to the cat bonds limit. This can then be allocated to eligible projects by the company, while the collateral will be invested in EBRD AAA rated green notes. The insurer will also report on the allocation of the freed up capital and the project benefits derived from that, we understand.

You can read all about this new Lion Re DAC catastrophe bond and every other cat bond ever issued in the Artemis Deal Directory.

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Institutional investors get ‘fair slice’ of specialty risk via Accelerant’s Risk Exchange: CEO

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Since launching its Risk Exchange platform in 2023, Accelerant Holdings has positioned itself as a conduit between institutional capital and specialty insurance risk, offering what CEO Jeff Radke describes as one of the few opportunities for investors to gain “a fair slice of the whole book of business.”

Jeff Radke, Accelerant CEOIn a recent interview with Artemis, Radke outlined how the Risk Exchange, initially unveiled as part of Accelerant’s broader capital strategy, continues to evolve as a core mechanism for connecting investor capital with underwriting-led portfolios, while maintaining transparency and balance in risk sharing.

Unlike traditional models that cede only volatile layers, Accelerant’s Risk Exchange is built on pro-rata participation, allowing capital providers access to the full range of risks across its member MGAs.

“From the very beginning, Accelerant had this notion of the risk exchange where instead of acting like normal insurance companies, what we were going to be is this platform where capital can access the risk. From the very beginning that was the case,” Radke told Artemis.

Accelerant’s Capital Markets team was deliberately built to support this model, with a deep bench of structuring and insurance-linked securities (ILS) experience.

“So, we built our team around that theory. So, speaking for myself, I’ve been involved in a number of insurance securitizations, a number of cat bonds and a number of cat swaps,” Radke explained.

He pointed to the backgrounds of CFO Jay Green, formerly a senior figure on Goldman Sachs’ insurance-linked securities team, and Capital Markets lead Peter Shen, as key to Accelerant’s capital strategy.

“Why the Capital Markets team? Why did we build it that way? Because we believe that institutional investors participate in innovative ways, whether they be sidecars, which aren’t very innovative, they’re pretty inefficient, but we’re working on much better ways to do it,” Radke said.

He continued: “London Bridge is probably an improvement over a standard side car. But we’ve done a number of sidecars. We think London Bridge is in our future, and we’re working on other structures where institutional capital can come in and access that zero beta underwriting risk that is so valuable.

“And I guess what I would say is, Accelerant is one of the few spots, the Risk Exchange is one of the few places where the institutional investor is getting a fair slice of the whole book of business.”

What sets Accelerant apart, Radke argues, is its commitment to fairness and transparency in how risk is shared. “We’re not trying to cut off our volatility and just send the excess of loss exposure out,” he said.

“We’re not trying to just cede our most volatile business. What we’ve said to all of our risk capital partners, but especially the institutional investors, is you’re going to be offered an opportunity to participate across the whole book of business. A fair slice.

“And I don’t know of another place where institutional investors can get a fair slice of this low volatility speciality business. And that’s what makes it so unique, and that’s what makes it so valuable to the institutional investors,” he continued.

To further facilitate institutional investor participation, Accelerant launched Flywheel Re in August 2022, a $175 million reinsurance sidecar designed to provide multi-year risk capital to its underwriting-led specialist members.

Flywheel Re represents Accelerant’s first move to bring capital markets into its capacity provision, with institutional investors backing the sidecar.

“Flywheel is, in the vernacular, one of the sidecar reinsurance companies that we’ve created,” Radke explained.

Concluding: “Institutional investors can’t reinsure directly of course because they don’t have a license. So, what you have to do is you have to create a reinsurance company that can ensure various insurance companies, and you fund that with those institutional investors’ monthly funds. So, the capital from institutional investors comes into Flywheel, and then Flywheel supports the Risk Exchange.”

Find details of numerous reinsurance sidecar investments and transactions in our directory of collateralized reinsurance sidecars transactions.

Institutional investors get ‘fair slice’ of specialty risk via Accelerant’s Risk Exchange: CEO was published by: www.Artemis.bm
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157 Re reinsurance sidecar improves our capabilities: Arundo Re’s Montador

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In an interview with Artemis, Laurent Montador, Deputy CEO of French reinsurer Arundo Re, discussed the recent renewal and launch of the seventh sidecar in the 157 Re series of deals, stating that it enhances the company’s capability to allocate more capacity in targeted areas while strengthening alignment with investors.

Now in its seventh vintage, the company has sponsored a 157 Re reinsurance sidecar annually since 2019.

“The sidecar improves our capabilities to put more capacity in the area that we want, and the investors are in the same shoes as us, which is good for them and us to have a complete alignment of interest,” explained Montador.

The Deputy CEO noted that Arundo Re introduced key improvements to the 157 Re sidecar this year.

“We have worked a lot with the French commissioners and with the investors to improve the product and to improve its liquidity,” he said. “Avoiding, as much as possible, the trapped capital potential, which is good.”

The company sought to further optimise the structure, enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of the collateralised capacity and retrocessional protection it provides.

Montador also highlighted Arundo Re’s distinctive role in the French market, noting that it remains the only company currently offering this type of sidecar structure.

“I don’t know why there isn’t more traction from other companies, but there is definitely a plan with the Treasury to make Paris a good place internationally for ILS business,” he said.

While acknowledging the more established infrastructure in Bermuda, Montador remains optimistic about France’s growing presence in the ILS market.

“I don’t think it would be as easy as what is now in Bermuda, with a clear infrastructure for many years, but it’s the beginning of something and we advocate that to the French Treasury,” he stated. “French Politics has been quite a bit difficult to follow in recent years, but it’s coming. We have shown and proved that it is possible with our successful 157 Re sidecar.”

Montador further explained that Arundo Re’s natural catastrophe exposure is ceded proportionally through the 157 Re sidecar, with claims taken only when they exceed EUR 5 million at the company’s share.

He added, “There is a specific commission which takes that into account, in order to give back some money to us to take into account the losses not greater than EUR 5 million.”

In 2022, Arundo Re announced a 22% increase in the size of its 157 Re sidecar and the addition of a new investor. The following year, the sidecar grew by over 40%, with another new investor.

In 2024, the firm stated it had taken “full advantage of its 157 Re platform to consolidate its growth trajectory.”

While the exact size of the issuances has never been disclosed, 157 Re has become a core retrocession and partnership capital structure for its sponsor.

Further details on each 157 Re sidecar issues can be found in our directory of reinsurance sidecar transactions.

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Generali secures EUR200m Lion Re DAC “green cat bond” renewal

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Italian and global insurance giant Assicurazioni Generali S.p.A. has now successfully secured a renewal for its green catastrophe bond, with the new EUR 200 million Lion Re DAC transaction finalised at its target size and with pricing of the two tranches of notes at either end of their initial ranges, Artemis can report.

generali-green-catastrophe-bondGenerali returned to the catastrophe bond market at the beginning of May, with an initial target to secure EUR 200 million of multi-year and fully collateralized reinsurance to protect it against losses from windstorms affecting Europe and earthquakes affecting Italy.

The insurer sponsored its first what it termed green catastrophe bond, back in 2021.

That €200 million Lion III Re DAC transaction provided reinsurance against certain losses from European windstorms and Italian earthquakes across a multi-year term, but matures this June.

Hence this new Lion Re DAC 2025-1 cat bond looks like a renewal of the previous deal.

Generali launched its own framework for Green insurance-linked securities (ILS) back in 2020, and in 2024 the green ILS framework was updated to incorporate new features and expand its scope, resulting in a Green, Social and Sustainability Insurance-linked Securities Framework.

Under this framework, Generali can free up capital thanks to the cat bond which can be put to work in sustainable investment.

Now, with the Lion Re DAC 2025-1 cat bond priced, Generali has secured its targeted EUR 200 million renewal and the deal will move towards settlement later this month.

Now, Lion Re DAC will issue two tranches of Series 2025-1 notes that will provide Generali with a four year source of collateralized reinsurance protection, on an indemnity trigger and per-occurrence basis, against losses from windstorms across Europe and earthquakes in Italy.

A EUR 125 million Class A tranche of Series 2025-1 notes will provide Generali with both European windstorm and Italy quake protection. They come with an initial expected loss of 3% and were first offered to cat bond investors with price guidance in a range from a spread of 5.5% to 6.25%.

We now understand the Class A notes have been priced at the low-end of that guidance, for a risk interest spread of 5.5% to be paid to investors.

A EUR 75 million Class B tranche of notes will provide Generali with only Italy earthquake protection. They come with an initial expected loss of 2.33% and were first offered to cat bond investors with price guidance in a range from a spread of 5.25% to 6%.

We’re told the risk interest spread for the Class B notes has now been finalised at 6%, so at the upper-end of the initial guidance range.

As a result, Generali has secured its targeted collateralized reinsurance coverage from the catastrophe bond market with pricing within guidance, albeit at opposite ends of the respective initial ranges on offer.

As a comparison, the soon to mature Lion III Re cat bond featured a single tranche of notes exposed to both of the perils and came with an initial expected loss of 2.99% and priced to pay investors a risk interest spread of 3.5%.

Under the terms of Generali’s Green, Social and Sustainability Insurance-linked Securities Framework, this new Lion Re DAC catastrophe bond will free up an amount of its own capital, equal to the cat bonds limit. This can then be allocated to eligible projects by the company, while the collateral will be invested in EBRD notes. The insurer will also report on the allocation of the freed up capital and the project benefits derived from that, we understand.

It’s great to see Generali continuing to push the boundaries of ESG within the catastrophe bond market, by following its framework and seeking to deliver broader sustainable benefits, while also deriving its own benefits from the capital markets backed reinsurance the cat bond will provide.

You can read all about this new Lion Re DAC catastrophe bond and every other cat bond ever issued in the Artemis Deal Directory.

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Parametric ILS gains momentum as investors seek precision, liquidity, & diversification: ILS NYC 2025

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At Artemis’ ILS NYC 2025 conference, a high-profile panel of industry leaders highlighted the growing potential of parametric insurance-linked securities (ILS) to reshape risk transfer markets.

parametric-ils-investments-artemis-ils-nyc-2025-panel-2As climate volatility intensifies and capital markets look for transparent, uncorrelated opportunities, parametric ILS is drawing increased attention, not just for peak natural catastrophe risks, but for a much broader array of exposures.

Moderated by Martin Malinow, CEO of Parameter Climate, the session titled “The Parametric ILS Investment Opportunity” brought together Sandra DeSilva President & CEO, Mythen Re Ltd.; Tanguy Touffut, CEO, Descartes Underwriting; Urs Ramseier, Executive Chairman & CIO, Twelve Securis; and Sandeep Ramachandran, Portfolio Manager, Pier61 Partners.

Ramachandran opened the discussion by pushing back on the narrow definition of parametric products often associated with traditional “cat-in-a-box” structures.

“The thing that really strikes me every time is when you talk to different people about what a parametric is, you never get the same answer,” he explained.

“Everyone has a different opinion on what a parametric product is. Most people here would given the insurance and property cat nature of the risk that we’re involved in would think as Martin referenced earlier, a parametric product is perhaps a cat in a box or a cat in a circle where you have a hurricane with various payouts at different intensities, or perhaps an earthquake structure. And while those all do fall under the category I think it’s just too narrow a focus when you really think about what a parametric product is.

“So when I take a step back, I mean, anything that has an observable and independently verifiable index can effectively be a parametric product.”

Remember you can now register for our next ILS market conference, Artemis London 2025.

Malinow echoed that broader framing, adding, “A really great way to think about parametric products is there is an underlying index that needs to be meaningful to the buyer. It needs to proxy something and there’s an overlying financial structure that those are the financial terms and and there’s seven or eight parameters that sort of make up a contract that need to be spelled out in every contract.”

Moving forward, Touffut pointed to technological advances as a key driver behind the surge in demand for parametric solutions.

“We see a big uptake in terms of parametric products, and it’s mainly linked to new technologies,” he explained.

Adding: “So typically we have more and more data sources from satellite imagery, from radars, from solars that we can use through AI, or I would say innovative algorithms to be able to get rid of the basis risk.

“For instance if we look at wildfire through satellite imagery you can have a very clear understanding if it’s burnt or not burnt, and you don’t need to send loss adjusters on the ground to assess the damage and the technologies are getting better and better, and so the scope of parametric insurance is growing as fast as the tech industry is growing.”

For DeSilva, the opportunity lies not only in new perils but also in new markets. Parametric solutions, she said, are moving beyond large clients and into commercial, retail, and high-net-worth segments.

“There’s a lot of opportunity now where parametric is going down to more of that retail, commercial, high-net-worth residential space, where there is agriculture, there is businesses that are really affected that can use parametric products as an alternative to identifying new risk,” DeSilva said.

“We are seeing huge spikes now in where insurance is willing to get into the space, take on some more of that risk, and then the reinsurance, and we’re seeing the ILS space playing a big part of that. A lot of the traditional insurers, rated paper, may already be exposed in some of the areas for the nat cat space and so it’s crucial that we have more capacity coming into the market and ILS space is good for that.”

From the investor perspective, Ramseier was clear on the benefits parametric structures offer over traditional indemnity deals.

“From our perspective, we’re very interested in parametric transactions because it resolves quite a number of problems we have, particularly in private analyst,” Ramseier said.

“So trapped collateral was mentioned, there shouldn’t be any trapped collateral in parametric transactions. Then liquidity is important. So the liquidity is predictable of parametric transactions. We know after the event there is a quite a fast payout. So we can give higher liquidity to our underlying investors into the fund.”

He continued: “So there a lot of advantages of these parametric transactions and I think it’s just a matter of time that more and more of these risks are transferred to the ILS market and I think the ILS space is the natural home for parametric risks because of these advantages.”

While still a small portion of the overall ILS market, parametric transactions are poised for significant growth. The panelists agreed that the convergence of climate urgency, technological maturity, and investor demand for efficiency could make parametric ILS a more prominent fixture in portfolios going forward.

You can watch the panel session here or in the embedded video below.

Artemis’ next conference will be Artemis London 2025, on September 2nd. Register to attend here.

All of our Artemis Live video interviews have a focus on reinsurance, ILS and the efficiency of risk transfer and can be accessed directly from our Artemis Live page.

You can also listen in audio to these interviews by subscribing to the Artemis Live podcast here.

Our conferences provide exposure in front of a highly relevant, senior and specialised group of attendees. Plus you’ll benefit from exposure in front of our entire global readership, which averages more than 65,000 individuals every month.

For all enquiries regarding sponsorship opportunities for future Artemis events please contact events@artemis.bm.

Our conference sponsors for ILS NYC 2025 can be seen below. We thank them all for their valued support:

Artemis ILS NYC 2025 conference sponsors

For all enquiries regarding sponsorship opportunities for future Artemis events please contact events@artemis.bm.

Parametric ILS gains momentum as investors seek precision, liquidity, & diversification: ILS NYC 2025 was published by: www.Artemis.bm
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Siena Capital targets cat bond market with initial plan to launch daily pricing platform

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Siena Capital Group, LLC, a private investment office with a focus on special situations and that counts former Gallagher Securities trading and distribution specialist Jack Stone as a Partner, is targeting the catastrophe bond and insurance-linked securities (ILS) market with a plan to launch a daily pricing platform later this year.

jack-stone-siena-capital-groupSiena Capital Group was founded in April 2025 by Luke Meehan (General Partner) and Jack Stone (Partner).

Stone most recently worked at Gallagher Securities where he syndicated primary cat bond transactions and led the firm’s catastrophe bond secondary market trading desk, which, according to sources, was a particularly active trading desk at the time of Stone’s departure.

As a result, Stone has deep expertise in the analysis for and delivery of catastrophe bond marks and pricing sheets, and this is one of the first targets for Siena Capital Group, as it looks to modernise market infrastructure in insurance-linked securities (ILS).

Artemis spoke with Stone to get a deeper understanding of the new company’s plans and what the cat bond market can expect from Siena Capital as it develops its technology and platform.

The key take-away is that this ambitious start-up wants to construct enterprise grade pricing infrastructure for the insurance-linked securities (ILS) marketplace.

Stone began by explaining the problem Siena Capital aims to solve, “Despite the growth of the catastrophe bond market, institutional infrastructure has not kept pace. Daily pricing is, for all practical purposes, non-existent. Broker sheets are still distributed via Excel, assumptions are often opaque, and managers and LPs are left without a consistent framework to validate NAV, compare portfolios, or defend valuations to auditors. It’s a system that creates friction at precisely the moment this asset class should be scaling with confidence.

“We’re changing that. In Q4 2025, Siena Capital Group will launch a fully web-based, audit-defensible catastrophe bond pricing platform—built entirely in-house, from the ground up. We use no third-party applications, no external data vendors, and no outsourced tooling. Every line of logic, every data pathway, and every pricing function is purpose-built to serve one mission: to deliver the first institutional-grade pricing utility for the ILS market.”

Stone went on to say, “This is not just another broker sheet. And we are not an ILS fund. We’re building what we believe will become the spine of cat pricing – a system that can support multiple scientifically and market-supported views of risk, track every mark over time, and provide full transparency into how and why valuations move.

“While many in the market are focused on ‘matching capital to risk,’ we’ve chosen to move upstream, starting with a much harder question: how do you price risk in a way that’s consistent, transparent, and defensible? Without that, any downstream structure—no matter how flashy—lacks real integrity.”

Stone went on to explain that Siena Capital aims to address these issues it sees in a way that is aligned with the needs of catastrophe bond market constituents.

“We’re not interested in building a demo-driven startup with a splashy UI and vague promises. Without being too forward, I fear that much of the recent innovation in this space appears designed to impress venture capital firms, not actual ILS managers or LPs,” he told us. “We will deliver a platform that’s serious, institutional-grade, and deeply useful to the professionals already operating in this market. The interface and functionality will be modeled on the best-in-class financial systems that managers and allocators already trust.”

The company sees this initial platform offering as core to its strategy but hopes to move further into the insurance-linked securities (ILS) and reinsurance investments space, by providing greater transparency to the sector in the hope of fostering a more liquid marketplace.

“We’re starting with cat bonds, but there’s no reason to stop there,” Stone said. “The infrastructure we’re building is designed to expand into collateralized re, sidecars, traditional reinsurance, ILWs, and ultimately any structure where investors need to understand and trust the reference point for risk.”

Hiring is already underway, and Stone provided some hints into what the market can expect to see in time.

“Our CTO brings more than a decade of experience leading engineering at one of the world’s largest financial technology platforms, with deep background in data architecture at global financial institutions. He will be leading a pod of talented engineers this summer as we run the sprint to Q4 launch,” Stone further stated. “He’s helping us build with the discipline and scale this market has long deserved, but has never had. When we formally introduce our team this summer, I believe our clients will immediately understand how seriously Siena Capital has invested in delivering them a best-in-class product. We cannot emphasise enough that we are sparing no expense to do this the right way, from the ground up.”

Adding that, “Importantly, we’re doing this without the interference of outside venture capital or the drag of corporate bureaucracy. This summer, we’re quietly testing the marks with a small group of long-standing ILS managers and allocators–investors who’ve been hungry for better pricing, willing to pay for it, and supportive of this initiative from the very beginning. Their feedback is directly shaping our rollout. Over the next 2-3 years, I am optimistic that managers who adopt our infrastructure will realise tremendous operational efficiencies, which is especially critical as some LPs become more fee-sensitive.”

Siena Capital has long-term ambitions to write primary personal and commercial lines insurance, which is why they have made their first investment with the aim of marshalling more LP capital to existing ILS managers.

Stone told Artemis, “Our ultimate goal is simple: to lower the cost of insurance for everybody.

“Looking ahead to the next five years, my business partner and I expect to personally capitalise U.S. admitted and E&S balance sheets, underwrite along the same infrastructure spine, and cede slices of risk into the ILS market, monitoring everything in real-time, at policy-level granularity.

“This is the future of the (re)insurance industry: where capital and risk meet transparently, dynamically, and without layers of inefficiency. So, of course we are interested in connecting risk to capital, just not yet.

“Getting tech and infrastructure right is the challenging part, and it’s the critical first step. Hiring top tier underwriting talent and managing the capital are the easy and fun parts, respectively.”

Siena Capital targets cat bond market with initial plan to launch daily pricing platform was published by: www.Artemis.bm
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Black Kite Re II shows ILS can narrow Asia’s protection gap: Peak Re CEO

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Following the successful completion of its second catastrophe bond, the $50 million Black Kite Re Limited (Series 2025-1), Franz-Josef Hahn, CEO of reinsurer Peak Re, told us the issuance showcases the “tremendous potential” that insurance-linked-securities (ILS) solutions can play in narrowing protection gaps across Asia.

franz-josef-hahn-peak-reThe Hong Kong headquartered global reinsurer returned to the catastrophe bond market in April, initially aiming to secure $50 million or more in retrocessional reinsurance from this Black Kite Re 2025-1 deal.

In late April, we reported that Peak Re had managed to successfully secure the targeted $50 million size, while the pricing of the notes were finalised at the upper-end of the initial guidance.

Issued via Hong Kong-based special purpose insurer (SPI), Black Kite Re, Peak Re’s latest cat bond builds on the success of the company’s debut cat bond from 2022, and according to Hahn, deepens the firm’s ability to “pioneer innovative risk transfer solutions for the Asia-Pacific region.”

The $50 million Black Kite Re 2025-1 issuance covers Japanese earthquake and typhoon risks on an industry loss trigger and per-occurrence basis for Peak Re, as well as the additional cover for Chinese and Indian earthquake risks on a parametric basis, all across a three-year period from issuance in late April.

“This latest transaction reflects our commitment to meeting the evolving needs of cedants and creating value for investors by introducing new risks and structures tailored to the region’s unique challenges. It represents another step forward in our mission to strengthen resilience for our clients and their communities,” Hahn explained.

He continued: “Our primary motivation for this issuance was support our growth ambitions in key markets.  In addition, we expect Black Kite 2025-1 to help our regulatory solvency requirements under Hong Kong’s Risk Based Capital regime. By securing collateralized retrocession capacity, Peak Re enhances its balance sheet resilience and ensures long-term sustainability.”

Hahn also highlighted how Black Kite Re 2025-1 introduces new perils, particularly the first-ever use of Indian earthquake risk in a 144A cat bond format, marking a significant step that expands opportunities for both issuers and investors.

“This issuance underscores our focus on developing markets, particularly in Asia and its emerging markets, where Peak Re is based and protection gaps persist despite increasing catastrophe exposures,” Hahn added.

Sascha Bruns, Head of Global Retrocession at Peak Re, highlighted the importance of the deal’s geographic breadth: “The inclusion of Indian earthquake risk in a 144A catastrophe bond is a market first, reflecting our deep understanding of the region’s risks and our confidence in the underlying data. By combining developed markets like Japan with emerging markets such as India and China, Black Kite Re II offers a unique diversification opportunity for investors.”

As mentioned, the inclusion of Indian earthquake risk in a 144A catastrophe bond is a first for the market, representing a major development in expanding risk transfer solutions across Asia.

Bruns also went on to explain that in order to ensure transparency and swift payouts in regions where data quality has seen meaningful progress, Peak Re opted for parametric triggers for both Indian and Chinese earthquake risks.

Bruns noted that this structure underscores Peak Re’s capacity to bring untapped risks to the global ILS market, helping to address persistent protection gaps in underinsured areas of Asia.

For the Japanese exposures, typhoon and earthquake, Bruns explained that the cat bond uses industry loss triggers, which offer broad coverage, including for secondary effects such as heavy rainfall, tsunamis, and fire-following events.

While for India and China, parametric triggers were selected based on Peak Re’s confidence in its understanding of local seismic risk.

Another key factor to highlight is that this Black Kite Re Limited (Series 2025-1) deal marks the first reuse of a Hong Kong SPI structure, a move designed to enhance operational efficiency and strengthen Hong Kong’s position as a regional hub for ILS activity.

“Black Kite Re II reflects Peak Re’s commitment to innovation in the catastrophe bond market. By being the first reuse of a Hong Kong SPI and in combining multiple perils and territories, we’ve created a structure that balances security, efficiency, and diversification,” said Iain Reynolds, Head of Third-Party Capital at Peak Re.

He added: “This issuance reinforces Hong Kong’s position as a growing ILS hub and demonstrates Peak Re’s ability to deliver tailored solutions to investors that ultimately help us serve our cedants.”

In addition, Reynolds states that Black Kite Re II underscores Hong Kong’s growing position as a competitive centre for ILS activity.

Reynolds also credited the Hong Kong Insurance Authority’s support for facilitating a smooth issuance process and helping advance the development of new structures in the cat bond market.

Furthermore, Hahn added that the transaction reflects the growing maturity of Asia’s ILS sector and its capacity to narrow protection gaps.

“Black Kite Re II showcases the tremendous potential of ILS solutions in narrowing protection gaps across Asia. By integrating developed and emerging markets, we’ve created a diversifier that supports the long-term growth of the region’s insurance and reinsurance sectors. This issuance also demonstrates the increasing maturity of Hong Kong’s ILS market, which we believe will continue to play a key role in driving innovation globally.”

He concludes: “Black Kite Re II is not only a testament to Peak Re’s innovative approach but also a significant milestone for the global ILS market. Its introduction of Indian earthquake risk, multi-territory coverage, and the reuse of a Hong Kong SPI highlight the evolution of catastrophe risk securitization in Asia.”

As a reminder, you can read all about this Black Kite Re Limited (Series 2025-1) catastrophe bond from Peak Re, as well as every other cat bond transaction in our extensive Artemis Deal Directory.

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The casualty ILS investment opportunity – ILS NYC 2025 video

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This video features an expert panel discussing the opportunity for investors in the growing casualty insurance-linked securities (ILS) space at our Artemis ILS NYC 2025 conference, which was held in New York on February 7th 2025.

The casualty ILS investment opportunity - ILS NYC 2025 panel 4 videoILS NYC 2025 was Artemis’ eighth catastrophe bond and insurance-linked securities (ILS) conference held in-person in New York and saw more than 425 registered attendees enjoying insightful debates from our expert speakers, as well as valuable networking opportunities throughout the day.

Attendees from across the globe assembled to hear thought-provoking insights from insurance-linked securities (ILS) market leaders, all under the theme of “Capturing opportunities (established & new).”

Our latest video from the Artemis ILS NYC 2025 conference features the fourth panel discussion of the day, which was on the emerging casualty insurance-linked securities (ILS) market where investors are accessing the returns of longer-tailed casualty insurance risks, titled: The casualty ILS investment opportunity.

The panel discussion was moderated by John Seo, Co-Founder, Managing Director, Fermat Capital Management.

He was joined by: David Ni, Chief Strategy Officer, Enstar Group; Andras Bohm, Head of U.S. Capital Solutions & Advisory, BMS Group; Amy Stern, Chief Executive, Reinsurance, Ledger Investing; and Bob Forness, CEO, MultiStrat Group.

While casualty insurance-linked securities (ILS) may seem nascent to some, the market has been in development for a number of years now. The panellists set the scene and explained what this segment of the ILS asset class is, as well as why casualty risks can be attractive investments.

This panel discussed the evolution and potential of the casualty insurance-linked securities (ILS) market, forecasting an opportunity to grow the segment from an estimated $3-4 billion current base to potentially exceeding $10 billion by 2026.

Key points in the discussion included the shift from catastrophe-focused ILS to casualty ILS, driven by improvements to the infrastructure of the ILS market, as well as investor interest in accessing new classes of insurance risk.

The casualty ILS market’s growth is largely attributed to risk sourced through whole account quota shares, which the panel said enable stable, diversified portfolios to be constructed for investors.

The discussion also highlighted the importance of exit solutions to provide investor certainty of liquidity, the need for strong partnerships, and that underwriting discipline is key to manage risks and ensure sustainable growth of the casualty ILS space.

Watch the full video of this casualty ILS market focused panel discussion at ILS NYC 2025 (embedded below), for unique insights into the developing casualty ILS market, what investors need to know about this asset class, and how cedents can benefit from access to efficient capacity from the capital markets.

More videos will follow in the coming weeks from our ILS NYC 2025 conference.

Artemis’ next confirmed conference dates will be (please save them): Artemis London 2025 on September 2nd 2025, and Artemis ILS NYC 2026 on February 6th 2026!

All of our Artemis Live video interviews have a focus on reinsurance, ILS and the efficiency of risk transfer and can be accessed directly from our Artemis Live page.

You can also listen in audio to these interviews by subscribing to the Artemis Live podcast here.

Our conferences provide exposure in front of a highly relevant, senior and specialised group of attendees. Plus you’ll benefit from exposure in front of our entire global readership, which averages more than 65,000 individuals every month.

For all enquiries regarding sponsorship opportunities for future Artemis events please contact events@artemis.bm.

Our conference sponsors for ILS NYC 2025 can be seen below. We thank them all for their valued support:

Artemis ILS NYC 2025 conference sponsors

For all enquiries regarding sponsorship opportunities for future Artemis events please contact events@artemis.bm.

The casualty ILS investment opportunity – ILS NYC 2025 video was published by: www.Artemis.bm
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Cat bonds offer sustainable investment potential amid rising climate risks: UBS

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A recent report from UBS Group’s global wealth management arm has highlighted catastrophe bonds as a growing sustainable investment opportunity, emphasising their role in climate adaptation and financial protection against extreme weather events.

ubs-asset-management-logoWhile they do not directly prevent disasters, UBS sees them as a crucial tool for helping insurers manage climate risks and for providing swift financial relief to affected communities.

Analysts also highlight cat bonds’ appeal to investors, citing their strong risk-adjusted returns and low correlation with traditional asset classes.

“From an issuer’s perspective, cat bonds can serve as a climate adaptation strategy, allowing insurance companies to manage their exposure to physical climate risks to which they’re exposed though primary insurance activity. This not only enhances the resilience of the insurance market but also provides social protection for those individuals and communities covered by insurance,” UBS said.

Adding: “As the world faces an increasing number of natural catastrophes, cat bonds are becoming increasingly relevant as a means of providing insurance against extreme weather events.”

Beyond their sustainability benefits, catasrophe bonds are also gaining traction among institutional investors due to their attractive financial characteristics. UBS points out that these instruments typically exhibit low correlation with other traditional asset classes, making them an effective hedge against market volatility.

UBS also highlights that investors can benefit from attractive risk-adjusted returns from cat bonds, especially within a low-interest rate environment.

Despite their benefits, UBS also highlights certain limitations that sustainability-focused investors should consider when it comes to cat bonds.

One key issue is the potential misalignment between parametric bond payout triggers and actual damage on the ground. While parametric bonds offer quick payouts based on pre-defined thresholds, such as wind speed or earthquake magnitude, these thresholds do not always align with the financial losses suffered by affected communities.

Furthermore, indemnity bonds, which base payouts on actual losses, offer a more precise alternative but often take longer to distribute funds, potentially delaying recovery efforts.

With extreme weather events becoming more frequent and costly, UBS sees cat bonds as an increasingly relevant investment that aligns financial returns with climate resilience.

The catastrophe bond and insurance-linked securities (ILS) market continues to expand at a rapid pace. Following a record year in 2024, issuance in the first quarter of 2025 managed to reach a huge $7.1 billion, which drove the size of the outstanding market to a new all-time-high of $52.2 billion.

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Generali seeking to renew its “green cat bond” with EUR200m Lion Re DAC

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Italian and global insurance giant Assicurazioni Generali S.p.A. is looking to renew its soon to mature green catastrophe bond with a new EUR 200 million Lion Re DAC transaction now in the market, that targets European windstorm and Italy earthquake reinsurance for the company, Artemis can report.

generali-green-catastrophe-bondGenerali launched its own framework for Green insurance-linked securities (ILS) back in 2020, and in 2024 the green ILS framework was updated to incorporate new features and expand its scope, resulting in a Green, Social and Sustainability Insurance-linked Securities Framework.

The insurer sponsored its first green catastrophe bond issuance in 2021, the €200 million Lion III Re DAC transaction, securing reinsurance protection against certain losses from European windstorms and Italian earthquakes across a multi-year term.

That deal matures after this June and so now it appears Generali has returned to sponsor a renewal with this Lion Re DAC cat bond issuance, which now falls under the updated green, social and sustainable ILS framework.

Under the framework, Generali can free up capital thanks to the cat bond to be put to work in sustainable investment.

In the case of the Lion III Re catastrophe bond, it freed up €28.1 million of capital for the insurer, under regulatory capital relief calculated on the basis of its Solvency Capital Requirement at the inception of the cat bond risk period. That freed up capital was allocated to a sustainable investment deemed to make a positive environmental impact.

So it’s good to learn that Generali has come back to renew its catastrophe bond coverage and to continue pushing the boundaries on the sustainable investment side of the insurance-linked securities (ILS) market with this new deal.

We’re told that Generali has established a new designated activity company in Ireland for its latest catastrophe bond issuance, Lion Re DAC.

Lion Re DAC is looking to issue two tranches of Series 2025-1 notes that will be sold to investors and the proceeds used to collateralize reinsurance agreements for sponsor Generali.

The notes are designed to provide Generali with a four year source of collateralized reinsurance protection against losses from windstorms across Europe and earthquakes in Italy, the same perils as the soon to mature Lion III Re deal.

The reinsurance protection will be on an indemnity trigger and per-occurrence basis for both of the tranches of notes, we understand.

Lion Re DAC is offering a EUR 125 million Class A tranche of Series 2025-1 notes that will provide Generali with both European windstorm and Italy quake protection, with windstorm coverage attaching at EUR 900m and exhausting at EUR 1.1bn, while earthquake protection would attach at EUR 600m and exhaust at EUR 800m, we are told.

As a result, the Class A notes will have an initial attachment probability of 3.64%, an initial expected loss of 3% and are being offered to cat bond investors with price guidance in a range from a spread of 5.5% to 6.25%.

A EUR 75 million Class B tranche of notes will provide Generali with only Italy earthquake protection, attaching slightly lower down at EUR 400m and exhausting coverage at EUR 500m, we are told.

The Class B notes will have an initial attachment probability of 2.64%, an initial expected loss of 2.33% and are being offered to cat bond investors with price guidance in a range from a spread of 5.25% to 6%, sources said.

For comparison, the soon to mature Lion III Re cat bond featured a single tranche of notes exposed to both perils and had an initial expected loss of 2.99% and priced to pay investors a spread of 3.5%.

Under the terms of Generali’s Green, Social and Sustainability Insurance-linked Securities Framework, the new Lion Re DAC cat bond will free up an amount of the insurers own capital equal to its limit which will then be allocated to eligible projects by the company. While the collateral will be invested in EBRD notes. The insurer will also report on the allocation of the freed up capital and the project benefits derived from that, we understand.

It’s encouraging to see Generali continuing to push the boundaries of ESG within the catastrophe bond market, by following its strict framework and attempting to deliver broader sustainable benefits while also benefiting from the capital markets backed reinsurance the catastrophe bond will provide.

You can read all about this new Lion Re DAC catastrophe bond and every other cat bond ever issued in the Artemis Deal Directory.

Generali seeking to renew its “green cat bond” with EUR200m Lion Re DAC was published by: www.Artemis.bm
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