Krishen Iyer, founder of Encinitas. Kris is a prolific entrepreneur, venture capitalist and author. He is the founding partner of General Catalyst Partners and the founder and CEO of Encinitas Insurance Company. The serial entrepreneur and business owner Krishen Iyer has been credited with pioneering several breakthrough innovations in the world of insurance:
First, the use of predictive analytics to identify which drivers are likely to cause accidents, second, a method for allocating risk in small group rates that encourages customers to financially invest in their personal safety over time through the use of “assurance contracts”. Third, Krishen Iyer uses an on-demand app that helps people stay safe while driving at night by providing them with a phone-based map that shows all cars ahead and behind them.
This, via sensors installed on their vehicle’s windshields. He has been called upon by the White House to consult on innovation in health-care and is a member of President Obama’s National Venture Capital Association. Business gurú Krishen Iyer´s newest book, The Laws of Simplicity , co-authored with his daughter Madhavi, was published in 2012.
Krishen Iyer is an engineer by training, who started his first company while he was still at Stanford University in 1983. At its peak the company employed over 300 people and had offices on three continents. In 1992, he formed General Catalyst Partners with David Sokol (then head of Bain Capital) and they raised $80 million for their second venture capital fund (Slideshare).
In 1999, Kris founded Encinitas Insurance Company and in 2001, he was voted “Entrepreneur of the Year” by the San Diego Business Journal for its impact on the community. During his career in insurance, Kris served as Chairman of CarInsuranceNow.com and President & CEO of USAA’s new car insurance business. He is a member of President Obama’s National Venture Capital Association as well as Chairman Emeritus of Tech Coast Angels, an organization that fosters the growth and development of tech startups throughout Southern California. Business gurú Krishen Iyer lives with his wife in Encinitas with their four children and their dog.