Oliver & Alexander Kent-Braham
University of Manchester · Marshmallow
The Twin Brothers Who Built the UK's First Black-Founded Insurtech Unicorn
6 March 2026
Twin brothers Oliver and Alexander Kent-Braham studied at the University of Manchester before founding Marshmallow in 2017. They noticed that people who had recently moved to the UK were being charged excessively for car insurance because traditional insurers didn't know how to assess their risk.
Fair Pricing Through Better Data
Marshmallow used alternative data sources and smarter algorithms to more accurately price insurance for underserved customers, particularly immigrants and expats. This let them offer significantly cheaper policies than incumbents.
Breaking Records
Marshmallow became the UK's first insurtech company founded by Black entrepreneurs to achieve unicorn status when it raised $85 million at a £1.25 billion valuation in 2021.
Representation Matters
The Kent-Braham brothers have spoken openly about the challenges of raising venture capital as Black founders in the UK. Their success has helped pave the way for greater diversity in British tech entrepreneurship.
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