Lireas Holdings

Lireas Holdings, established in 1988, is a private equity firm headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa. It specializes in investing in insurance and insurance technology companies, providing start-up, acquisition, and expansion capital. Lireas prefers majority stakes and focuses on both direct investments and fund of funds, with a preference for South Africa-based companies. It uses its own capital and balance sheet, along with dividends from other investments, to fund its activities.

Valerie Hayter

Managing Director

Past deals in South Africa

Pineapple

Series B in 2023
Pineapple Tech Pty Ltd is a South African company that operates a peer-to-peer insurance platform, providing short-term insurance coverage to its members. Founded in 2017 and based in Johannesburg, the company allows users to pay and track their premiums online while selecting their preferred network for pooling. Pineapple aims to innovate the insurance experience by aligning incentives with users, offering transparency about premium usage, and returning any unused premiums to members. The platform simplifies the insurance process, enabling users to obtain coverage quickly, often in under 60 seconds, by utilizing AI technology. Pineapple launched its "My Stuff" per-item insurance in 2018 and expanded its offerings to include "My Ride" for auto insurance. The company has also formed a partnership with Travelers in the United States and provides a white-labeled version of its platform for that market.

Pineapple

Series A in 2021
Pineapple Tech Pty Ltd is a South African company that operates a peer-to-peer insurance platform, providing short-term insurance coverage to its members. Founded in 2017 and based in Johannesburg, the company allows users to pay and track their premiums online while selecting their preferred network for pooling. Pineapple aims to innovate the insurance experience by aligning incentives with users, offering transparency about premium usage, and returning any unused premiums to members. The platform simplifies the insurance process, enabling users to obtain coverage quickly, often in under 60 seconds, by utilizing AI technology. Pineapple launched its "My Stuff" per-item insurance in 2018 and expanded its offerings to include "My Ride" for auto insurance. The company has also formed a partnership with Travelers in the United States and provides a white-labeled version of its platform for that market.

Lumkani

Seed Round in 2018
Lumkani is a South Africa-based company founded in 2014, specializing in developing early-warning IoT heat sensors to mitigate the risks associated with fires in urban informal settlements. The company aims to enhance community resilience by combining technology with financial services, particularly addressing the insurance needs of underserved populations. Lumkani's innovative mesh networked fire detectors are designed for informal homes and enable community-wide alerts during fire incidents, significantly limiting fire spread. Currently, these detectors are installed in over 50,000 homes across South Africa, as well as in Bangladesh and Kenya. In 2017, Lumkani launched a pioneering fire detection and fire insurance bundle in partnership with Hollard Insurance, providing financial support to individuals affected by fires. As Lumkani expands its distribution platform, it continues to identify and address the protection gap by introducing additional relevant insurance products aimed at low-income customers.

Pineapple

Seed Round in 2017
Pineapple Tech Pty Ltd is a South African company that operates a peer-to-peer insurance platform, providing short-term insurance coverage to its members. Founded in 2017 and based in Johannesburg, the company allows users to pay and track their premiums online while selecting their preferred network for pooling. Pineapple aims to innovate the insurance experience by aligning incentives with users, offering transparency about premium usage, and returning any unused premiums to members. The platform simplifies the insurance process, enabling users to obtain coverage quickly, often in under 60 seconds, by utilizing AI technology. Pineapple launched its "My Stuff" per-item insurance in 2018 and expanded its offerings to include "My Ride" for auto insurance. The company has also formed a partnership with Travelers in the United States and provides a white-labeled version of its platform for that market.
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