Cova at BIBA 2026
Cova joined Startup Lane at BIBA 2026 in Manchester for two days of demos, broker conversations, and a clear signal from the UK market: insurance AI is moving fast.
Last week we took Cova to BIBA 2026 in Manchester, our first time bringing the platform to the UK broker market in person. For two days, Startup Lane was home base for us at stand A81, alongside three other brilliant companies who were just as excited to represent what they are building.
May 12: Launch event
The conference kicked off with a launch party to pick up badges. Drinks, music, and the first wave of introductions set the tone. We had planned to ease in, but the evening quickly turned into deep conversations with genuinely impressive people from across the insurance industry. It was a strong sign of what was coming.
May 13: BIBA day one
By 7:45 a.m. we were on-site, coffee in hand. The booth looked sharp, with credit to the BIBA organisers for printing the back panel and front signage. Setup was painless, and by the time the doors opened, we were ready.
What followed was a full day of non-stop demos. I was there solo and barely had a quiet moment. Brokers came by asking about AI, automation, and how to claw back hours from admin. We walked people through Cova's handoff feature, where you can start something on mobile and let the platform finish it, plus policy comparison, meeting agents that capture insights, and the client management layer that ties it all together.
“This would take my brokerage to a whole new level.”
That was the response we heard again and again.
Special thanks to the CFC team for dropping by our stand as well. Always good to see familiar faces, and we are looking forward to continuing to work together on technical innovation as the industry modernises.
The evening was just as valuable. Huge thanks to Matthew Place and Lewis Leach at North Stack for pulling us along to the AXA networking drinks, which rolled into dinner at Blacklock. Exactly the kind of night where the best conversations happen.
May 14: BIBA day two
Day two started slowly, which suggested everyone had enjoyed Tuesday night a little too much. But once it picked up, the booth was busy again. More demos, more brokers, and more genuinely interesting conversations with people from right across the market.
Around 2 p.m. things finally calmed enough to sit down and eat, and the BIBA catering deserves a mention. Really good food. By 3:30 p.m. we were wrapping up with last-minute LinkedIn connections and follow-up notes. Just like that, our first BIBA was done.
What we heard from the UK broker market
One thing stood out clearly: UK brokers are already deep in the AI conversation. Almost everyone we spoke to was using ChatGPT or Copilot, and many were experimenting with custom workflows of their own. The curiosity is already there.
What was new for most people was seeing a platform purpose-built for their world. Not a generic chatbot, but agents that understand the rhythm of a broker's day: chasing documents, preparing renewals, tracking client touchpoints, and keeping work moving across mobile, desktop, meetings, and client records.
Watching people realise they could spend less time on paperwork and more time actually advising clients was the best part of the week.
Wrapping up
Big thanks to BIBA for hosting, to our Startup Lane neighbours for making it fun, to CFC for the visit, to Matthew and Lewis for the welcome, and to everyone who stopped by the booth.
Manchester, we will see you again.
