On this episode of FNO: InsureTech, hosts Rob Beller and David Prejeant sit down with Alex Schmelkin, Founder and CEO of Sixfold, for a conversation about AI, underwriting, entrepreneurship, and one of the most talked-about areas in insurance today. 

Founded in the early days of the generative AI movement, Sixfold has focused on a single mission: helping insurers rethink underwriting through AI. But as Alex shares throughout the episode, building an AI company wasn't nearly as straightforward as it may seem today. 

An Idea That Started Before the AI Boom

Long before AI became a boardroom mandate, Alex was experimenting with large language models and exploring where they could have the greatest impact.

That exploration eventually led him back to an industry he knew well and to a problem he believed was perfectly suited for a new approach. 

The timing, as it turns out, was hard to ignore.

Why Underwriting?

While much of the early discussion around AI focused on customer service and chatbots, Alex saw something different.

In this episode, he shares why underwriting stood out, why focus mattered, and how Sixfold chose a very specific path while many others pursued broader opportunities. 

The Human Side of AI

Few topics generate more debate than the relationship between AI and jobs.

Throughout the conversation, Alex offers his perspective on how underwriting teams are thinking about AI today, how those conversations have evolved, and what the next several years may look like for underwriting professionals. 

A Journey Through Technology and Insurance

Alex's path to Sixfold is anything but traditional.

His career spans web development, e-commerce, banking, enterprise technology, InsureTech, and multiple startups. Along the way, he gathered lessons that continue to shape how he thinks about innovation, customer experience, and insurance. 

Looking Ahead

As AI continues to reshape the insurance landscape, new questions are emerging around how technology will support decision-making, where automation creates the most value, and how insurers should prepare for what's next. 

Alex shares his thoughts on all of it.

From entrepreneurship and AI adoption to underwriting and the future of insurance, this episode is packed with thought-provoking perspectives and memorable moments.

If you're interested in underwriting, AI, or where insurance innovation is headed next, this is an episode you'll want to hear for yourself.