In Episode 315 of the FNO: InsureTech Podcast, hosts Rob Beller and David Prejeant welcome back Dave Tobias, Chief Product Officer at Nearmap, for his third appearance on the show. A familiar voice to longtime listeners, Dave reflects on his journey from insurance inspector to Betterview co-founder to product leader at one of the industry's most influential property intelligence companies.
The conversation explores how Nearmap's acquisitions of Betterview and ITEL have expanded the company's capabilities across underwriting, claims, catastrophe response, and property intelligence. Dave shares how these technologies are being combined to create new solutions that help insurers better understand risk, accelerate claims workflows, and improve customer experiences.
Rob and David also dive into the future of AI in insurance, the growing role of agentic workflows, and why the biggest challenge facing the industry may no longer be access to data, but getting the right data into the right workflow at the right time.
Key Highlights [08:15] Inside the Chief Product Officer Role
Dave discusses his transition from General Manager of Insurance to Chief Product Officer and what it means to lead product strategy across insurance, government, and commercial markets.
[10:00] Looking Back at the Betterview Acquisition
A reflection on Nearmap's acquisition of Betterview and how the original vision of combining imagery, analytics, and underwriting intelligence has played out in the market.
[14:00] Why ITEL Changes the Game
Dave explains how ITEL's material pricing and laboratory analysis capabilities complement Nearmap and Betterview, creating a unique property intelligence ecosystem.
[16:30] Building a Full Stack Insurance Data Platform
How combining imagery, measurements, AI insights, and claims intelligence unlocks new opportunities for insurers across underwriting and claims.
[18:00] The Real Challenge Isn't Technology
Why the biggest constraint isn't product innovation but changing workflows and helping insurers adopt new ways of working.
[19:00] Meeting Customers Where They Work
The importance of integrations with platforms like Guidewire and Xactimate, allowing insurers to access data without changing their everyday workflows.
[22:00] Claims Use Cases in Action
Dave walks through Nearmap's claims capabilities, from roof measurements and material matching to post catastrophe analysis and repair validation.
[23:00] First in the Air During Catastrophes
How Nearmap captured imagery during active wildfire events and provides insurers with real time insights before many response teams arrive on scene.
[24:30] Why Nearmap Still Flies Aircraft
A look inside Nearmap's proprietary camera technology and why manned aircraft remain critical for capturing high resolution imagery at scale.
[28:00] The Balance Between Innovation and Regulation
Dave discusses growing regulatory scrutiny around aerial imagery, data quality, and how insurers use property intelligence in underwriting decisions.
[32:00] AI Is Not New at Nearmap
While many companies are just beginning their AI journeys, Nearmap has been applying computer vision and machine learning to property imagery for more than a decade. [
[34:00] Unlocking 130 Property Intelligence Signals
How advances in AI and large language models are helping customers make better use of hundreds of property level data points.
[36:00] Using AI to Connect Data and Business Problems
Dave explains how AI can map underwriting guidelines and claims workflows to available data, uncovering connections that humans may miss.
[38:00] The Rise of Agentic Claims Workflows
A look at how AI powered FNOL experiences could automatically combine claims information with real time property intelligence to improve outcomes and reduce friction.
[40:00] The Technology Is Finally Catching Up
Why Dave believes today's AI advancements feel similar to the early days of the internet and what that means for insurance innovation.
[41:30] An FNO Exclusive
Dave shares a little known fact about his background and reveals that he is also a licensed private investigator.
[44:00] Final Thoughts on the Nearmap Journey
Rob and David reflect on Dave's evolution from startup founder to product executive and what Nearmap's expanding platform means for the future of insurance.
