Insurance may not always be visible—but without it, nothing really moves. In this episode of Scouting for Growth, Sabine VanderLinden is joined by Matthew Jones, venture capital investor and insurance technology specialist, formerly Managing Director at Anthemis and now Head of Business Development at MS Transverse. It’s a conversation rooted in shared history, hard-earned lessons, and a clear-eyed view of what sustainable innovation in financial services really takes. Matthew was one of the earliest believers in Sabine’s acceleration work—sponsoring her first programme while acting as a deeply engaged mentor, assessor, and investor. Together, they learned what many only realise too late: not all growth is good growth, and not every shiny business model is built to last. At the heart of Matthew’s investment philosophy is a simple truth: financial services—banks, insurers, fintechs—are the lifeblood of the global economy. But they’re far from perfect. That imperfection creates opportunity. And increasingly, those opportunities sit at the intersection of finance with energy, agriculture, mobility, health, and property—industries where technology is quietly reshaping risk, resilience, and value creation. Matthew explains why meaningful innovation must deliver a 10x improvement—either in user experience or return on investment. Incremental change won’t move the needle in systems as complex and regulated as insurance. The good news? There are still vast underdeveloped areas across the insurance value chain where founders can create outsized impact. The conversation also tackles a topic too often treated as optional: values. Matthew is unequivocal—entrepreneurs should seek smart money, not just capital. Founders must scrutinise their investors as carefully as investors scrutinise them. Do they share your values? Do they back underrepresented founders? Do they live what they claim to believe? For venture firms, there’s no hiding place anymore. Diversity isn’t a “nice-to-have”—it’s a baseline expectation in the 21st century. Homogeneous portfolios signal outdated thinking, not excellence. This episode offers sharp insight for: Founders building in insurance, fintech, and adjacent sectors Investors evaluating where technology will reshape risk next Corporates seeking venture partners who understand both capital and context Leaders who believe sustainable growth starts with alignment, not acceleration Because technology will touch every part of the insurance value chain. The only question is who will shape that change—and who will be left reacting to it. 🎧 Tune in—and ask yourself: are you building or backing ventures that are simply new… or ones designed to last?