What Crop Risk Underwriting does

Crop Risk Underwriting Pty Ltd (CRU) is a specialist Australian crop insurance underwriting agency headquartered in North Sydney, New South Wales. Founded in 2019 and operating under the regulatory umbrella of 360 Underwriting Solutions Pty Ltd (AFSL 319181) as Authorised Representative No. 001274350, CRU underwrites three core insurance products — Broadacre Insurance, Cotton Insurance, and Perennial Tree and Vine Insurance — covering Australian farmers against hail, fire, adverse weather, spray drift, and straying livestock. Its primary customer segment is Australian broadacre, cotton, and perennial crop growers, served exclusively through a national broker partner network spanning Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, and Western Australia, including major brokers such as Aon, Gallagher, Nutrien, and MGA.

CRU's product technology centers on digital agriculture and remote sensing. The Remote Sensed Fire Product uses satellite imagery to measure fire light emittance and pre/post-burn vegetation reflectance, enabling rapid, transparent loss settlement on forestry and perennial tree and vine plantations without requiring on-site loss adjuster visits. The CiRUS digital platform supports policy management and farm mapping, and the Precision Broadacre Policy (launched in 2023) enables KML/KMZ data transfer from agronomic management platforms — Agworld, Opterra, and JD Ops — directly into CRU's underwriting system, automatically creating Policy Properties and Fields. The company runs an annual Crop Survey Program (48 properties surveyed in 2023) to assess crop health, yield ranges, and harvest expectations across major cropping regions.

CRU generates revenue through insurance premiums collected on crop insurance policies, with policies offered on multi-year terms under either a Capped Yield or Variable Yield basis. Premiums are invoiced after the Final Revision Date for capped-yield policies or post-harvest for variable-yield policies. The company employs approximately 6 people, operates as a private proprietary limited company, and shows no evidence of external venture capital or private equity investment. Its distribution model is entirely broker-led; pricing is not publicly disclosed and customers must obtain quotes through intermediary partners.

Name

Crop Risk Underwriting

Legal name

Crop Risk Underwriting Pty Ltd

Website

https://cruw.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Crop Risk Underwriting is a specialist Australian crop insurance underwriting agency providing hail, fire, and adverse weather cover to broadacre, cotton, and perennial tree/vine farmers via a national broker partner network and satellite-based remote sensing loss assessment.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

North Sydney, New South Wales

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Crop Insurance Premiums: CRU generates revenue through insurance premiums collected from crop insurance policies. Premiums are invoiced either after the Final Revision Date (for Capped Yield options) or after crops are harvested (for Variable Yield options).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Crop Risk Underwriting (CRU) is a specialist Australian crop insurance underwriting agency that provides Broadacre, Cotton, and Perennial Tree and Vine insurance products covering yield losses from hail, fire, adverse weather, spray drift, and straying livestock. The company underwrites on either a Capped Yield or Variable Yield basis and uses satellite remote sensing technology for transparent fire loss assessment on perennial plantations. Policies are distributed exclusively through a national network of authorised insurance broker partners across all Australian states.

Product overview

Crop Risk Underwriting (CRU) is a specialist Crop Insurance underwriting agency offering a portfolio of three core insurance products: Broadacre Insurance, Cotton Insurance, and Perennial Tree and Vine Insurance. These products help clients manage risks from hail, fire, adverse weather, and other perils affecting agricultural crops. The company also operates CiRUS, an internal platform for policy management. CRU differentiates through digital agriculture and remote sensing technologies, using satellite imagery for loss assessment in its Perennial Tree and Vine Insurance product. Products are distributed exclusively through insurance broker partners across Australia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CiRUS: Referenced on the website as CiRUS, likely a digital platform or system for policy management.

Products and services

• Broadacre Insurance Crop insurance covering percentage loss of potential yield from hail, fire, spray drift, and straying livestock for broadacre crops such as wheat, barley, canola, legumes, other cereals, and summer crops. Available in Classic and Precision policy types with Capped Yield and Variable Yield options. For Australian farmers growing broadacre crops.
• Cotton Insurance Insurance for cotton crops from emergence through harvest, covering hail, fire, and limited spray drift. Available as Capped Yield or Variable Yield basis for dryland and irrigated cotton crops. For Australian cotton growers.
• Perennial Tree and Vine Insurance Remote sensed fire insurance using satellite technology to measure fire activity and vegetation damage for rapid loss assessment on forestry, perennial trees, and vines. For Australian forestry and perennial plantation owners.
• CiRUS Platform Digital platform for crop insurance underwriting and policy management, including property and farm mapping and GIS integration. Used in conjunction with CRU's crop insurance products.

Quantifiable outcome

• 48 crop surveys conducted in 2023 across major insured areas

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 360 Underwriting SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCRU is an Authorised Representative (001274350) of 360 Underwriting Solutions Pty Ltd ABN 18 120 261 270 (AFSL 319181). 360 Underwriting Solutions provides the regulatory framework and authorization for CRU to operate as a crop insurance underwriting agency in Australia.
• Loss Adjuster PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCRU works with loss adjuster partners who can promptly attend to losses across Australia. These partners play a key role in the claims process by working with clients to identify the cause, location, and extent of any loss.
• Insurance Broker PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCRU's Insurance Policies are available for all eligible farmers Australia wide through broker partners located in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, and Western Australia. These include major brokers like Aon, Gallagher, Nutrien, MGA, and regional specialists.
• Zurich Insurance AustraliaminorOthersReferenced in privacy policy - Zurich Insurance Australia Privacy Policy applies to some CRU operations.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Munich Re: Munich Re is a leading global agricultural reinsurer and provides capacity to many Australian crop insurers. Comparable as a broad incumbent and capacity provider in the crop reinsurance chain that CRU indirectly depends on.
• Aon (Agribusiness): Aon is a global insurance broker with a dedicated Australian agribusiness practice that places crop and weather insurance for large-scale growers. It is a distribution partner of CRU but also a broad incumbent placing competing crop insurance capacity from other underwriters.
• QBE Insurance Australia: QBE is one of Australia's largest general insurers with agricultural and weather-related coverages, and historically a major crop insurance capacity provider. It competes with CRU in the broader P&C market but does not specialise exclusively in crop underwriting.
• Allianz Australia: Allianz Australia is a broad P&C insurer with agricultural product offerings distributed through brokers. Comparable as a large incumbent operating in the same Australian farm and crop insurance market, though crop insurance is not its primary focus.
• Insurance Australia Group (IAG): IAG, parent of CGU and other Australian general insurers, writes crop and farm insurance through broker channels. Comparable as a large incumbent that competes in Australian agricultural risk but does not specialise in crop-only underwriting like CRU.
• Swiss Re: Swiss Re is one of the world's largest agricultural reinsurers, supporting crop insurance programs globally including in Australia. Comparable as a broad incumbent reinsurance capacity provider that underpins the Australian crop insurance market in which CRU operates.

Direct peers

• Rural Affinity: Rural Affinity is an Australian specialist agricultural underwriting agency focused on crop, weather, and farm insurance, distributing through brokers nationwide. It is the closest direct peer to CRU given its near-identical product scope, broker-channel model, and target of Australian broadacre and specialty crop growers.
• AgriRisk Australia: AgriRisk is an Australian specialist agricultural insurance broker with offices in NSW, QLD, and other cropping regions, distributing crop and farm policies. It is comparable to CRU's distribution partners and operates in the same Australian crop risk-transfer niche, sometimes representing competing underwriting agencies.
• CGU Insurance (Crop Insurance): CGU, part of Insurance Australia Group, offers multi-peril crop insurance for Australian grain, cotton, and oilseed growers through broker and direct channels. Comparable as a direct competitor in Australian crop insurance underwriting with overlapping peril coverage (hail, fire, weather).

Others

• Nutrien Ag Solutions: Nutrien Ag Solutions is a major Australian agribusiness retail and advisory network that distributes crop insurance through brokers alongside its agronomic services. Comparable as an ecosystem participant and CRU distribution partner operating in the same farmer relationship layer, though not an underwriter.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/CROPRISKUW
• Facebookfacebook.com/CropRiskUnderwriting
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/crop-risk-underwriting

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 Crop Risk Underwriting