November 23, 2025

Tim Hardcastle, CEO & Co-founder: INSTANDA: What it really takes to change insurance from the inside out (382)

20 minutes

In this episode, Robin Merttens is joined by Tim Hardcastle, CEO and Co-founder of INSTANDA, to reflect on what it takes to turn a contrarian vision into a global insurtech platform and what the next decade of innovation might look like.

Tim left a senior role at Hiscox to build a no-code platform for insurers at a time when most said it couldn’t be done. Ten years on, INSTANDA powers operations around the world and is gearing up for its next big leap. This conversation revisits the early sparks of that journey, including a memorable chat at the Royal Exchange, and dives into the personal and professional lessons Tim has gathered along the way.

In this conversation, Tim shares:

Why the earliest versions of INSTANDA were built despite zero market demand

How a falling out with a boss became the unexpected catalyst for entrepreneurship

The reality of scaling a tech company in insurance including a motorbike sale to make payroll

Why belief, timing and architecture were crucial to gaining traction

How humility shaped both leadership style and product design

What it means to lead through survival, scale and reinvention

His view on legacy, moonshot AI and the importance of letting go

What’s fuelling his passion ten years in and where the next decade might lead

This one is part retrospective, part roadmap and full of insight for anyone thinking long-term about change in insurance.

Continuing Professional Development

This InsTech Podcast Episode is accredited by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). By listening, you can claim up to 0.5 hours towards your CPD scheme.

By the end of this podcast, you should be able to meet the following Learning Objectives:

Describe the early challenges of launching a no-code insurance platform in a sceptical market.

Explain how belief, architecture and timing contributed to INSTANDA’s success and scalability.

Define the role of humility in effective insurtech leadership and product design.

If your organisation is a member of InsTech and you would like to receive a quarterly summary of the CPD hours you have earned, visit the Episode 382 page of the InsTech website or email [email protected] to let us know you have listened to this podcast.

To help us measure the impact of the learning, we would be grateful if you would take a minute to complete a quick feedback survey.

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