How Otonomi insures cargo against delays with AI, ML & blockchain, explains Founder Yann Barbarroux

When your shipment is delayed, traditional insurance won’t help you. It only covers physical loss or damage and not time lost.

That’s the problem Yann Barbarroux, CEO and Founder of Otonomi, decided to solve.

“I realised that traditional insurance contracts for transportation exclude delays,” says Yann. “You can’t get your money back if your cargo is stuck. That’s when I decided to build a data-driven, technology-driven product to protect against shipment delays.”

Watch STAT's Libin Chacko Kurian enquire Barbarroux about Otonomi in Singapore during transport logistic and air cargo Southeast Asia.

Otonomi was founded in New York in 2021 and is now expanding rapidly across North America, South America, and Asia, including Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand.

The company’s clients include shippers, exporters, and freight forwarders handling everything from perishables and pharmaceuticals to high-tech components and e-commerce parcels.

“It takes a crazy man to create that business, you’re talking to him!” Yann laughs.

Otonomi offers parametric insurance, meaning the system only looks at one parameter: transit time delay.

“We don’t care if the delay is due to weather, congestion, or tariffs. Once the delay exceeds a certain time, the payout is automatic.”

How fast?

“We quote in seconds, bind in minutes, and pay in days,” he says.

Behind the product is a powerful mix of machine learning, agentic AI, and blockchain.

“We use billions of data points, from climate and trade lanes to freight movement, to dynamically price risk,” Yann explains. “Our AI predicts actual arrival times, while blockchain ensures asset integrity and enables faster digital payments.”

Otonomi recently raised $5 million from investors in the US and Asia, including Hivemind Capital, Hong Kong-based Cyberport Macro Fund, Rothschild’s blockchain fund, and Portline Capital.

“We’ve tripled our team in three months and now have nearly 20 people across data science, tech, and capital management,” he adds.

The company is also partnering with digital distribution platforms like Cargo Community Network (CCN) in Singapore.