Columbus Insurance

What Columbus Insurance does

Columbus Assicurazioni is an Italian-focused, direct-to-consumer travel insurance intermediary, commercially branded 'Columbus' and legally operated through Malta-registered Collinson Insurance Solutions Europe Ltd, a subsidiary of the UK-based Collinson Group. Founded in 1988 and headquartered operationally in Milan with claims handled from Haywards Heath (UK), the company sells four core policies — Polizza A (medical assistance), AB (medical + baggage), ABC (full coverage including trip cancellation up to €2,000), and AN (annual multi-trip) — directly to Italian residents through its website and an Italian toll-free line. Since 1988 it has cumulatively insured over 10 million travelers to destinations in Italy, Europe and worldwide.

The technology stack is a standard insurance distribution platform: a web-based quote-and-purchase system, policy administration, claims-processing workflow, and a 24/7 multilingual medical-assistance back office. Beyond the four core policies, Columbus offers optional extensions (Zero Franchigia, Sport, Sci e Snowboard, and a Smartphone/Tablet/Fotocamera device add-on) and a Web Doctor telemedicine consultation service for in-travel medical queries. Distribution is exclusively direct-to-consumer — no brokers or aggregators — supported by a content-marketing blog with 300+ destinations and 2,000+ travel guides plus organic social channels (YouTube, Instagram, Facebook).

The business model is straightforward insurance intermediation: one-time premium payments for single-trip policies starting at €9, variable-priced by destination zone (Italy, Europe, Worldwide with/without USA/Canada/Caribbean/Mexico), trip duration, traveler count and age, plus an annual subscription-style fee for Polizza AN. Columbus is dual-regulated by the Malta Financial Services Authority (as an insurance agent under Cap. 487, registration C89980) and Italy's IVASS (RUI matricola UE00010811 free services / UE00012621 free establishment). With 51-100 employees in Italy and revenue not publicly disclosed, Columbus occupies a focused mid-market niche selling branded, Italian-language travel protection without intermediation.

Name

Columbus Insurance

Legal name

Collinson Insurance Solutions Europe Ltd

Website

https://columbusassicurazioni.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Columbus Assicurazioni is an Italian-focused, direct-to-consumer travel insurance intermediary selling four core policies (medical, baggage, cancellation, annual multi-trip) directly to Italian residents through its website and phone sales, operating under Malta FSA and IVASS regulation as part of UK-based Collinson Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Travel Insurance

NAICS

Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Medical Travel Insurance (Emergency Medical, Evacuation & Repatriation) (FSAJAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Baggage & Personal Effects Insurance (FSAJAJAE), Adventure Sports & High-Risk Activity Travel/Accident Insurance (FSAJAJAL), International/Expatriate Individual Health Insurance (FSAIAEAH)

Keywords

• Travel insurance
• Medical assistance abroad
• Trip cancellation coverage
• Baggage protection
• Annual multi-trip policy

Headquarters

HQ city

Agrate Brianza

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Travel Insurance Premiums: One-time premium payments for single-trip or annual multi-trip travel insurance policies. Customers purchase coverage before trips with pricing based on destination, duration, number of travelers, and age. Premiums starting from €9 for basic coverage.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Columbus Assicurazioni sells direct-to-consumer travel insurance policies to Italian residents through its website and phone lines. Its core offering comprises four tiered policies covering medical assistance abroad, baggage protection, trip cancellation, and annual multi-trip coverage, supplemented by optional extensions for sports, winter sports, electronics, and zero-deductible coverage.

Product overview

Columbus Assicurazioni is a direct-to-consumer travel insurance provider specializing in four core insurance policies (Polizza A, AB, ABC, and AN) that can be purchased individually or combined. The core offerings are: Polizza A (medical assistance only), Polizza AB (medical + baggage), Polizza ABC (full coverage including cancellation), and Polizza AN (annual multi-trip). These base policies are complemented by four optional extensions: Zero Franchigia (zero deductible), Estensione Sport (sports activities), Estensione Sci e Snowboard (winter sports), and Estensione Smartphone/Tablet/Fotocamera (electronic devices). The company also provides ancillary services including a Web Doctor telemedicine feature and a travel blog with destination guides. All policies are sold directly to consumers without intermediaries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Polizza A - Medical Assistance Travel Insurance Basic travel insurance covering unlimited medical expenses abroad, 24/7 medical assistance, medical repatriation, and emergency medical transport for Italian travelers, with Italian-speaking operators.
• Polizza AB - Medical and Baggage Travel Insurance Combined policy covering medical assistance plus baggage protection against theft, damage, loss, and delayed delivery up to €1,500-€2,000 per person, including unlimited medical expenses.
• Polizza ABC - Trip Cancellation Travel Insurance Full-coverage travel insurance adding trip cancellation and interruption protection up to €2,000 per person, covering unforeseen events such as illness, injury, Covid-19, bereavement, pregnancy complications, road accidents, work emergencies, dismissal, home damage, and jury or witness duty summons.
• Polizza AN - Annual Multi-Trip Travel Insurance Annual travel insurance policy covering unlimited trips over one year with each trip covered for a maximum of 31 days, including unlimited medical expenses, baggage coverage, and cancellation coverage. Targeted at frequent travelers taking at least two trips per year.
• Zero Deductible Option Optional add-on extension that eliminates any deductible costs the policyholder would normally be responsible for, applicable to base travel insurance policies.
• Sports Extension Extension that increases sports activity coverage duration from 3 to 7 days for travelers engaging in sporting activities during their trip.
• Ski and Snowboard Extension Winter sports extension covering ski pass refunds, equipment rental reimbursement, ski lessons, and related expenses for travelers engaging in ski or snowboard activities.
• Smartphone, Tablet and Camera Extension Extension providing reimbursement coverage for theft or damage to portable electronic devices including smartphones, tablets, and cameras during travel.
• Web Doctor Telemedicine Service 24/7 medical consultation service available to policyholders during travel, enabling remote doctor consultations for non-emergency health concerns.

Quantifiable outcome

• Unlimited medical expense coverage for international travel
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Collinson GroupcoreOthersParent company providing global backing, regulatory oversight, and shared services. Columbus Assicurazioni is the commercial brand of Collinson Insurance Solutions Europe Ltd, part of the Collinson Group of Companies. Collinson operates four business lines: Airport & Travel Enhancement, Loyalty & Customer Engagement, Valuedynamx, and Insurance & Protection.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• SafetyWing: Digital-native travel and nomad insurance provider selling monthly subscriptions online, with overlap in the international medical-coverage niche. Smaller and earlier-stage, but competes for the same freelance and frequent-traveler segment.

Broad incumbents

• Generali: Italy's largest domestic insurer with a broad portfolio including travel cover. Overlaps with Columbus in Italian travel-insurance demand but operates across life, P&C, and asset management, making it a wider incumbent rather than a direct competitor.
• AXA Travel Insurance: Travel assistance and insurance arm of global insurer AXA, providing medical, cancellation, and baggage coverage across European markets. A broad incumbent with overlapping capability rather than a pure-play D2C travel brand.
• Zurich Insurance: Global multi-line insurer with a European travel-insurance offering. Overlaps with Columbus on travel risk protection in European markets but serves this as one product line within a much broader insurance portfolio.

Direct peers

• HeyMondo: Online-first European travel insurance brand offering medical, cancellation, and electronic-device coverage with a direct-to-consumer funnel. Closely comparable modular product design and digital GTM across multiple European countries.
• AIG Travel: Specialty travel insurance provider offering multi-tier single-trip and annual policies with strong medical coverage focus, comparable to Columbus's Polizza A/AB/ABC structure across international markets.
• World Nomads: Specialty direct-to-consumer travel insurance provider serving adventure and independent travelers with online quote-and-purchase flows. Closely mirrors Columbus's modular product tiers and digital-first GTM in its respective markets.
• IMGlobal (IMG): Specialty international travel and medical insurance provider with single-trip and annual products sold online to travelers worldwide. Comparable product mix focused heavily on medical coverage abroad, similar to Columbus's Polizza A core.
• Allianz Travel: Global travel insurance leader offering single-trip and annual multi-trip policies with medical, baggage, and cancellation coverage sold primarily direct-to-consumer across Europe, including Italy. Closest comparable in product mix, distribution model, and customer target.
• Coverwise: UK online travel insurance broker selling tiered single-trip and annual policies direct via website. Comparable D2C-only model and product structure to Columbus, though serving a different geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ColumbusDirectItalia/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/columbusassicurazioni
• Instagraminstagram.com/columbusassicurazioni
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/columbus-assicurazioni

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Columbus Insurance