QuoteCheck wins Insurance Business 5-star tech nod

QuoteCheck has been named in Insurance Business's Global 5-Star Technology and Software Providers 2026 report, recognised in the Claims Quote Validation category.

The Australian insurance technology business was one of 28 providers across nine countries and six categories identified in the global assessment.

QuoteCheck focuses on validating building repair costs for insurers. It was created to address shortcomings in established methods, such as seeking multiple quotes and using older pricing benchmarks to assess repair bills.

Founders Steve Browne and John Houston developed the platform after concluding that existing approaches were not providing the accuracy, consistency, and transparency insurers needed as repair costs changed. Houston had worked in loss adjusting, while Browne brought more than four decades of technology experience.

The platform reviews complex building repair quotes using pricing algorithms, regional cost data, and several AI systems. It is designed to reduce the time needed to examine repair estimates and give insurers a breakdown of individual cost elements, including labour, plasterboard, waste management, supervision, and cleaning.

That level of detail matters in claims handling because disputes over repair costs can affect insurer spending, builder relationships, and the pace of settlements. By examining quotes line by line, insurers can compare proposed charges with market expectations and challenge items that fall outside agreed rates.

According to QuoteCheck, insurers using the system have reported compliance with agreed rates and a 10% to 12% reduction in repair costs. Users have also been able to hold more informed discussions with providers without adding extra steps for brokers, strata managers, or property owners during the claims process.

Judging criteria

Insurance Business based the 5-Star list on a 15-week research programme combining interviews with brokers and broader survey work across its global audience. The research gathered data on usability, performance, innovation, and value, while technology providers also submitted nominations describing how their products differed in the market.

The final list covered a broad range of insurance software segments, from claims quote validation and policy administration to cyber technology and digital risk intelligence. QuoteCheck's inclusion reflects growing attention on specialist tools aimed at controlling claims inflation and improving oversight of external repair networks.

The company's offering targets a specific pressure point for insurers. Building repair costs have been volatile in recent years, driven by labour shortages, material price changes, and uneven regional pricing, making validation more difficult for claims teams and loss adjusters.

For insurers, the issue is not only the total value of a repair bill but also its composition. Differences in labour assumptions, materials pricing, and allowances for supervision or site management can significantly alter the final quote, particularly on larger residential or strata claims.

QuoteCheck said its service was designed to require little implementation work by insurers. That may appeal to claims departments looking to introduce tighter controls without a lengthy systems project or changes to the customer-facing claims journey.

Business origins

The company traces its origins to a practical problem Houston identified while working in loss adjusting. He described spending almost eight hours validating costs for a single total loss claim, an experience that helped shape the idea for a more automated approach.

Browne's response became part of the business's founding story: "Why don't we automate that?"

QuoteCheck said Browne and Houston spent five years working with insurers, assessors, builders, and repair specialists to develop the platform. That process was intended to create a faster, more transparent way of assessing repair costs in Australian insurance claims.

The company remains focused on the building repair segment, where even modest percentage changes in validated claims costs can materially affect insurer margins across large portfolios. A reported reduction of 10% to 12%, if sustained at scale, would be closely watched in a market where claims inflation remains a central concern.

Insurance Business said the 2026 5-Star recognition followed interviews, surveys, and provider submissions that generated thousands of data points during the assessment process.