BrokerTech Ventures Announces BrokerTech Connect: Chicago 2026, Bringing Together Insurance and Insurtech Leaders

Des Moines, IA - June 18, 2026 - BrokerTech Ventures (BTV), the first broker-led convening platform and accelerator focused on insurance innovation, today announced its second annual BrokerTech Connect conference presented by eventual will take place September 1-2, 2026 at The Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park.

‍

BrokerTech Connect is a premier, intentionally curated event designed to bring together C-Suite executives, senior leaders, and decision-makers from insurance brokerages, carriers, wholesalers, startups, venture capital firms, and technology providers for two days of connection and forward-looking dialogue. Focused on quality interactions over scale, the event fosters collaboration across the insurance ecosystem through targeted programming, networking opportunities, and solution showcases - enabling attendees to exchange ideas, explore emerging technologies, and form partnerships that drive innovation forward.

‍

"Chicago continues to be an important hub for the insurance industry, making it a natural place for this community to come together again," said Dan Keough, Chairman & CEO of Holmes Murphy and Co-CEO of BrokerTech Ventures. "It creates a unique opportunity for important and timely dialogue, strong connections, and meaningful change."

"The future of insurance will be driven by how effectively organizations leverage data and emerging technologies," said Mohit Chawla, CEO of eventual. "BrokerTech Connect brings together the leaders who are rethinking how insurance operates, and we're proud to support a forum that's advancing innovation across the industry."

‍

2026 Sponsors

BTV is proud to partner with a strong lineup of sponsors that represent leaders across insurance and technology, each playing a key role in advancing innovation across the industry:

• Presenting Sponsor: eventual - eventual is a modern technology company focused on helping insurance teams harness data and AI across middle and back-office workflows, accelerating processes, improving decision-making, and unlocking new growth opportunities.
• Happiest Hour Sponsor: FormativGroup, a Salesforce Consulting Partner, helps organizations maximize their investment in Salesforce through strategic advisory and implementation services, enabling smarter customer engagement and operational efficiency.
• Innovation Award Sponsors: The BrokerTech Fund - Launched in partnership between BrokerTech Ventures and ManchesterStory, the BrokerTech Fund is the first venture capital fund targeting technology startups developing solutions that specifically address the needs of insurance brokers and wholesalers to identify risks sooner and drive down costs faster.
• Lanyard Sponsor: Vertafore - Vertafore powers distribution velocity across the insurance ecosystem with software solutions built for the way insurance works. Combining core digital systems, specialized AI, and an unmatched data foundation, Vertafore helps organizations adapt faster and grow smarter.
• Breakout Sponsor: Fulcrum - Fulcrum provides insurance agencies and brokers with AI-powered automation for time-consuming tasks like proposal creation, policy checking, and coverage comparisons. By completing workflows in minutes instead of hours, Fulcrum helps teams reduce manual effort and focus on growing their book of business.
• Platinum Sponsor: StitchStudio - StitchStudio is an AI workflow automation platform built specifically for insurance carriers and brokers. It embeds explainable, agent-based AI to reduce manual effort and improve operational efficiency without replacing core systems.
• Gold Sponsor: Ascend - Ascend is the only complete financial operations platform purpose-built for insurance brokerages. Trusted by over 1,000 firms, Ascend replaces spreadsheets and manual workflows with a single system for invoicing, payments, cash application, payables, and commission reconciliation-cutting workload by 90%, improving EBITDA, and maximizing ROI on tech spend.
• Bronze Sponsor: Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) - Iowa is the #1 state for insurance (based on GSP) and is rapidly emerging as an insurtech hub due to affordable costs of doing business and living. The Iowa Economic Development Authority fuels this momentum by fostering a collaborative ecosystem and supporting insurtech innovation through a variety of programs.
• Bronze Sponsor: Cowbell - Cowbell is a pioneer in Adaptive Cyber Insurance, redefining risk transfer for the AI era. Its AI-powered platform unifies Cyber, Tech E&O, and Management Liability, enabling rapid policy issuance. Serving small and mid-market businesses globally, Cowbell combines broad coverage with resiliency services that help organizations strengthen cyber readiness and resilience.

‍

Join the Waitlist

With attendance intentionally limited to preserve a high-quality experience, BrokerTech Connect is invitation only, but expected to draw strong interest from across the insurance and insurtech ecosystem. Those interested in attending or partnering are encouraged to learn more about the event by visiting the conference website and request their spot by joining the waitlist. Sponsorship opportunities are also available.

‍

About BrokerTech Ventures

Based in the insurance nucleus of Des Moines, Iowa, BrokerTech Ventures (BTV) is the first broker-led convening platform and accelerator program focused on delivering innovation to the insurance broker industry. Founded in 2019, BTV provides a venue for the best minds in insurance and technology to collaborate and bring to market leading-edge ideas and solutions. BTV invests in the research and testing for each of the chosen startups, provides access to veteran industry mentors, and helps scale the technology to market through broker distribution channels. Learn more at www.brokertechventures.com, or follow us on X (@BrokerTechVen), LinkedIn, or Facebook.