Emma
Emma is a Canadian online life insurance brokerage platform, founded in 2017 and based in Quebec, that aggregates quotes from over 10 Canadian insurers and enables individual consumers to purchase term, whole, universal, mortgage, and participating life insurance entirely online through a self-serve digital application with optional advisor support.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersMontréal, Canada
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Emma does
Emma Services Financiers inc. (operating as "Emma") is a Canadian online life insurance brokerage founded in 2017 and headquartered in Quebec City (with Montreal-area presence), registered with Quebec's Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF certificate no. 603236). The company operates a direct-to-consumer digital platform (app.emma.ca) that aggregates and compares life insurance quotes from over 10 Canadian carriers — including Manulife, Empire Life, Canada Life, iA Financial Group, Humania, UV Insurance, Desjardins, and Canada Protection Plan — and guides customers through a three-step online application: an eligibility quiz based on health and lifestyle questions, a coverage-needs calculator, and a digital application that can be completed without leaving home. Emma's product portfolio spans five policy types: term life, whole life, universal life, mortgage life, and participating life insurance, with billing cadences varying from monthly to annual.
The company's revenue model is commission-based brokerage: Emma earns commissions from partnered insurance carriers on policies sold, and explicitly states that prices are identical whether a customer buys through Emma, another broker, or directly from the insurer — i.e., it does not charge customers a markup. The platform supports a hybrid go-to-market combining self-serve digital application with optional escalation to in-house financial security advisors via phone or scheduled meetings. An advisor-facing product, Emma Pro, extends the platform's distribution to independent financial advisors, opening a B2B2C channel. The company reports 10,000+ cumulative customers and 1,524+ customer reviews on the platform.
Founders Félix Deschatelets (CEO) and Jacomo Deschatelets (CMO) lead a team of 1–10 employees. Emma has raised approximately CAD $6.8M cumulatively across disclosed rounds (notably a CAD $4.77M round in April 2022 led by Investissement Quebec, Luge Capital, and Tactico, plus an SVB facility in November 2022 and earlier seed capital from Humania Assurance). Marketing strategy emphasizes content/SEO (including lifestyle-adjacent content such as horoscopes and baby names) and earned media coverage in Canadian business and insurance publications, supplemented by a Quebec-focused partnership with OD Mexique. Emma operates exclusively in Canada.
Emma firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Emma
- Legal name
- Emma Services Financiers inc.
- Website
- https://emma.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Emma is a Canadian online life insurance brokerage platform, founded in 2017 and based in Quebec, that aggregates quotes from over 10 Canadian insurers and enables individual consumers to purchase term, whole, universal, mortgage, and participating life insurance entirely online through a self-serve digital application with optional advisor support.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Emma industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Life Insurance Brokerage
- NAICS
- Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5242), Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210)
- SIC
- Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Retail (Personal Lines) Insurance Brokerage (FSAEADAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Whole Life Insurance (FSAIABAA), Universal Life (UL) Insurance (FSAIABAB), Level Term Life Insurance (FSAIAAAA)
Keywords
Where Emma is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Montréal
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Emma business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Insurance Brokerage Commissions: Emma acts as an insurance broker earning commissions from insurance providers when policies are sold through their platform. The company explicitly states they do not charge customers more for using their service - the price is identical to buying directly from the insurer or through another broker. Revenue comes from commissions paid by partnered insurance companies.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Term Life Insurance - Fixed term, typically 10-30 years, no cash value, relatively low premiums that increase as policyholder ages |
| Subscription | Annual | Whole Life Insurance - Lifetime coverage, cash value builds over time, higher fixed premiums |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Universal Life Insurance - Adjustable coverage length, cash value tied to investment performance, variable premiums |
| Subscription | Monthly | Mortgage Life Insurance - Coverage length matches mortgage (15-30 years), no cash value, premiums typically included in mortgage payments |
| Subscription | Annual | Participating Life Insurance - Lifetime coverage, cash value builds, premiums vary based on insurer performance, potential for dividends |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Emma product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Emma is an online life insurance brokerage that aggregates quotes from more than 10 Canadian insurers (Manulife, Empire Life, Canada Life, iA Financial Group, Desjardins, Humania, UV Insurance, Canada Protection Plan, iA Excellence) and lets individual customers compare, apply for, and activate Term, Whole, Universal, Mortgage, and Participating Life Insurance policies entirely through a digital self-serve platform, with optional in-house advisor consultation. Customers pay no additional fee over the insurer's direct price; Emma earns commissions from insurer partners.
Product overview
Emma is a Canadian online life insurance brokerage operating under Emma Services Financiers inc. (AMF Certificate no. 603236), headquartered in Quebec. The core product is an online life insurance comparison and purchase platform that aggregates quotes from over 10 Canadian insurance providers (including Manulife, Empire Life, Canada Life, iA Financial Group, Desjardins, and others). The platform offers five primary life insurance product types: Term Life Insurance (fixed-term, no cash value), Whole Life Insurance (permanent, cash-value-building), Universal Life Insurance (adjustable premiums and coverage with investment-linked cash value), Mortgage Life Insurance (coverage matching mortgage term), and Participating Life Insurance (permanent with dividend potential). These products are accessed through a 3-step online process: (1) eligibility quiz with health/lifestyle questions, (2) free quote and coverage needs calculator, and (3) online application with advisor support. The Emma platform includes access to in-house financial security advisors and an advisor-facing platform called Emma Pro. Additional site sections include educational tools such as a mortgage renewal calculator, blog content, and various lifestyle content categories (astrology, baby names, horoscopes), though these are secondary to the core insurance brokerage business.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- $2,000,000 coverage available for less than $1.38/day for qualifying applicants
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Emma
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Emma technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Emma partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- OD MexiqueminorEmma is a proud partner of OD Mexique (a Quebec reality TV dating show). This marketing partnership positions Emma branding within the show's audience in Quebec, building brand awareness among French-speaking Canadian viewers.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Emma competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Ratehub.ca: Canadian comparison platform that aggregates rates across insurance and financial products. Comparable in its multi-carrier comparison model and digital self-serve funnel for insurance shoppers.
- Ladder Financial: US digital life insurance provider offering fully online term life with adjustable coverage. Comparable as a digital-first life insurance broker using technology to simplify the purchase journey.
- PolicyAdvisor: Canadian online insurance brokerage that compares life, health, home, and auto policies from multiple Canadian insurers. Closely comparable online comparison and brokerage model, with similar multi-carrier aggregation approach.
- Kanetix Ltd. Long-standing Canadian online insurance comparison platform offering quotes from multiple insurers across auto, home, and life. Comparable as a Canadian digital insurance-comparison broker serving the same D2C market.
- Haven Life: US-based digital life insurance agency offering fully online term life applications backed by MassMutual. Comparable online-only life-insurance brokerage and application experience, though operating in the US market.
- PolicyMe: Canadian online life insurance broker offering term life, whole life, and disability insurance through a fully digital application experience. Direct competitor to Emma in the Canadian D2C life-insurance comparison and purchase space.
- LowestRates.ca: Canadian online rate-comparison marketplace for insurance, mortgages, and credit cards. Comparable to Emma's comparison-led, multi-carrier acquisition model and digital-first Canadian consumer base.
Broad incumbents
- SelectQuote: US insurance distributor comparing term life, final expense, and other policies across multiple carriers. Comparable in its multi-carrier online comparison distribution model, though much larger and US-focused.
- Wealthsimple: Canadian financial platform offering investing, savings, and term life insurance. Comparable as a large Canadian fintech expanding into online life insurance with broader financial-services brand power.
Regional players
- Sonnet Insurance: Canadian digital-first insurance provider from Aviva Canada offering home and auto online. Comparable as a Canadian insurtech challenger pursuing online D2C distribution, though focused on P&C rather than life.
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Emma social profiles
Digital presenceEmma financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Emma leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Emma funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors7 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Emma M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Emma
What does Emma do?
Emma is an online life insurance brokerage that aggregates quotes from more than 10 Canadian insurers (Manulife, Empire Life, Canada Life, iA Financial Group, Desjardins, Humania, UV Insurance, Canada Protection Plan, iA Excellence) and lets individual customers compare, apply for, and activate Term, Whole, Universal, Mortgage, and Participating Life Insurance policies entirely through a digital self-serve platform, with optional in-house advisor consultation. Customers pay no additional fee over the insurer's direct price; Emma earns commissions from insurer partners.
Is Emma a public or private company?
Emma is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Emma founded?
Emma was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Emma based?
Emma is headquartered in Montréal, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Emma make money?
One revenue line is on record: insurance Brokerage Commissions.
Who are Emma's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Ratehub.ca, Ladder Financial, PolicyAdvisor, Kanetix Ltd., Haven Life, PolicyMe and LowestRates.ca. Broad incumbents are SelectQuote and Wealthsimple. Sonnet Insurance is listed as a regional player.
Does Emma have an API?
No public API is recorded for Emma.
What industry is Emma in?
Emma's product category is Online Life Insurance Brokerage. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEADAA, Retail (Personal Lines) Insurance Brokerage, with a secondary code of FSAIABAA, Whole Life Insurance. Its NAICS code is 5242 and its SIC code is 6411.