Technology

Klarity and Munich Re Life US Uncover Mortality Risk Insights Via Extensive Analysis of Third-Party Data, Including Wearable Data

Published

2 years ago

February 25, 2025

Study demonstrates how third-party longitudinal data can impact risk assessment in life insurance, potentially helping carriers improve underwriting accuracy and expand insurability.

LONDON, Feb. 25, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Klarity, a leader in AI-driven predictive analytics, and Munich Re Life US , a US market leader in individual life, group and individual disability reinsurance, conducted a comprehensive study leveraging UK Biobank data that sought to reveal the potential of third-party longitudinal data in life insurance underwriting.

“We aim to provide tailored support and guidance to carriers considering using these new data sources in their underwriting programs,” said Dr. Gina Guzman, Chief Medical Officer at Munich Re Life US.

The data set included over 500,000 individuals followed for over 13 years. The analysis revealed numerous mortality risk insights across different factors which will be shared in a series of three white papers, the key findings of which are summarized below:

Physical activity data from wearablesSleep duration, resting heart rate and grip strengthPhysical measurement alternatives to BMI, including waist-to-height ratio

The first paper examines physical activity data from wearables:

Step count: Individuals walking at least 7,000 steps per day experience significantly lower mortality risk, regardless of BMI, age, or smoking status:Smokers with a daily step count of at least 7,000 have better mortality than non-smokers with fewer than 5,000 daily steps.Obese participants with at least 7,000 daily steps have 40% lower mortality than “normal” BMI participants with a daily step count below 5,000.Pre-diabetics with at least 7,000 daily steps have a 60% lower mortality risk than individuals with normal A1C who walk fewer than 5,000 daily steps.Other activity: Even modest increases in light-intensity activities such as household chores or walking deliver significant benefits, particularly for older adults:For individuals 60 and older, going from less than 3 hours to at least 4 hours of daily light physical activity results in a 50% reduction in mortality risk.

Paper two focuses on novel attributes for segmenting mortality risk including sleep duration, resting heart rate and grip strength:

Sleep: Seven hours of sleep per night is associated with the lowest mortality risk, while five hours or less increases mortality by 50%, underscoring the critical importance of sufficient sleep.Heart Rate: Lower resting heart rates (RHR) correspond to reduced mortality risk. Notably, those in the lowest RHR group also had the highest average daily activity levels.Grip strength: As an indicator of overall physical strength and health, grip strength can effectively segment mortality risk across age and gender.

The third paper goes beyond BMI to assess mortality risk:

Waist-to-height ratio: There is strong evidence that waist-to-height ratio can effectively segment mortality risk on top of BMI and can be used to identify high-risk individuals across all BMI categories. This is also true for other measurements such as waist-to-hip and waist circumference. Within the ‘healthy’ BMI range (18.5-25), individuals with a waist-to-height ratio of 0.6+ face nearly double the mortality risk of those with a ratio under 0.5.

“Through the combination of Klarity’s predictive models and the ubiquity of smartphones and wearable devices, insurers are now able to better stratify risk and enhance underwriting precision,” said Will Cooper, Founder and CEO of Klarity. “Our models are trained on a wide array of health data sources that go beyond conventional metrics, enabling us to integrate new data streams alongside cutting-edge predictive analytics, resulting in enhanced precision.”

“This research demonstrates the potential of using data from wearables to segment risk and potentially expand insurability,” said Dr. Gina Guzman, Chief Medical Officer at Munich Re Life US. “Wearable data can be a window into the real-time health and lifestyle habits of applicants and may allow insurers to create more accurate and inclusive underwriting while simultaneously encouraging healthier behaviors among policyholders.”

Bridging Innovation and Consumer Trust

Klarity’s AI-powered models offer transparent, explainable insights that empower both insurers and policyholders to understand the factors driving mortality risk predictions.

“The reality is, consumers already choose to share their wearable data with apps and fitness platforms every day,” said Cooper. “Our goal is to help insurers use this data responsibly—offering more accurate underwriting that reflects real-world health habits. Doing so will open up new opportunities to engage customers, refine risk segmentation, and expand access to life insurance for millions of people.”

The Future of Wearable Data in Life Insurance

As insurers navigate the next evolution of underwriting, Klarity and Munich Re’s collaboration provides a blueprint for leveraging AI and wearable data at scale. Factors like physical activity, sleep, resting heart rate, grip strength and waist-to-height ratio can further improve the predictive accuracy of the mortality model for assessing long-term health risks.

“Carriers looking to incorporate third-party or wearables data will first want to conduct a pilot to assess participation rates and estimate baseline activity patterns,” added Guzman. “We aim to provide tailored support and guidance to carriers considering using these new data sources in their underwriting programs.”

Read the papers here. Media inquiries can be directed to media@getklarity.io and rachel@rachelvandolsen.com.

About Klarity

Klarity is a UK-based predictive analytics company providing AI-driven solutions for mortality and morbidity risk prediction. Its proprietary models leverage advanced data sources—including wearables, electronic health records, and biomarkers—to help insurers improve risk stratification, expand insurability, and develop next-generation underwriting models. Learn more at klarity.health.

About Munich Re Life US

Munich Re Life US, a subsidiary of Munich Re Group, is a leading US reinsurer with a significant market presence and extensive technical depth in all areas of life and disability reinsurance. Beyond its vast reinsurance capacity and unrivaled risk expertise, the company is recognized as an innovator in digital transformation and aims to guide carriers through the changing industry landscape with dynamic solutions insightfully designed to grow and support their business. Learn more at https://www.munichre.com/us-life/en.html.

Media Contact

Rachel Van Dolsen, Klarity, 1 9142604636, rvandolsen@gmail.com

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SOURCE Klarity

Technology

KAPSARC TO JOIN 25TH WPC ENERGY CONGRESS IN RIYADH AS NATIONAL PARTNER

Published

3 hours ago

October 10, 2026

More than 20 KAPSARC leaders, researchers, and experts to contribute across the Congress’s Executive, Technical, Synergy, and Special Programmes

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Oct. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — KAPSARC participates as a National Partner in the 25th WPC Energy Congress in Riyadh, bringing its leaders and experts into discussions addressing some of the most important issues shaping the future of energy.

Taking place from 11 to 15 October 2026 under the theme “Pathways to an Energy Future for All,” the Congress will be hosted in Saudi Arabia for the first time in its history. First held in London in 1933, the Congress will bring together government leaders, industry executives, policymakers, researchers, and innovators in Riyadh to examine the forces reshaping global energy systems, from security and investment to technology and sustainability.

KAPSARC’s participation extends across the Congress’s Executive, Technical, Synergy, and Special Programmes, alongside additional sessions and activities, reflecting the breadth of the Center’s research and policy expertise. KAPSARC President Fahad Alajlan and Dr. Ghadah Alarifi, Dean of the KAPSARC School of Public Policy, are among KAPSARC’s speakers in the Executive Programme.

Across the Congress, KAPSARC experts contribute research and policy perspectives on energy supply and demand, energy access, natural gas, ESG and governance, the Circular Carbon Economy, artificial intelligence, mobility, and lower-emission pathways for refining and petrochemicals.

Within the Special Programme, KAPSARC leads a Knowledge Sprint session titled “Generative AI for Evidence-Based Oil Markets,” examining how generative AI can support oil-market analysis and policy research. The session explores AI-assisted data workflows, econometric and scenario analysis, responsible AI practices, and the translation of technical findings into decision-ready insights.

KAPSARC also participates in the World Café through a session on “Carbon Dioxide Removal Technologies,” bringing together experts, policymakers, and practitioners to examine the prospects for scaling engineered carbon-removal solutions. The discussion covers direct air capture, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, and biochar, alongside the economic, infrastructure, regulatory, carbon-market, and regional considerations influencing their deployment.

In the Synergy Programme, KAPSARC experts contribute to discussions on “Accelerating the Circular Carbon Economy Through Joint Action” and “AI Partnerships for Energy Innovation,” bringing research-based perspectives to the intersection of energy, technology, and sustainability.

KAPSARC’s dedicated pavilion provides another platform for knowledge exchange and engagement throughout the Congress. Structured around five thematic hubs, the pavilion brings together KAPSARC research, analytical tools, and expertise across the Oil Hub, Transportation Hub, Clean Energy Hub, AI Hub, and Collaboration Hub. Together, the hubs provide visitors with an integrated view of selected research areas and emerging issues shaping energy systems, while creating opportunities for engagement with policymakers, industry leaders, researchers, and other Congress participants.

The pavilion also features the KAPSARC School of Public Policy (KSPP) and the Saudi Energy Leaders Assembly (SELA), providing additional platforms for policy education, leadership development, and knowledge exchange.

Through its participation across the Congress’s programmes and sessions, alongside its dedicated thematic pavilion, KAPSARC connects Saudi-based research and policy expertise with international discussions on energy security, investment, technology, and sustainability.

About KAPSARC

KAPSARC is an advisory think tank dedicated to advancing knowledge on energy, environmental and regional economic issues. As an accredited observer to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), KAPSARC actively contributes to global climate action. KAPSARC’s mission is to advance Saudi Arabia’s energy sector and inform global policies through evidence-based advice and applied research.

For more information about KAPSARC:
https://www.kapsarc.org/

Media inquiries:
media@kapsarc.org

Connect with us on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/kapsarc

Subscribe to our newsletter:
https://subscribe.kapsarc.org/kapsarc-newsletter-signup

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SOURCE KAPSARC

Technology

STARMUS VIII Announces Two Young Changemakers as Junior Medal Winners

Published

3 hours ago

October 10, 2026

Valeria Corrales receives the Junior Stephen Hawking Medal and Aneeshwar Kunchala receives the Junior Jane Goodall Earth Medal

CANARY ISLANDS, Spain, Oct. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — STARMUS VIII, the premier international festival of science, music and exploration, is proud to announce the recipients of two special distinctions celebrating the next generation of scientific and environmental leaders.

Valeria Corrales, from Spain, will receive the Junior Stephen Hawking Medal, in recognition of her exceptional work bringing science, programming and technology to young audiences.

Aneeshwar Kunchala, from the United Kingdom, will receive the Junior Jane Goodall Earth Medal, honouring his remarkable dedication to wildlife conservation, biodiversity and inspiring children to protect the natural world.

Although their work focuses on different fields, both young changemakers share a conviction at the heart of STARMUS: knowledge should inspire action, and age should never be a barrier to making a difference.

Valeria Corrales — Junior Stephen Hawking Medal

Valeria Corrales began her journey in science communication at the age of ten, when she co-founded the educational platform ValPat in 2018 alongside her mentor Patricia Heredia.

What began as an initiative to make science and technology more accessible has grown into a major Spanish-language STEM education platform, with more than 750 videos and 240,000 YouTube subscribers.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Valeria and Patricia offered 100 consecutive days of free online STEM classes, helping thousands of children across Spain and Latin America continue learning during lockdown.

Valeria has since received national and international recognition. She was named among Forbes Spain’s 23 Changemakers in 2023, became a finalist for the Princess of Girona Social Award in 2025, and was selected as a Top 10 finalist for the Global Student Prize from nearly 11,000 applications and nominations across 148 countries.

Now studying Computational Media at the Georgia Institute of Technology, she continues to explore how science, technology, creativity and storytelling can transform education.

Her achievements reflect the spirit of Stephen Hawking’s belief in the power of curiosity and the importance of sharing scientific knowledge with everyone.

Aneeshwar Kunchala — Junior Jane Goodall Earth Medal

At just eleven years old, Aneeshwar Kunchala has already become an internationally recognized voice for wildlife conservation and environmental education.

His extraordinary journey began when he was only four, after learning about a whale that had died because of plastic pollution. That experience inspired a mission to protect animals and encourage others to care for the natural world.

Since then, Aneeshwar has reached international audiences through television documentaries, educational programmes, public speaking, journalism and art.

His work includes appearances and productions for BBC, Sky Kids and Channel 5, while his conservation message has reached audiences at major international events and institutions.

Aneeshwar holds three Guinness World Records and has received honours including the Diana Award and the British Citizen Youth Award. He has also been named a young ambassador for the National Trust and became the first young columnist for National Geographic Kids UK. He has also been recognized with the Young Scientific Explorer honorary award – from the Scientific Exploration Society.

His work combines scientific curiosity, compassion for animals and an extraordinary ability to communicate with younger generations.

His guiding message captures the simplicity and urgency of his mission:

“Save the animals and make sure the world looks beautiful.”

The Junior Jane Goodall Earth Medal recognizes not only his achievements, but also his determination to inspire a generation that sees the protection of biodiversity as a shared responsibility.

Two Young Voices, One Shared Future

Stephen Hawking dedicated his life to understanding the Universe. Jane Goodall transformed our understanding of the natural world and our responsibility to protect it.

Through these two Junior Medals, STARMUS celebrates the continuation of their legacies in a new generation.

Valeria Corrales is helping young people discover the power of science and technology. Aneeshwar Kunchala is inspiring them to protect the extraordinary diversity of life on our planet.

Together, they represent a powerful message: the future of science and the future of our planet belong to those who are curious enough to ask questions and courageous enough to act.

The awards will be presented during STARMUS VIII, taking place in Tenerife and La Palma, Canary Islands, from 17 to 22 October 2026, under the theme The Search for Truth. The Festival will bring together some of the world’s leading figures in science, space exploration, technology, music and the arts to explore the importance of evidence, knowledge, reason and scientific thinking in an increasingly complex world.

More information about the Starmus VIII and tickets available at: www.starmus.com.

US: Dan DuPont, dupont0708@gmail.com, +1 202 380 7558

UK/EU: Nicole Ettinger, nicole@ettingerpr.com +44 7515 394107

Spain: Carlos Esteban, cesteban@llys.global, +34 699 55 2854

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SOURCE Starmus Foundation

Technology

Solvely.ai Makes the Case for AI That Builds Human Capability

Published

3 hours ago

October 10, 2026

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Solvely.ai, an applied AI company, outlined its approach to AI agents for learning: helping people build understanding and skills, rather than simply completing tasks.

Co-founder Richard Weiqi Zhang shared this perspective at Funding Conviction, a September 18, 2026, webinar on education investment and the future of learning. Hosted by Edtech Insiders, the discussion featured Reach Capital’s Steve Kupfer and Minerva’s Ben Nelson.

“Learning has to make the person more capable,” said Zhang. “The goal is still to empower the learner, not to replace them.”

Building learning-specific intelligence

To support this approach, Solvely develops its own specialized models and agent systems for learning. It uses education-domain post-training to tailor models to specific learning tasks. Its agentic system identifies instructional content in images and documents, segments individual questions and routes each problem to the appropriate solving algorithm and visualization tools. Its agent architecture brings models, context and educational tools together to create explanations, visual exploration and practice. For problem-solving, Solvely cross-checks responses across multiple models.

An Anthropic case study shows how Solvely uses Claude to create interactive visualizations that learners can explore by changing inputs.

From answers to understanding

With Solvely’s AI math solver, learners can work through text or image-based questions with step-by-step explanations, ask follow-up questions and explore problems visually through whiteboard explanations. For exam preparation, they can turn their own course materials into study guides, flashcards and quizzes for review and practice.

For writing review, its AI detector provides signals for closer examination, not proof of authorship. Its published AI-text detection research details how the company develops, fine-tunes and evaluates task-specific models. Users remain responsible for reviewing output and following applicable academic requirements.

Industry recognition

Solvely was named to Nasdaq and Notable Capital’s inaugural Prosumer AI 40, alongside OpenAI, Anthropic, Cursor and Lovable. It was also selected for the 2026 GSV Cup 50, recognizing 50 of the world’s most promising EdTech startups.

Watch the webinar or explore Solvely.ai.

About Solvely.ai

Solvely.ai is an applied AI company amplifying human capability. Its AI agents help people learn, grow and realize their potential in the age of AI. Since launching in San Francisco in 2023, Solvely has served over 15 million users across 180+ countries.

Media contact: Richard Weiqi Zhang, richard@solvely.ai

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SOURCE Aignite Inc.