Zurich Australia Insurance has announced the Australian winner of its global Innovation Championship.

Now in its second year, the innovation contest offers start-ups the opportunity to work with the global insurer to develop a pilot program that will make their products and services available to Zurich customers in selected countries and regions.

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Winning the Innovation Championship’s Australian round was POPS! for its artificial intelligence (AI)-driven virtual diabetes coach, called “Mina.” The virtual care platform aims to simplify the management of chronic health conditions such as diabetes, providing people access to 24/7 management of their chronic condition by using sensors to measure health indicators such as glucose levels.

POPS! will next present its pitch at the next competition round in Hong Kong. The regional APAC winner will then compete in the final global round in Switzerland later this year against winners from each region around the world.

“Innovation is at the heart of our strategy at Zurich. This competition allows us to connect with leading start-up innovators and offer them a great opportunity, while enhancing our contribution to the industry and our customers,” said Volker Mayr, Zurich chief information officer for Australia and New Zealand.