What LifeDirect does

LifeDirect is a Wellington-headquartered, New Zealand-focused digital insurance comparison and brokerage platform incorporated as LifeDirect 2020 Ltd, operating under the lifedirect.co.nz domain. The platform enables individual consumers and households to quote, compare, and apply online across nine insurance categories — life, health, income protection, trauma, mortgage, house & contents, car, and pet insurance — alongside KiwiSaver schemes and a newly launched mortgages vertical. Underlying technical capability centres on a consumer-facing quote-and-compare web platform, a self-service customer portal (MyLifeDirect) for policy management and claims, and a 'Digital Advice Tool' that delivers recommendations against stated financial goals. The platform is supported by a Wellington-based advisory team reachable via phone, live chat, and contact form.

The business model is commission-based: insurers including AIA, Chubb Life, Asteron Life, Partners Life, Fidelity Life, nib, Greenwich Life Insurance, Accuro, and Southern Cross pay LifeDirect when policies are sold through the platform, while the service is free to consumers with no impact on policy price. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through owned digital properties (website and MyLifeDirect portal) backed by SEO-oriented content marketing, a Moneyhub content relationship, and a high-visibility NZ Cricket sponsorship. Brand position is reinforced by 20 years of operating history, Moneyhub 2025 awards in both Health and Life Insurance categories, and an 'Excellent' Trustpilot rating.

Operationally the company is small (11-50 employees, founder/management-led private ownership with no disclosed institutional or VC backing), focused exclusively on the New Zealand market, and reports cumulative outcomes of more than 2,200 successful claims and over $51 million paid out to customers across 2020-2025 — figures that describe policy volume transacted through the platform rather than LifeDirect's own revenue.

Name

LifeDirect

Legal name

LifeDirect 2020 Ltd

Website

https://lifedirect.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

LifeDirect is a New Zealand digital insurance comparison and brokerage platform that lets consumers quote, compare, and purchase life, health, income protection, trauma, mortgage, house & contents, car, and pet insurance plus KiwiSaver and mortgages from nine-plus leading NZ insurers, earning commission-based revenue while offering the service free to consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Wellington

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. Insurance Commission: LifeDirect earns revenue by receiving commissions from insurance providers when customers purchase policies through their platform. The service is free for customers and does not affect the cost of their insurance policy.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

LifeDirect operates a free online insurance comparison and brokerage platform serving New Zealand consumers, enabling them to quote, compare, and apply for life, health, income protection, trauma, mortgage, house & contents, car, and pet insurance, KiwiSaver schemes, and mortgages from multiple leading NZ insurers in one place. The service is free to customers, with revenue generated through commissions from partnered insurers, and is supported by a Wellington-based advisory team and the MyLifeDirect self-service portal.

Product overview

LifeDirect is New Zealand's #1 life and health insurance comparison website, offering a digital platform where customers can compare, quote, and purchase insurance products from multiple leading insurers. The core offering consists of insurance comparison and direct purchase across life insurance, health insurance, income protection, trauma insurance, mortgage insurance, house & contents insurance, car insurance, pet insurance, and KiwiSaver schemes, plus mortgage advisory services. The proprietary MyLifeDirect customer portal enables policy management and claims processing, while a digital advice tool supports DIY insurance selection. The Wellington-based advisory team provides additional support via phone and online channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Life Insurance A lump-sum payment paid to beneficiaries upon the policyholder's death or diagnosis with a terminal illness, designed to protect families financially. Offered through multiple leading NZ insurers and compared via the LifeDirect platform.
• Health Insurance Provides faster access to private healthcare, allowing policyholders to skip public waiting lists and receive treatment more quickly. Compared across multiple leading NZ health insurers via the LifeDirect platform.
• Income Protection Replaces up to 75% of the policyholder's income if they are unable to work due to illness or injury. Compared across partner insurers and offered via the LifeDirect platform.
• Trauma Insurance Provides a lump-sum payment upon diagnosis of a critical illness or injury, offering financial support during recovery. Compared across partner insurers via LifeDirect.
• Mortgage Insurance Protects mortgage payments in the event the policyholder is unable to work due to illness, injury, or disability. Compared across partner insurers via LifeDirect.
• House & Contents Insurance Covers buildings and contents against loss or damage, protecting homeowners from financial loss due to unforeseen events. Compared via the LifeDirect platform.
• Car Insurance

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $51 million paid out to customers across more than 2,200 successful claims (2020-2025)

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• New Zealand CricketcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLifeDirect is a proud Major Sponsor of both the BLACKCAPS and the WHITE FERNS alongside being a committed partner of the Junior game. This sponsorship provides brand visibility and community connection in New Zealand.
• AIAcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAIA Group is the largest life insurance company in the world with presence across Asia Pacific. AIA New Zealand has been providing insurance to New Zealanders since 1981. Offers income protection and other insurance products through LifeDirect.
• Chubb LifecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChubb Life provides flexible personal and business insurance solutions. They have an A (Excellent) financial strength rating from A.M. Best Company Inc. Offers life cover, income protection, trauma and medical insurance through LifeDirect.
• Asteron LifecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPart of the Suncorp group of companies with approximately 8.7 million customers. Offers life insurance, income protection, trauma, cancer, and other insurance products through LifeDirect.
• Partners LifecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEstablished in August 2010, Partners Life is a leading innovative New Zealand operated Life Insurance company offering a full range of life and health products including life insurance, income protection, medical insurance, disability insurance, trauma cover and business risk protection.
• Fidelity LifecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe largest New Zealand owned and operated life insurer since 1973. Has paid out over $1.1 billion in claims and holds an A- (Excellent) financial strength rating from AM Best. Named NZ Life Insurance Company of the Year 2017, 2018, 2019.
• nibcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNew Zealand's second largest health insurer with over one million people covered in NZ and Australia. Previously a health-only provider, they entered the life insurance space in 2023. Has an A- (Strong) Financial Strength Rating from S&P.
• Greenwich Life InsurancecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorA business brand of DPL Insurance Limited, part of Turners Automotive Group (NZX listed). Provides life and non-life consumer insurance products with over 30 years of experience.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Moneyhub: New Zealand-based financial product comparison and analytics platform covering insurance, banking, and KiwiSaver. Most direct in-market comparable to LifeDirect, and is even featured as a partner/affiliate relationship on the LifeDirect site.
• Finder: Global comparison platform with dedicated New Zealand operations across insurance, banking, and broadband. Operates an affiliate/commission model on a content-and-comparison site very similar to LifeDirect's.
• Canstar: Australia- and New Zealand-headquartered financial product comparison and ratings business with deep presence across life, health, and general insurance. Directly comparable business model and product scope in the NZ market.
• iSelect: Australia-founded insurance and financial services comparison platform that has expanded into New Zealand. Closest cross-Tasman peer in operating model (commission-based aggregator) and product set.
• Confused.com: UK-based insurance and financial services comparator operating on the same commission-based aggregator model. Comparable in core product scope (motor, life, health, home) and digital-led customer funnel.
• GoCompare: UK-based insurance comparison platform focused on price comparison across motor, home, and life insurance. Closely comparable operating model and customer-acquisition approach to LifeDirect.

Broad incumbents

• MoneySupermarket: UK-listed insurance and financial product comparator with a much broader category footprint (utilities, broadband, insurance). Useful as a scaled-up reference point for the comparison/aggregator business model LifeDirect runs.
• Compare the Market: Well-known global comparison brand (BGL Group) with insurance aggregation operations spanning the UK, Australia, and NZ. Comparable as a large-scale incumbent in the same product category.

Regional players

• Kanetix: Canadian insurance and financial services comparison platform. Operates the same affiliate/commission-driven aggregator model in a similarly mature, single-country market — useful analogue for LifeDirect's NZ-only footprint.

Emerging players

• WeMoney: Australia-based financial wellness and product comparison app targeting younger consumers across credit cards, loans, and insurance. Comparable digital-first comparison approach; emerging player that may cross into the NZ market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lifedirectnow
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lifedirect

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LifeDirect