Sonomad
Sonomad is a direct-to-consumer travel insurance distributor operating in Canada and the US, selling underwritten plans (medical, trip cancellation, segment-specific products) via its website, phone sales, and the HelloSafe comparison platform, targeting snowbirds, seniors, families, leisure travelers, digital nomads, and visitors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersBrossard, Canada
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Sonomad does
Sonomad is a privately held, direct-to-consumer travel insurance distributor founded in 2019 and headquartered in Brossard/Québec, Canada, with a US operating entity in Boca Raton, Florida. The company markets and sells travel protection plans across Canada and the United States, including a core Enhanced Plan (emergency medical, trip cancellation, and trip interruption), as well as segment-specific products for snowbirds, seniors, families, leisure travelers, cruise travelers, digital nomads, visitors to Canada, super visa applicants, and working holiday visa holders. Insurance coverages are underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company in the US and by Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection in Canada, while non-insurance travel assistance services are provided by Nomad Assistance; soNomad adds these non-insurance components to each plan and does not bear underwriting risk itself.
The company's technology platform is a web-based, self-serve quoting system advertised to generate quotes in under three minutes and deliver policy documents instantly, supported by a proprietary medical-declaration tool designed to simplify pre-existing condition underwriting. Distribution is multi-channel: direct website sales in English and French Canadian and US versions, inside phone-sales teams with dedicated Canadian and US phone lines, and a partnership with HelloSafe, a Canadian financial comparison platform, for customer acquisition. The company also invests in content marketing via its blog 'The Nomad' and earned-media coverage in major Canadian outlets (National Post, Toronto Sun, Daily Hive, Narcity, Les Affaires, TVA Sports) targeting snowbird, leisure, and digital-nomad audiences.
Sonomad's business model is a minimum-fee-per-transaction structure contrasted with traditional broker commissions of up to 45%, marketed as delivering up to 25% customer savings. The firm operates with a lean 1-10 employee base, no disclosed external funding, and dual legal entities (soNomad, ulc in Québec and soNomad, Inc. in Florida), positioning it as an asset-light distribution intermediary rather than a risk-bearing insurer. Co-founders Eve and Mathieu lead the company, supported by a small digital marketing function.
Sonomad firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sonomad
- Legal name
- soNomad
- Website
- https://sonomad.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Sonomad is a direct-to-consumer travel insurance distributor operating in Canada and the US, selling underwritten plans (medical, trip cancellation, segment-specific products) via its website, phone sales, and the HelloSafe comparison platform, targeting snowbirds, seniors, families, leisure travelers, digital nomads, and visitors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sonomad industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Travel Insurance
- NAICS
- Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210), Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5242)
- SIC
- Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411), Accident & Health Insurance (6321)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Travel & Accident (Non-Life) Insurance (FSAJAMAN)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Baggage & Personal Effects Insurance (FSAJAJAE)
Keywords
Where Sonomad is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brossard
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Sonomad business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations
Revenue model
- Travel Insurance Sales: soNomad generates revenue by charging a minimum fee per transaction for travel insurance policies, contrasting with traditional brokers who take commissions up to 45%. The company combines insurance coverage (underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company) with non-insurance travel assistance services (Nomad Assistance).
- Insurance and Non-insurance Components: The cost of each plan consists of both insurance (underwritten by US Fire Insurance Company) and non-insurance components (Nomad Assistance). soNomad takes a minimum fee per transaction versus traditional brokers taking high commissions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Travel insurance plans with comprehensive coverage |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Sonomad product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sonomad sells travel insurance policies directly to consumers through its website and phone channels, with the flagship Enhanced Plan combining emergency medical, trip cancellation, and trip interruption coverage. Plans bundle insurance coverages (underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company and, in Canada, Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection) with non-insurance travel assistance services (Nomad Assistance) including 24/7 emergency support. The company claims to save customers up to 25% versus traditional brokers that take commissions up to 45%, using a minimum-fee-per-transaction model.
Product overview
Sonomad is a travel insurance company operating in Canada and the United States, offering a digital-first platform for purchasing travel protection. The core product is the Enhanced Plan, a comprehensive travel insurance offering that includes emergency medical coverage, trip cancellation, and trip interruption protection. The company targets multiple segments including Canadians traveling abroad, visitors to Canada, snowbirds, digital nomads, families, and working holiday visa holders. Sonomad differentiates itself through a low-cost, transparent pricing model, claiming to save customers up to 25% compared to traditional brokers who take high commissions. The product portfolio includes medical insurance, trip cancellation and interruption coverage, visitors to Canada insurance, super visa insurance, and working holiday visa insurance. The company emphasizes simplicity in the purchasing process, with claims of completing a purchase in under 3 minutes.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Enhanced Plan
Quantifiable outcome
- Customers save up to 25% on travel insurance compared to traditional brokers
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Sonomad
Customer profileSegments7 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Sonomad technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Sonomad partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- LeucanminorsoNomad partnered with Leucan Association for the Leucan Expedition in Morocco. The partnership involved soNomad employees participating in the 12-day adventure expedition, with the company supporting the charitable cause. The collective fundraising goal was $150,000 for Leucan.
- HelloSafecoresoNomad partnered with HelloSafe, a financial comparison platform, to expand distribution and customer acquisition in Canada. The partnership was announced in February 2023 and covered HelloSafe's platform for comparing travel insurance products.
- Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection (BHTP)coreBHTP underwrites soNomad's travel medical insurance plans in Canada. This is a core insurance partnership where Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection provides the underwriting for soNomad's Canadian travel medical products.
- 4oceanminorsoNomad partners with 4ocean, an international organization dedicated to preserving oceans by removing harmful plastic waste and trash. Through this partnership, soNomad is directly supporting 4ocean's mission to remove 10,000 tons of plastic and waste from oceans. As a travel insurance company connected to exploration, soNomad supports environmental causes.
- United States Fire Insurance CompanycoreTravel insurance coverages are underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company, located in Morristown, New Jersey, under form series T7000 et al, T210 et al and TP-401 et al. soNomad markets the travel insurance on behalf of USF.
- Nomad AssistancecoreNon-insurance travel assistance services are provided by Nomad Assistance as part of soNomad's comprehensive travel protection plans. The company adds these non-insurance components to the plans.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Sonomad competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- World Nomads: Digital-first travel insurance brand selling directly to leisure, adventure and backpacker travelers via a website quote-and-bind flow. Closely comparable to soNomad in distribution model, target customer and product structure.
- SafetyWing: DTC travel and global health insurer built around digital nomads and remote workers. Directly comparable to soNomad on the digital nomad segment, online-only purchase flow and global coverage positioning.
- VisitorsCoverage: Online comparison and direct purchase platform for visitors, immigrant and travel medical insurance in the US and Canada. Closely comparable to soNomad's Visitors to Canada, Super Visa and Working Holiday Visa products.
- Ingle International: Canadian travel and international student insurance intermediary. Comparable as a Canada-based travel insurance agency targeting similar segments (snowbirds, students, visitors) via a digital broker model.
- TuGo: Canadian travel insurance provider offering single-trip, multi-trip and visitors-to-Canada plans online. Competes head-to-head with soNomad in the Canadian retail travel insurance market.
Broad incumbents
- Allianz Travel: Global incumbent carrier with a full travel insurance product suite sold direct and through partners. Competes with soNomad across most of its product lines but as part of a much broader insurance portfolio.
- AIG Travel Guard: Major incumbent US/global travel insurance brand with direct and agency distribution. Overlaps with soNomad on trip cancellation, medical and multi-trip products but at significantly larger scale.
- Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection: Travel insurance carrier that already underwrites soNomad's Canadian travel medical products and also sells direct to consumers. Highly relevant because it is simultaneously a partner and a direct competitor in travel insurance.
- Manulife Travel Insurance: Large Canadian life and health insurer with a dedicated travel insurance line, including visitors-to-Canada and Super Visa products. Directly comparable to soNomad's Canadian travel and visa-specific offerings.
Emerging players
- HeyMondo: Digital-first travel insurance startup offering single-trip, multi-trip and long-stay plans online. Comparable on DTC digital UX and segment focus (frequent travelers, digital nomads) though operating primarily in Europe and Latin America.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sonomad social profiles
Digital presenceSonomad financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sonomad leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Sonomad funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sonomad 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 Sonomad
What does Sonomad do?
Sonomad sells travel insurance policies directly to consumers through its website and phone channels, with the flagship Enhanced Plan combining emergency medical, trip cancellation, and trip interruption coverage. Plans bundle insurance coverages (underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company and, in Canada, Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection) with non-insurance travel assistance services (Nomad Assistance) including 24/7 emergency support. The company claims to save customers up to 25% versus traditional brokers that take commissions up to 45%, using a minimum-fee-per-transaction model.
Is Sonomad a public or private company?
Sonomad is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Sonomad founded?
Sonomad was founded in 2019. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Sonomad based?
Sonomad is headquartered in Brossard, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Sonomad make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Travel Insurance Sales are the primary driver. The others are insurance and Non-insurance Components.
Who are Sonomad's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are World Nomads, SafetyWing, VisitorsCoverage, Ingle International and TuGo. Broad incumbents are Allianz Travel, AIG Travel Guard, Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection and Manulife Travel Insurance. HeyMondo is listed as an emerging player.
Does Sonomad have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sonomad.
What industry is Sonomad in?
Sonomad's product category is Travel Insurance. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAJAMAN, Travel & Accident (Non-Life) Insurance, with a secondary code of FSAJAJAE, Baggage & Personal Effects Insurance. Its NAICS code is 524210 and its SIC code is 6411.