Brewer Lane Ventures Launches with key senior hires

Brewer Lane Ventures, a new venture capital firm focused on investing in the insurtech and fintech industries, has launched, bringing on Martha Notaras as managing partner. Notaras previously led XL Innovate, a leading property and casualty insurtech VC fund that invested in Cape Analytics, Lemonade, Slice, and Pillar Technologies, among others.

“Martha is a highly regarded investor in insurtech, and I am delighted to have her join as a managing partner of our new venture firm,” said John Kim, founder and managing partner of Brewer Lane Ventures.

Prior to joining Brewer Lane Ventures, Notaras was a partner at XL Innovate, where she invested in startups focused on data and analytics, as well as new insurance business models. She led XL Innovate investments in Cape Analytics, Pillar, and GeoQuant. She previously ran corporate development for DMG Information, the business technology division of the Daily Mail and General Trust, where she led investment and oversaw 20 acquisitions, including Risk Management Solutions (RMS), an early insurtech delivering catastrophe risk models for insurers and reinsurers.

“I am excited to join Brewer Lane Ventures and partner with John Kim to identify the dynamic companies that will lead the next market expansion in insurtech,” said Notaras.

Prior to founding Brewer Lane Ventures, Kim was president and chief investment officer of New York Life Insurance Company. During his 10-year career at New York Life, he led the growth of the company’s assets from $213 billion to $582 billion, while managing the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis.

As a career investor, Kim started New York Life Ventures in 2012. Previously, he held CEO roles in other insurance, retirement, and asset management firms including Prudential Retirement, CIGNA Retirement and Investment Services, and Aeltus Investment Management, a subsidiary of VOYA. Kim is currently a board director at three insurtech startups. Additionally, he is on the board of trustees of Eversource, a New England energy delivery company. He was also previously on the board of FiServ, a global provider of financial services technology.

Tom Hutton will serve as a senior advisor to Brewer Lane Ventures. Hutton serves as the Chairman of SoFi. He founded XL Innovate in 2015 and New Energy Risk in 2011.

Brewer Lane Ventures also announced the hires of two principals, Chris Downer and George Castineiras. Before joining Brewer Lane Ventures, Downer was a principal at Sorenson Ventures and XL Innovate. Castineiras was SVP at Prudential Financial and managing director at Gibraltar Ventures.