RiderShield

The situation behind the problems that we are facing is that there are more than 13,000,000 delivery workers in China and more than 170,000 delivery workers in Shenzhen. And 60% of them nationwide are not covered by basic insurance system as the major delivery companies and third-party labor outsourcing companies are not willing to pay for them. The factors contributing to the problem relate to our solution can be seen in the attached picture.

We provide AI and Blockchain-based solutions to deliver customized supplemental insurance plans to delivery workers. As you can see more about our solution and access the link https://www.ridershield.asia

Q: How does our solution achieve free insurance? 

A: We achieve free insurance plans through delicately designed business processes, collective partnerships, and AI- and blockchain-based online platforms. Food delivery companies and courier companies bear the cost of insurance premiums as part of their CSR activities. They buy our AI-based consulting service and pay for insurance premiums with requests successfully generated quarterly to insurance companies. Insurance companies offer discounted insurance plans. We provide customized insurance plans to users and a blockchain-based platform for transactions among delivery companies and insurance companies. 

Q: What technology do we use? 

A: We use AI-based algorithms to offer customized insurance plans, incentivizing good driving behavior through novel models like safe rider points. Meanwhile, smart contracts based on blockchain technology underpin the platform's multi-party collaboration, achieving digital identity recognition, data privacy, and transparency. This powerful combination builds an efficient, secure, and trustworthy ecosystem that benefits all stakeholders in the delivery and insurance sectors. 

Q: Are we an insurance company?   

A: No, we are not an insurance company but a technology service company. We provide AI solution consulting services to delivery companies and sales channels to insurance companies. The sales channel is our platform based on AI algorithms and blockchain technology. 

Q: How is our solution different from the traditional practices? 

A: We specialize in bridging the gap between multiple stakeholders to tackle real-world challenges. By leveraging AI and blockchain solutions, we create innovative platforms that foster collaboration, transparency, and trust among all parties involved. 

Delivery workers in China are our currently target population. On one hand, they face intense working conditions with low income and are not covered by basic insurance. On the other hand, they are the core pillar for the daily business of major delivery companies and generate revenues for these big businesses. Our AI-based supplemental private insurance solution will provide a safety net for them to ease their economic burden in case of incidents, etc. 

For details, please see more about our solution.

The reason why we are well-suited for this solution is precisely because we are so close to our customers. Our team lives and works in China and has been exposed to the delivery workers in our daily lives from ordering food online to receiving an online shopping package, etc. As we have seen so many cases where delivery workers are not treated well, we try having in-depth one-on-one conversations with some of them through reaching our friends working delivery jobs. This action provides us with a wealth of first-hand information and we get to know that they work days and nights intensely but earn very little. And most of them are not even covered by basic insurance. Very often, they would worry about their late delivery penalties, bad reviews given by customers, incidents during delivery, etc, which possibly adds insult to injury. These situations can induce unfavorable economic status for them.

At the same time, we are a team with diverse backgrounds (STEM + sustainability + sociology) and gender equality. Both the Team Lead and team members strive to be change makers and bring about broader social change, so we have come together based on a shared vision and goals. As can be seen from more of our solutions, we place great emphasis on designing social impact indicators, because this is critical to the ultimate goals we want to achieve through technology.

For details, please see more about our solution.

We have independently developed our minimum viable product (MVP) which is still in the process of getting initial feedback and testing users. Besides this, we reached an agreement with our first potential collaborator, a local non-profit organization, proving the feasibility of our model. Not only are they willing to provide us with a certain amount of financial support, but they will also offer assistance such as office space, expert guidance (financial and technical), and peer networks. 

For details, please see more about our solution

As social business soil in our domestic market is not well cultivated, we would love to seek advice and partnership from the network where many proven cases have been successful. We wish to stand on the shoulders of giants to advance our solutions to have a broader impact in China and maybe globally in the future.

1. We identified the interlinked problems faced by delivery workers, major delivery platforms, the local government, and insurance companies. It creates a niche market where supplemental private insurance plans are necessary for improving the working conditions of delivery workers in the marketplace. And our insurance plans are free for delivery workers.

   1. For one, delivery workers in China, especially food delivery drivers, face poor working conditions, including low wages, long hours, and high-pressure targets. They are only covered by a limited national basic medical insurance system where workers often have to pay upfront and request reimbursement later. Outpatient and medication coverage is especially limited. When incidents (traffic accidents, overtime delivery penalties, etc.) during their work or sudden illness happen, it can induce a significant economic burden on delivery workers and their families. Even if some major delivery platforms have adjusted their algorithm to ease the on-time delivery stress of delivery workers, issues around inconsistent earnings, lack of minimum guarantees, and inadequate compensation remain challenges.

   2. For two, there is a lack of a link between major delivery platforms and insurance companies, which means that delivery platforms can purchase supplemental private insurance plans in bundles for delivery workers from insurance companies who can sustain a stable revenue. And for delivery companies, this can be an action of corporate social responsibility and compliance with the market regulator’s policy.

   3. For three, although China's market regulator has imposed several measures to improve the working conditions for delivery workers, there is more left to do in the market for business. We play an important role in connecting the big businesses, the major beneficiaries (delivery workers), and the government.

   4. Through collective partnerships, we will provide free supplemental insurance plans to the target population, the cost which will be shifted to major industry players as a form of CSR expenses. 
      

2. Our approach uses AI solutions to provide complementary and robust insurance plans for delivery workers. It involves muti-stakeholder cooperation among the major food delivery platforms, courier companies, and insurance companies with the help of the market regulator. On one hand, we cultivate partnerships among different stakeholders by providing AI solutions and CSR consulting services in bundles to delivery companies as well as reaching an agreement with insurance companies to provide customized complementary private insurance to delivery workers. On the other hand, our well-designed and -trained algorithms cater to the specific insurance needs of a delivery worker and provide the most suitable insurance plans.

3. In the future, our approach can be expanded to a broader market where flexible employment is a rising trend in China. However, these groups of people need to be covered by a stable social security system.

Inputs:

• Investment in maintaining close partnerships with multiple stakeholders, including major food delivery platforms, courier companies, insurance companies, and the market regulator.

• Investment in manpower regarding algorithms development & maintenance, research & analysis, business development & growth, consulting service, business operation, and other related matters.

Activities:

• Early algorithm development is based on early market feedback and later refinement based on the actual business in the future.

• Develop a framework for CSR consulting services based on AI solutions.

• Develop relations with the CSR departments of food delivery and courier companies as well as the sales & product teams of private insurance companies.

• In cooperation with food delivery, courier companies, private insurance companies, and the local market regulator (Shenzhen will be our first governmental partnership.), we will roll out a “Safety Net” program (a form of “People’s Welfare Project”) to attract delivery workers to use our platforms and file applications for insurance claim.

Outputs:

• Fine-tuned algorithms catered to the needs of delivery workers.

• Customized CSR consulting service plan.

• A strong partnership among our stakeholders with the shared vision to promote the well-being of delivery workers.

Outcomes:

• A growing number of delivery workers use our platform and their economic burden can be eased.

• Food delivery companies, courier companies, and private insurance companies can practice their corporate social responsibilities while private insurance companies can have sustained and responsible revenue.

• This project can be government accomplishments of “People’s Welfare Project” for the local government.

Overall goal: the goal that our program wants to achieve is to make sure that every delivery worker in China (perhaps including a broader population of flexible employment in the future) is protected by a safety net (“supplemental private insurance” is part of it) so that they can benefit from the economic prosperity, to which multiple stakeholders contribute. 

Our impact goal is to promote collective actions and partnerships among our industry stakeholders and the government to ensure a “Safety Net” for all delivery workers in China.

To measure our progress, we use the following indicators:

The above indicator system covers the key impact dimensions of the solution from the perspective of different SDGs, using quantitative and qualitative indicators of input, output, outcome, and impact to characterize the impact.

This innovative and socially beneficial insurance platform harnesses generative AI technology to provide tailored insurance solutions for workers in the delivery and courier industry. The platform currently utilizes OpenAI's API and has been trained on extensive datasets from the insurance industry to deliver intelligent insurance recommendations and personalized user experiences. The platform provides two separate systems for C-end (consumer) users and B-end (enterprise) to cater to the specific needs of different user groups.

For the C-end users, the website/App's technical architecture consists of three main components: a chat interface, a product page, and a personal page.

• The chat interface employs conversational technology similar to AI assistant, leveraging natural language processing and machine learning algorithms to offer the most relevant insurance advice based on users' specific needs and circumstances.

• The product page showcases various available insurance products and introduces an innovative points system, allowing users to accumulate points through safe driving behaviors and redeem them for compensation for late deliveries.

• The personal page enables users to manage their settings and personal information while responsibly collecting user data in a responsible manner to further optimize the AI models.

Not only does the platform provide comprehensive insurance coverage for workers in the delivery and courier industry, but it also offers a way for delivery and courier platforms to fulfill their corporate social responsibility. Meanwhile, insurance companies can reach potential customers more efficiently and precisely through the platform.

The B-end portal is designed specifically for delivery and courier platforms and insurance companies, offering a comprehensive data dashboard that displays key metrics and statistics relevant to the platform. It consists of three main components: a visual workflow, smart contracts and transaction monitor.

• The visual workflow allows B-end users to manage data on the platform while customizing model parameters and attributes. Through a visual interface, companies can easily set up and adjust models to optimize insurance product recommendations and matching.

• Utilize smart contract to put key information such as insurance terms and claim rules on-chain, ensuring clear rights and responsibilities of all parties and avoiding disputes.Once the trigger conditions are met, claims will be settled automatically, improving claim efficiency.

• Traceability and Auditing: Record key business data and transaction information on-chain to form a traceable and tamper-proof data chain. Facilitate auditing by all parties and increase transparency.
  

Compared to traditional CSR practices, we adopted a technology-driven approach to address the fundamental paradox where platform giants lack sufficient incentives to protect the rights and interests of delivery workers. The technological innovations include: utilizing generative AI to provide personalized insurance recommendations, rewarding good driving behavior through an AI-powered safe rider points system, and harnessing big data and blockchain technology to help insurance companies and delivery platforms optimize business efficiency and enhance users privacy. In summary, the success of this platform relies on the perfect combination of advanced technologies, extensive industry data, and an innovative social impact model.

2 full-time staffs

0.5 year

Ziye Liao is an open-minded changemaker with backgrounds in economics, political science, and data science. During his time at school, he initiated several tech projects aimed at addressing issues such as inclusive finance, environmental sustainability, and business intelligence. His driving force is the desire to create a positive social impact using human-centric and ethical technologies. In this project, he serves as the product manager and data analyst, ensuring the platform and community adhere to ethical and inclusive principles.

Lyude Li, who possesses an interdisciplinary educational background in business and sustainable management, is a keen and lifetime learner with interests in multidisciplinary areas. She has a focused aspiration to help organizations achieve sustainable development. In this project, she is responsible for the sustainable aspect of the business model. She makes sure that the business process is responsible, that multi-stakeholders are engaged, and that the ultimate purpose serves goodness.

Our Financial sustainability through a combination of revenue streams, including:

• Service contracts with major delivery platforms and courier companies.

• Commissions from insurance companies.

• Government subsidies and grants.

• Corporate sponsorships and CSR partnerships.

We will measure our success not only on revenue but also on social impact metrics number of delivery workers covered, reduced income volatility, improved health outcomes, etc. that will validate our model and unlock government and CSR partnerships that will support us to achieve our model’s potential outcomes.

We have independently developed our minimum viable product (MVP) and reached an agreement with our first potential collaborator, a local non-profit organization, proving the feasibility of our model. Not only are they willing to provide us with a certain amount of financial support, but they will also offer assistance such as office space, expert guidance (financial and technical), and peer networks. At the same time, we are currently seeking $200,000 in seed round funding to hire our core team and accelerate sales/marketing efforts. This will extend our runway to 18 months, enabling us to demonstrate a strong product-market fit and putting us on track to achieve the financial sustainability goals outlined above.

If we are fortunate enough to be shortlisted for this challenge, we will participate in more similar challenges and hackathons in the future to enhance our product's visibility within the industry while increasing the likelihood of successful fundraising. More importantly, over the next year, we will focus our investment efforts on inclusive funds that prioritize social impact and sustainability. This includes not only well-known organizations operating in China, but we will also seek to connect with some overseas investment platforms.