EW Blanch Liked Tech Firm So Much, It Bought It

E. W. Blanch Holdings, Inc. (EWB) recently acquired San Jose-based K2 Technologies, Inc., a risk-based technology firm. Specific terms of the transaction were not disclosed. K2 Technologies designs, develops and supports interactive software platforms for use in risk assessment and engineering, as well as information integration. The firm focuses on technologies to support natural hazard and risk analysis, insurance loss projection, and damage and vulnerability assessment.

Founded in 1994, K2 Technologies has worked in partnership with EWB over the past three years to design and build several advanced technology applications for the insurance industry, including EWB's recently introduced Catalyst natural peril model. Catalyst is a combination of science and software technology for earthquake and hurricane risk assessment. It brings to the insurance industry a multi-threaded, client server based software platform for speed and flexibility.

Catalyst also has the ability to be executed via the Internet using state of the art thin client technology. The Catalyst model is planned for usage by over 135 companies in its first year of deployment.

"K2 Technologies has a unique blend of personnel who are experts in many academic fields as well as experts in software design and development," says William Ashley, executive vice president of EWB, who will oversee the ongoing operations of K2. "Together we have been able to create the next generation in risk analysis tools."

"EWB is committed to the utilization of technology which will change the way the insurance business produces and transfers risk. K2 gives us an ideal platform to help our expanding customer base implement change through the use of technology," says Chris L. Walker, EWB president and CEO.