• About
  • Advertise
  • Write For Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
Subscribe
Smart Investor Malaysia
Advertisement
  • Start Here
    • All
    • Guides
    • How-Tos
    • Analysis

    PropertyGuru: Malaysian Residential Property Market Continues To Face Challenges As Supply And Demand Declines

    Fed Turns The Tide In War On Inflation, But It’s Too Early To Declare Victory

    The Smart Investor’s Guide to Insurance

    Highlights: Malaysia’s Revised Budget 2023

    4 Reasons Why You Need To Invest In ETF

    SPY vs SPUS: A 2023 Comparison of S&P 500 ETFs

    It's time to embed ESG into your investment portfolio. | Credit: nattanan23 via Pixabay

    The Smart Investor’s Guide to ESG

    (L-R) Kenny Yee, Head of Research and Thong Pak Leng, Vice President of Equity Research

    Post 2023 Budget And Q4 Market Outlook Commentary By Rakuten Trade

    Image by dashu83 on Freepik

    Why This Economic Cycle Is Different?

    • Guides
    • How-Tos
    • Analysis
  • Investments
    • All
    • Asset Management
    • Stocks
    • Islamic Finance
    • Alternatives Investments

    Malaysia’s dance with FAANG Giants

    AIIMAN menjalin pakatan strategik dengan Bank Islam sebagai Rakan Pengedar Untuk Luaskan Capaian Kepada Produk Kekayaan Syariah

    E-mail Popup Warning Window Concept

    ICMR Research Series: Safeguarding Malaysian Investors Against Financial Scams

    How Is The Malaysian Property Industry Doing Post-Covid?

    What Can We Learn From The “Equity Risk Premium” About The Prospects For Equities Vs Bonds

    SC-Bursa: Measures To Boost Capital Market Vibrancy And Competitiveness

    Still Worth Investing In Sustainability In 2023?

    ICMR Research Series: Unexpected Life Situations And Industry Issues Drive Vulnerability For Malaysian Investors

    Bursa Malaysia Expands “Approved Securities” Criteria To Boost Market Vibrancy

    • Asset Management
    • Stocks
    • Islamic Finance
    • Alternatives Investments
  • Personal Finance
    • All
    • Cash Management
    • Grow Your Wealth
    • Protect Your Wealth
    • Distribute Your Wealth
    • Behavioural Finance

    Property Tussle: Being Left Homeless After Sister’s Death

    Employment Opportunity Fraud Syndicate: Lidt Cooperation Advertising Sdn Bhd Or Lidl Cooperation Advertising Sdn Bhd

    What You Need To Know About The Insurance Industry In Malaysia

    5 Rules For Malaysians To Improve Their Financial Wellbeing

    Tears In Heaven: Who Protects Your Insurance Money?

    Patterns And Types Of Cybercrime In Malaysia From 2016 To 2021: Part 2

    Patterns And Types Of Cybercrime In Malaysia From 2016 To 2021: Part 1

    ICMR Research Series: Millennials And Gen Z Must Plan Early For A Better Retirement In A Changing World Of Work

    The State Of Malaysia’s Education And Financial Literacy Among The Youths

    • Cash Management
    • Grow Your Wealth
    • Protect Your Wealth
    • Distribute Your Wealth
    • Behavioural Finance
  • Enterprise
    • All
    • Startups
    • Entrepreneurs
    • SMEs
    • Leadership
    • Business Planning
    From left Eizzar Supiar, AVP - Evaluation, Cradle_ Adlin Yusman, Co-Founder of BeMalas_ Suthenesh Sugumaran, Co-Founder of BeMalas_ and Joyce Wee, Former Executive Director of Etalage

    Cradle Circle: Bridging Visionary Startups and Investors in Second Series Event

    Gorgeous Geeks Marks 15 Years of Empowering Women in Technology

    MDDA Celebrates 30 Years of Industry Excellence

    DNA Mapping, A Revolutionary Medical Breakthrough

    Thomson Ushers In New Treatment for Spinal Muscular Atrophy

    Authority Institute’s Maverick Foo named Vistage Malaysia’s Speaker of the Year

    Digital Niaga Empowers Local Businesses With Digital Access To Financial Solutions for Micro, Small Medium Enterprises’ (MSMEs)

    Bizsu: On A Mission To Cool Down The World And Save The Environment

    Management team of Web Bytes Sdn Bhd (from L-R) at the Launch of Xilnex Retail Tech Experience Center: Ng Tiong Kuan, COO; Lee Ming Kew, CFO; Ooi Boon Sheng, CEO; Eng Aik Kian,  CTO (far right); Tan Wei Kit, Business Development Director (2nd from right) with Lee Kah Hin Jerry, Chief Investment Officer of GD Express Bhd (4th from right) and Ken Phua, Deputy President of MRCA (3rd from right)

    Web Bytes Unveils Wonders Cafe As The Hub For Xilnex Retail Tech Experience Center

    • Startups
    • Entrepreneurs
    • SMEs
    • Leadership
    • Business Planning
    • Fintech
  • Property
    • All
    • Startups
    • Entrepreneurs
    • SMEs
    • Leadership
    • Business Planning
    From left Eizzar Supiar, AVP - Evaluation, Cradle_ Adlin Yusman, Co-Founder of BeMalas_ Suthenesh Sugumaran, Co-Founder of BeMalas_ and Joyce Wee, Former Executive Director of Etalage

    Cradle Circle: Bridging Visionary Startups and Investors in Second Series Event

    Gorgeous Geeks Marks 15 Years of Empowering Women in Technology

    MDDA Celebrates 30 Years of Industry Excellence

    DNA Mapping, A Revolutionary Medical Breakthrough

    Thomson Ushers In New Treatment for Spinal Muscular Atrophy

    Authority Institute’s Maverick Foo named Vistage Malaysia’s Speaker of the Year

    Digital Niaga Empowers Local Businesses With Digital Access To Financial Solutions for Micro, Small Medium Enterprises’ (MSMEs)

    Bizsu: On A Mission To Cool Down The World And Save The Environment

    Management team of Web Bytes Sdn Bhd (from L-R) at the Launch of Xilnex Retail Tech Experience Center: Ng Tiong Kuan, COO; Lee Ming Kew, CFO; Ooi Boon Sheng, CEO; Eng Aik Kian,  CTO (far right); Tan Wei Kit, Business Development Director (2nd from right) with Lee Kah Hin Jerry, Chief Investment Officer of GD Express Bhd (4th from right) and Ken Phua, Deputy President of MRCA (3rd from right)

    Web Bytes Unveils Wonders Cafe As The Hub For Xilnex Retail Tech Experience Center

    • First Time Home Buyers
    • Central
    • Northern
    • Southern
    • Sabah & Sarawak
    • Regional / Global
    • Feature
  • ESG
  • Lifestyle
  • News & Events
  • Bahasa Melayu
No Result
View All Result
  • Start Here
    • All
    • Guides
    • How-Tos
    • Analysis

    PropertyGuru: Malaysian Residential Property Market Continues To Face Challenges As Supply And Demand Declines

    Fed Turns The Tide In War On Inflation, But It’s Too Early To Declare Victory

    The Smart Investor’s Guide to Insurance

    Highlights: Malaysia’s Revised Budget 2023

    4 Reasons Why You Need To Invest In ETF

    SPY vs SPUS: A 2023 Comparison of S&P 500 ETFs

    It's time to embed ESG into your investment portfolio. | Credit: nattanan23 via Pixabay

    The Smart Investor’s Guide to ESG

    (L-R) Kenny Yee, Head of Research and Thong Pak Leng, Vice President of Equity Research

    Post 2023 Budget And Q4 Market Outlook Commentary By Rakuten Trade

    Image by dashu83 on Freepik

    Why This Economic Cycle Is Different?

    • Guides
    • How-Tos
    • Analysis
  • Investments
    • All
    • Asset Management
    • Stocks
    • Islamic Finance
    • Alternatives Investments

    Malaysia’s dance with FAANG Giants

    AIIMAN menjalin pakatan strategik dengan Bank Islam sebagai Rakan Pengedar Untuk Luaskan Capaian Kepada Produk Kekayaan Syariah

    E-mail Popup Warning Window Concept

    ICMR Research Series: Safeguarding Malaysian Investors Against Financial Scams

    How Is The Malaysian Property Industry Doing Post-Covid?

    What Can We Learn From The “Equity Risk Premium” About The Prospects For Equities Vs Bonds

    SC-Bursa: Measures To Boost Capital Market Vibrancy And Competitiveness

    Still Worth Investing In Sustainability In 2023?

    ICMR Research Series: Unexpected Life Situations And Industry Issues Drive Vulnerability For Malaysian Investors

    Bursa Malaysia Expands “Approved Securities” Criteria To Boost Market Vibrancy

    • Asset Management
    • Stocks
    • Islamic Finance
    • Alternatives Investments
  • Personal Finance
    • All
    • Cash Management
    • Grow Your Wealth
    • Protect Your Wealth
    • Distribute Your Wealth
    • Behavioural Finance

    Property Tussle: Being Left Homeless After Sister’s Death

    Employment Opportunity Fraud Syndicate: Lidt Cooperation Advertising Sdn Bhd Or Lidl Cooperation Advertising Sdn Bhd

    What You Need To Know About The Insurance Industry In Malaysia

    5 Rules For Malaysians To Improve Their Financial Wellbeing

    Tears In Heaven: Who Protects Your Insurance Money?

    Patterns And Types Of Cybercrime In Malaysia From 2016 To 2021: Part 2

    Patterns And Types Of Cybercrime In Malaysia From 2016 To 2021: Part 1

    ICMR Research Series: Millennials And Gen Z Must Plan Early For A Better Retirement In A Changing World Of Work

    The State Of Malaysia’s Education And Financial Literacy Among The Youths

    • Cash Management
    • Grow Your Wealth
    • Protect Your Wealth
    • Distribute Your Wealth
    • Behavioural Finance
  • Enterprise
    • All
    • Startups
    • Entrepreneurs
    • SMEs
    • Leadership
    • Business Planning
    From left Eizzar Supiar, AVP - Evaluation, Cradle_ Adlin Yusman, Co-Founder of BeMalas_ Suthenesh Sugumaran, Co-Founder of BeMalas_ and Joyce Wee, Former Executive Director of Etalage

    Cradle Circle: Bridging Visionary Startups and Investors in Second Series Event

    Gorgeous Geeks Marks 15 Years of Empowering Women in Technology

    MDDA Celebrates 30 Years of Industry Excellence

    DNA Mapping, A Revolutionary Medical Breakthrough

    Thomson Ushers In New Treatment for Spinal Muscular Atrophy

    Authority Institute’s Maverick Foo named Vistage Malaysia’s Speaker of the Year

    Digital Niaga Empowers Local Businesses With Digital Access To Financial Solutions for Micro, Small Medium Enterprises’ (MSMEs)

    Bizsu: On A Mission To Cool Down The World And Save The Environment

    Management team of Web Bytes Sdn Bhd (from L-R) at the Launch of Xilnex Retail Tech Experience Center: Ng Tiong Kuan, COO; Lee Ming Kew, CFO; Ooi Boon Sheng, CEO; Eng Aik Kian,  CTO (far right); Tan Wei Kit, Business Development Director (2nd from right) with Lee Kah Hin Jerry, Chief Investment Officer of GD Express Bhd (4th from right) and Ken Phua, Deputy President of MRCA (3rd from right)

    Web Bytes Unveils Wonders Cafe As The Hub For Xilnex Retail Tech Experience Center

    • Startups
    • Entrepreneurs
    • SMEs
    • Leadership
    • Business Planning
    • Fintech
  • Property
    • All
    • Startups
    • Entrepreneurs
    • SMEs
    • Leadership
    • Business Planning
    From left Eizzar Supiar, AVP - Evaluation, Cradle_ Adlin Yusman, Co-Founder of BeMalas_ Suthenesh Sugumaran, Co-Founder of BeMalas_ and Joyce Wee, Former Executive Director of Etalage

    Cradle Circle: Bridging Visionary Startups and Investors in Second Series Event

    Gorgeous Geeks Marks 15 Years of Empowering Women in Technology

    MDDA Celebrates 30 Years of Industry Excellence

    DNA Mapping, A Revolutionary Medical Breakthrough

    Thomson Ushers In New Treatment for Spinal Muscular Atrophy

    Authority Institute’s Maverick Foo named Vistage Malaysia’s Speaker of the Year

    Digital Niaga Empowers Local Businesses With Digital Access To Financial Solutions for Micro, Small Medium Enterprises’ (MSMEs)

    Bizsu: On A Mission To Cool Down The World And Save The Environment

    Management team of Web Bytes Sdn Bhd (from L-R) at the Launch of Xilnex Retail Tech Experience Center: Ng Tiong Kuan, COO; Lee Ming Kew, CFO; Ooi Boon Sheng, CEO; Eng Aik Kian,  CTO (far right); Tan Wei Kit, Business Development Director (2nd from right) with Lee Kah Hin Jerry, Chief Investment Officer of GD Express Bhd (4th from right) and Ken Phua, Deputy President of MRCA (3rd from right)

    Web Bytes Unveils Wonders Cafe As The Hub For Xilnex Retail Tech Experience Center

    • First Time Home Buyers
    • Central
    • Northern
    • Southern
    • Sabah & Sarawak
    • Regional / Global
    • Feature
  • ESG
  • Lifestyle
  • News & Events
  • Bahasa Melayu
No Result
View All Result
Smart Investor Malaysia
No Result
View All Result
Advertise with Smart Investor Advertise with Smart Investor Advertise with Smart Investor
Home Enterprise

Oyen Pet Insurance: Not Just Another Insurtech

6 months ago
in Enterprise, Lifestyle
0
Kevin Hoong Michelle Chin Oyen
0
SHARES
4
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Subscribe to Smart Investor E-Magazine Subscribe to Smart Investor E-Magazine Subscribe to Smart Investor E-Magazine

If you were to ask a random person on the street if they own a pet and a personal insurance policy, there is a decent chance of the answer being yes. However, if you were to ask if they have pet insurance, the chance of an affirmative response is very likely to be low.

Although many Malaysians still do not have any form of insurance, the average family is still likely to be covered with a medical or life insurance policy. But when it comes to insurance for pets such as cats and dogs, that is a whole other matter.

Kevin Hoong Michelle Chin Oyen
Oyen co-founders (l-r): Kevin Hoong, Michelle Chin

This is where Oyen  comes into the market, with the company aiming to carve up a niche for themselves in the insurance sector. While the pandemic may have wreaked havoc on the economy, if it was not for this black swan event, the insurtech firm may never even have come to life.

Michelle Chin, the co-founder of Oyen, recalls seeing almost everyone in her social circle introducing a pet into their lives as a result of the pandemic.

“One of our friends adopted a second cat, and the cat was found to be suffering from liver disease and she spent a lot of money on treatments,” recalls Chin.

This resulted in the other co-founder of Oyen, Kevin Hoong, wondering why there was a lack of pet insurance as a product. With a family background in insurance spanning 40 years, he was certainly well-placed to gauge the feasibility of spearheading the growth of a niche vertical.

“We found out that there was one insurance company offering it in Malaysia – MSIG,” she remembers.

“We then indicated our interest to launch a unique product offering with a niche focus on pet health, and the rest was history!”

As for their friend’s cat, Chin shares that she has made a full recovery and is now insured with Oyen!

How it works

Claiming to be the “best pet insurance in Malaysia”, Oyen certainly works to live up to that tagline. It pays up to RM8,000 towards the cost of pet veterinary bills, which includes consultation, diagnosis, and treatment at the clinic and hospital.

The more premium coverage plans also covers third-party injury; that is when your pet causes damage to the property of others or even other pets! This will include any legal fees, compensation and related medical costs up to RM30,000 for cats and RM50,000 for dogs.

In addition, even the funeral expenses for your pet are covered under the premium coverage, which includes the burial plot and columbarium.

Oyen is also transparent about what its pet insurance plan does not cover, listing all of these restrictions on its landing page; this includes aids and prosthetics, congenital conditions and surgical implants to name just three.

Like many other insurtechs, it also strives to use simple language to convey the extent of coverage that your pet will receive. Such simplicity is at the heart of Oyen, which like all insurtechs, ultimately aims to simplify the process of purchasing insurance coverage, even for a segment like pets.

Market challenges

Running an insurtech company is never a walk in the park, let alone in such a niche like pet insurance, and with it comes a specific set of challenges.

According to Chin, the biggest obstacle that Oyen faces is the lack of insurance knowledge in Malaysia. This often results in the company having to deal with and educate customers that cannot make head or tail of the insurance or claims processes.

“We were surprised that 80% – 90% of those who enquire with us, have very limited knowledge of how insurance works,” she shares.

“For example, we have had a lot of people who ask if they can claim for a vet bill that happened yesterday. Or they may be at the vet right now and they would like us to reimburse the cost!”

She adds that customers also often ask about covering preventive and routine treatments, the responsibility of which lies with pet owners themselves.

“Once people understand how the industry works, it is rather straightforward for them to consider getting their pets insured,” says Chin.

Although the concept of pet insurance is still fairly new and relatively unknown to the wider public, it is not a new product in Malaysia, having been in the market since 2010. Chin says this is proof that insurance companies have already established that the market is big enough for them to introduce such a product.

“We determined that there is a fast-growing demand segment through a few avenues,” she explains, adding that the pet care market in Asia-Pacific is growing, and is projected to continue growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 10% until 2028.

“Pet humanisation has been rampant – people no longer treat their pets as pets, but as a family member, and even children.”

This means that the way that people care for their pets is more extensive than ever before, with many now receiving home-cooked diets or even food prescribed specifically by pet nutritionists. Such pets also receive better healthcare treatments in general which could include pet hydrotherapy, physiotherapy and acupuncture to name a few. Some even go to the extent of conducting DNA tests on their pets to ensure proper lineage!

“As the cost of pet healthcare increases, due to higher demand for better services and more advanced equipment, the need for pet insurance will increase as well,” predicts Chin.

As for their future expansion plans, Oyen aims to provide “a holistic ecosystem in pet healthcare”. This means that any growth will be within the confines of the pet healthcare system first and foremost, instead of branching out to other insurance verticals.

“If there are opportunities that arise from our pet healthcare focus, we will be happy to explore them.”

When asked about what the long-term game is for Oyen, Chin is very clear as to what her ultimate goal is.

“Becoming the pet healthcare super app in Asia Pacific!” she says unequivocally.

Industry thoughts

As part of the insurtech industry, Chin is certainly building something special in Oyen. However, she believes that there are still some industry blind spots that often get overlooked.

“There is too much focus on the sexy parts of technology and digitalisation, and not enough on building empathy and simplicity into the user experience,” she notes.

Her deft observation is that the space is awash with technological innovation, so that is not a weak point that needs to be addressed. However, many insurtechs end up chasing new breakthroughs and often ignore the human element that is required to quickly grow a loyal customer base. Rather than cutting-edge features, ease of use should be prioritised.

“We need to identify how these technologies or innovations help improve the experience for customers both from a registration and quote journey, as well as claims,” she adds.

With its customer-first approach, it will be of no surprise to anyone if Oyen continues on its current growth trajectory!

By Caleb Khew

A version of this story was published in Smart Investor March/April 2022; issue 372.

If you liked this article, do check out these other reads on Smart Investor:

  • The Smart Investor’s Guide to Insurance
  • Is Travel Insurance Worth Investing In?
  • Do You Need Critical Illness Insurance in Malaysia?
  • Weathering the Economic Storm: Why Malaysian Financial Institutions Must Leverage Technology and Focus on Customers

Previous Post

Budgeting Is So Yesterday: Here’s 3 Intelligent Approaches to Financial Management for Youths

Next Post

The Oil Market And Your Investment

Next Post

The Oil Market And Your Investment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

ESG Evolve 2023 ESG Evolve 2023 ESG Evolve 2023
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
From left Eizzar Supiar, AVP - Evaluation, Cradle_ Adlin Yusman, Co-Founder of BeMalas_ Suthenesh Sugumaran, Co-Founder of BeMalas_ and Joyce Wee, Former Executive Director of Etalage

Cradle and Bursa Malaysia Collaborate to Facilitate Listing of Local Startups in Bursa Malaysia

11/09/2023

Robo Advisor In Malaysia, 8 Robo Advisor Platforms To Choose From

17/08/2022
drawbacks unit trusts investment

5 Drawbacks Of Unit Trusts Investment That You Should Know Before Investing

19/09/2023
A calculator on financial chart, financial concept

Tax For The 6 Common Investments In Malaysia

19/09/2023

Digital Fundraising Platforms in Malaysia

Retirement Plans for the Self-Employed

SC Guidelines On Digital Assets

Retirement planning advise from the experts

Retirement Planning: Best Practices and Advice From Experts

Datuk Ir. Dr. Dennis Ganendra Achieves Coveted RAE International Fellowship for Exceptional Engineering Contributions

21/09/2023

Worldwide Holdings Berhad Leading the Green Revolution

21/09/2023

Malaysia’s dance with FAANG Giants

21/09/2023

ESG Evolution: COP27 to Carbon Stocks Insights

20/09/2023

Datuk Ir. Dr. Dennis Ganendra Achieves Coveted RAE International Fellowship for Exceptional Engineering Contributions

2 days ago

Worldwide Holdings Berhad Leading the Green Revolution

2 days ago

Malaysia’s dance with FAANG Giants

2 days ago

ESG Evolution: COP27 to Carbon Stocks Insights

2 days ago
Smart Investor Malaysia

© 2023 Smart Investor Malaysia | The contents on this website are for educational purposes only. You should always seek your own professional advice from the appropriate financial advisor or institution.

Category

  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Write For Us
  • Payment Policy
  • Shipping Policy
  • Cancellation and Refund Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us

Sign up to read our newsletter

  • Start Here
  • Investments
  • Personal Finance
  • Enterprise
  • Property
  • ESG
  • Lifestyle
  • News & Events
  • Bahasa Melayu

© 2023 Smart Investor Malaysia | The contents on this website are for educational purposes only. You should always seek your own professional advice from the appropriate financial advisor or institution.

No Result
View All Result
  • Start Here
    • Guides
    • How-Tos
    • Analysis
  • Investments
    • Asset Management
    • Stocks
    • Islamic Finance
    • Alternatives Investments
  • Personal Finance
    • Cash Management
    • Grow Your Wealth
    • Protect Your Wealth
    • Distribute Your Wealth
    • Behavioural Finance
  • Enterprise
    • Startups
    • Entrepreneurs
    • SMEs
    • Leadership
    • Business Planning
    • Fintech
  • Property
    • First Time Home Buyers
    • Central
    • Northern
    • Southern
    • Sabah & Sarawak
    • Regional / Global
    • Feature
  • ESG
  • Lifestyle
  • News & Events
  • Bahasa Melayu

© 2023 Smart Investor Malaysia | The contents on this website are for educational purposes only. You should always seek your own professional advice from the appropriate financial advisor or institution.